Fear Factor
Encyclopedia
Fear Factor is an American
stunt/dare reality
game show
. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol
USA and NBC
adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestant
s against each other in a variety of stunts for a grand prize of US$
50,000. From Seasons One to Five, the contestants were generally three men and three women, all competing for themselves, but in Season Six, the show moved to a permanent format of four teams of two people, each with a pre-existing relationship with one another. The show was hosted by comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan
, executive produced by Matt Kunitz
and David Hurwitz and directed by J. Rupert Thompson
.
talent series American Idol
on Tuesday nights, and the ratings declined further. Despite much publicity concerning an improved format and better stunts for Season Six, NBC
put the struggling program on hiatus for the remainder of the season to make room for the sitcom Joey, which was removed from the NBC lineup a few weeks later. NBC then canceled Fear Factor in May. The network began airing the remainder of the season on June 13, 2006, with the remaining episodes to be burned throughout the summer. In 2004, Fear Factor became the first network reality show to be syndicated. Over its six seasons, Fear Factor earned NBC a reported $600 million in advertising revenue. Currently only the first season has been released on DVD, but in early 2009, plans were made to release a box set containing the entire series on DVD. The project was put on hold for an unknown reason in March 2010. On June 5, 2010, it was announced that the project was canceled because of the low sales of the first season DVD.
With Chiller airing reruns of the show every Saturday
night, the ratings on Chiller led to Comcast informing Entertainment Weekly
in a report published May 31, 2011 that a revival version is in development. Eight episodes have been ordered, with two of them being two-hour episodes. Rogan will return to the hosting duties. The revival would be shot in high-definition, and owing to concerns over the then-ongoing NFL Lockout and the loss of NBC Sunday Night Football
episodes, TV Guide
reported in early July the show could be ready as early as September as lockout replacement programming. (NBC eventually lost one episode, the season premiere Hall of Fame Game, because of the lockout that ended in late July.) The program will begin airing December 12, 2011.
The normal format involved three men and three women, or four teams of two people with a pre-existing relationship, who had to complete three professional stunts to win US$
50,000. If a contestant/team was too scared to attempt a stunt, failed to complete a stunt, or (in some cases) had the worst performance on a stunt, they were eliminated from the competition. If only one contestant/team successfully completed the first or the second stunt, they automatically won $25,000, and the other contestants eliminated in the stunt along with the winner of the stunt returned for the next stunt to compete for the remaining $25,000. If no one successfully completed the first or the second stunt, then all of the contestants/teams eliminated in the stunt would return to the next stunt to compete for a reduced $25,000. (In season one, if one person completed the stunt, then the completer won $10,000 and the $50,000 grand prize was not reduced.)
Only once in the history of Fear Factor did the $50,000 top prize go unclaimed in an episode. This happened on a Best Friends edition on September 27, 2004, when none of the remaining teams were able to complete the final stunt. In the stunt, one member of each team had to drive a ramp car, while the other member had to drive a sports car. The one driving the sports car had to drive it onto the truck bed via the ramp car. If the sports car fell off of the truck bed at any time, the team was automatically eliminated. Had it been successfully completed, the team who did this the fastest would have won. However, the last remaining contestants walked away with two Mazda
vehicles.
After the acquisition of Universal Studios
of Vivendi Universal by NBC
's parent company General Electric
in 2004, contestants could win vacations in order to promote the theme park division of NBC Universal
at Universal Orlando, or win trips to Universal Studios in Hollywood.
The order of the stunts on a typical episode of Fear Factor is as follows:
In later episodes, a common (but not always used) rule was that no one would be eliminated after the second stunt; instead, the contestant or team that performed the best would receive a prize, such as a vehicle or a prize package similar in value.
. Like the first stunt, it usually involved heights, water, vehicles, or some combination of the three. In order to avoid ties, this stunt was always competitive. The player with the best performance this round would win the grand prize, usually $50,000, and had the privilege of being informed "evidently, fear is not a factor for you".
In Season two, the thirteen non-celebrity winners were divided into groups of eight men and five women. For the first four stunts, men competed amongst men and women competed amongst women, in two stunts each. The men had to release a flag from a locked box while hanging suspended in the air and eat three different items from a table. The women had to collect flags while on top of an aircraft and retrieve three poles from a tank with alligator
s. The stunts narrowed the constestants down from eight men and five women to two men and two women competed against each other for the grand prize by using a key to activate a horn while riding on a speeding truck.
In Season three, the twenty-four winners were divided into two groups of twelve, each containing seven men and five women. In the first semifinal episode, the group was cut from twelve to six to three to two finalists. In the second semifinal episode, the group was cut from twelve to six in the first stunt, then the men competed amongst the men and the women competed amongst the women in the second stunt, and then the final four contestants, two men and two women, were cut to two finalists. Each finalist won a 2004 Mazda RX-8
and a chance at the $100,000. In the finals, the four finalists competed in three stunts. Each stunt eliminated one contestant, and the final stunt determined the winner.
Six contestants, three male and three female, were required to strip naked and parade down a fashion style runway in front of over a hundred people for three minutes while photographers took pictures. All six successfully completed this stunt and moved on to the next round.
Four Stunt Show (Seasons three to six):
This was typically a 90-minute episode featuring four stunts instead of three. The first such episode was notable for the stunt involving body piercing
. In seasons four to six, at least one of the four stunts was a non-elimination stunt, in which contestants competed for a prize. The four-stunt format was sometimes used in conjunction with other special formats, such as Family Fear Factor, Twins Fear Factor, and Reality Stars Fear Factor.
All-Gross Show (Seasons three to six):
All three stunts on this show followed the format of the second (gross) stunt as described above. The first such episode involved bobbing for objects in a vat containing 50 gallons of cow blood
. In seasons four and five, the all-gross format was used for Halloween-themed episodes. In season six, a "Farm Fear Factor" episode featured all gross stunts.
Las Vegas Show (Seasons three to five):
Stunts took place at various hotel
s and casino
s in Las Vegas
. The show's winner was required to bet at least half their winnings on one hand of Blackjack
, with the chance to continue gambling if successful.
Second Chance (Season four):
Losing contestants from previous seasons came back for a second chance at winning $50,000.
Favorite Winners (Season five):
Winning contestants from previous seasons came back for a chance at winning another $50,000.
Couples (Seasons three to five):
Four couples competed in three stunts, with the winning team dividing the prize (and, in season 3, sending one player to the Tournament of Champions).
In Season four, nine couples competed over seven weeks and 17 stunts for $1,000,000. Along the way, they competed for various other prizes, including $10,000, cars
, vacations, credit card
s, and a chance to steal a desired prize from another team. In Season five, eight couples competed for the million dollar prize.
While not specifically designated as "couples" episodes, several themed episodes in Season six featured all-couples teams. These episodes included "Psycho Fear Factor" and "Old vs. Young".
Twins (Seasons two, four, and five):
In season two, three pairs of twins
competed as teams in the first stunt, and competed individually the second and third stunts. In seasons four and five, four pairs of twins competed as teams in all stunts, with the winning team dividing the prize.
Best Friends (Season five):
Four pairs of best friends competed in three stunts, with the winning team dividing the prize.
Family (Seasons four and six):
Four teams of one parent and one child competed in three stunts for the prize. In the second stunt, the team with the best performance received a bonus prize, such as a car or a vacation.
$1 Million (Season four and six):
Twelve contestants competed in six stunts. The one player who survived all six won a $1,000,000 annuity.
Models (Seasons four and five):
Played in the normal format with models or entirely female contestants. The fifth season had one episode with male and female models.
Fear Factor Super Bowl
Halftime Show (Season two):
Played in the normal format with Playboy
Playmates.
Miss USA (Seasons three to five):
Played in the normal format with Miss USA
contestants, with the winning contestant keeping $25,000 and giving $25,000 to a charity of their choice. There was no Miss USA edition in the sixth season of Fear Factor, as NBC
produced a Miss USA edition of Deal or No Deal
instead; the Miss USA contestants were the briefcase models for the entire episode. The next time that Miss USA delegates would be involved in a game show was in 2010 on Minute to Win It
. It is unknown if there will be a Miss USA edition in the revival, as the current format will require a Miss USA delegate to pair up with a male contestant.
WWE Stars (Season two):
Six WWE stars played for $50,000 to donate to the charity of their choice. It was won by Matt Hardy
.
Reality Stars (Seasons five and six):
Contestants from other reality shows, like The Amazing Race
, Survivor, American Idol
, The Apprentice
, and The Real World
, played for a grand prize and other bonus prizes such as cars and vacations. In Season five, six contestants competed in a four-stunt episode for $50,000, and in the sixth season, five teams of two competed in a three-episode series for $150,000.
Military
(Season six):
Contestants from the Air Force
, the Army
, the Marines
and the Navy
competed.
Psycho (Season six):
A three episode series featuring six couples performing stunts which were centered around the Bates Motel
on the set of the original Psycho
horror movie from Paramount Pictures
. Unlike other Fear Factor episodes, contestants were required to sleep in the filthy Bates Motel between stunts, and were subjected to Fear Factor pranks and mini-challenges while in the motel.
Newlyweds (Season five):
Four sets of Newlyweds competed for $50,000 at Universal Studios Florida
.
Blind Date (Season six):
Four single men were introduced to four single women, and either the women (in the first episode) or the men (in the second episode) got to choose their partner among the available contestants of the opposite sex. The winning team divided the prize.
No Sleep (Season four):
Five co-ed pairs of contestants competed as teams in the normal format, with one exception: contestants were not allowed to sleep for the 48-hour duration of the competition. If a contestant fell asleep at any time before the final stunt was completed, his or her team would be eliminated. This was the only episode the TV series in which contestants could be eliminated in the downtime between stunts.
Home Invasion: This was included at the end of each episode in Season six. It involved Joe Rogan going to different homes across America and challenging the family to compete in a stunt. Each stunt usually involved the contestants, under time limit (usually 1 minute), ingesting something foul or undesirable before receiving keys to open two safes, both containing $5,000 credit cards from Capital One
.
its viewers. More seriously, the American Humane Association
expressed concerns for allowing animals and insects to get injured and even killing insects by eating them alive during the videotaping of the show. The association also revealed that professional animal trainers
have refused to work on the show because the producers of Fear Factor have demanded stunts which violate the association's guidelines.
In January 2005, an episode featuring a stunt involving blended rats
aired in its normal prime time
slot. Austin Aitken, a part-time paralegal
from Cleveland, sued NBC
for $2.5 million USD for airing the show, claiming that he felt so disgusted from watching the stunt, his blood pressure
rose until he felt dizzy and lightheaded and subsequently vomited. He claimed that his disorientation was so severe that he ran into a doorway and seriously injured himself. In March 2005, U.S. District Judge Lesley Wells threw out the lawsuit on the grounds of First Amendment protection
.
Fear Factor was also criticized by major U.S. electrical utilities for an episode that required contestants to climb through a simulated electrical substation with "electrified wires" replete with simulated sparks and electrical sounds added in post-processing. The Edison Electric Institute
issued a warning regarding the episode, fearing that viewers might attempt to climb through a real substation with more fatal results.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stunt/dare reality
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol
Endemol
Endemol is an international television production and distribution company based in the Netherlands, with subsidiaries and joint ventures in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Poland,...
USA and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestant
Contestant
A contestant is someone who takes part in a competition, usually a professional competition or a game show on television. The participants competing against each other have to go through rounds...
s against each other in a variety of stunts for a grand prize of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
50,000. From Seasons One to Five, the contestants were generally three men and three women, all competing for themselves, but in Season Six, the show moved to a permanent format of four teams of two people, each with a pre-existing relationship with one another. The show was hosted by comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan
Joseph James "Joe" Rogan is an American comedian, video blogger, actor, writer, podcaster, and martial artist. He is best known for his work on NewsRadio, his work as color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and his hosting work on Fear Factor.-Acting:In 1994, Rogan co-starred on...
, executive produced by Matt Kunitz
Matt Kunitz
Matt Kunitz is a television executive producer known for his work on reality television programming. In July 2008, the Los Angeles Times dubbed Kunitz "The King of Reality TV." Kunitz is currently the executive producer on Wipeout, a stunt based competition reality game show he created for...
and David Hurwitz and directed by J. Rupert Thompson
J. Rupert Thompson
J. Rupert Thompson, born July 14, 1964, is a director and producer of reality television. He graduated from Noble and Greenough School, a prestigious New England preparatory school located in Dedham, Massachusetts in 1986, where he also co-captained the school's boys cross-country team...
.
History
As NBC's answer to the successful series Survivor, the show was initially a hit for the network in the summer of 2001, and built strong ratings for the next couple of seasons, but as the years passed, the ratings declined. In 2006, Fear Factor faced tough competition with TV ratings champion, the FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
talent series American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
on Tuesday nights, and the ratings declined further. Despite much publicity concerning an improved format and better stunts for Season Six, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
put the struggling program on hiatus for the remainder of the season to make room for the sitcom Joey, which was removed from the NBC lineup a few weeks later. NBC then canceled Fear Factor in May. The network began airing the remainder of the season on June 13, 2006, with the remaining episodes to be burned throughout the summer. In 2004, Fear Factor became the first network reality show to be syndicated. Over its six seasons, Fear Factor earned NBC a reported $600 million in advertising revenue. Currently only the first season has been released on DVD, but in early 2009, plans were made to release a box set containing the entire series on DVD. The project was put on hold for an unknown reason in March 2010. On June 5, 2010, it was announced that the project was canceled because of the low sales of the first season DVD.
With Chiller airing reruns of the show every Saturday
Saturday
Saturday is the day of the week following Friday and preceding Sunday.Saturday is the last day of the week on many calendars and in conventions that consider the week as beginning on Sunday, or the sixth day of the week according to international standard ISO 8601 which was first published in...
night, the ratings on Chiller led to Comcast informing Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
in a report published May 31, 2011 that a revival version is in development. Eight episodes have been ordered, with two of them being two-hour episodes. Rogan will return to the hosting duties. The revival would be shot in high-definition, and owing to concerns over the then-ongoing NFL Lockout and the loss of NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
episodes, TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
reported in early July the show could be ready as early as September as lockout replacement programming. (NBC eventually lost one episode, the season premiere Hall of Fame Game, because of the lockout that ended in late July.) The program will begin airing December 12, 2011.
Show format
Before the contestants were introduced, Rogan uttered a verbal disclaimer. The wording has changed with certain versions, but this is one most commonly used:The normal format involved three men and three women, or four teams of two people with a pre-existing relationship, who had to complete three professional stunts to win US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
50,000. If a contestant/team was too scared to attempt a stunt, failed to complete a stunt, or (in some cases) had the worst performance on a stunt, they were eliminated from the competition. If only one contestant/team successfully completed the first or the second stunt, they automatically won $25,000, and the other contestants eliminated in the stunt along with the winner of the stunt returned for the next stunt to compete for the remaining $25,000. If no one successfully completed the first or the second stunt, then all of the contestants/teams eliminated in the stunt would return to the next stunt to compete for a reduced $25,000. (In season one, if one person completed the stunt, then the completer won $10,000 and the $50,000 grand prize was not reduced.)
Only once in the history of Fear Factor did the $50,000 top prize go unclaimed in an episode. This happened on a Best Friends edition on September 27, 2004, when none of the remaining teams were able to complete the final stunt. In the stunt, one member of each team had to drive a ramp car, while the other member had to drive a sports car. The one driving the sports car had to drive it onto the truck bed via the ramp car. If the sports car fell off of the truck bed at any time, the team was automatically eliminated. Had it been successfully completed, the team who did this the fastest would have won. However, the last remaining contestants walked away with two Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
vehicles.
After the acquisition of Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
of Vivendi Universal by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's parent company General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
in 2004, contestants could win vacations in order to promote the theme park division of NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
at Universal Orlando, or win trips to Universal Studios in Hollywood.
The order of the stunts on a typical episode of Fear Factor is as follows:
First stunt
The first stunt was designed to physically test each of the contestants (e.g., jumping from one building to the next). Usually, the two men and the two women, or the three teams, that gave the best performance (such as the fastest time, furthest distance, or number of flags collected in under a certain time) would move on to the second stunt. The others were eliminated.Second stunt
The second stunt was meant to mentally challenge the contestants. The three most common types of stunts in the second round were eating stunts, animal stunts, and retrieval/transfer stunts. Eating stunts entailed ingesting vile animal parts, live bugs, or a blended concoction of multiple gross items; animal stunts entailed immersing one's head or entire body in animals considered to be disgusting or intimidating (such as rats, snakes, or worms); retrieval/transfer stunts entailed retrieving items or gross objects (often by mouth) hidden in disgusting substances (e.g., blood, lard) or live animals (such as sit in a tub of snakes as long as they could). Less often, the second stunt would involve a pain endurance challenge, such as outlasting competitors in a tear gas chamber, walking on broken glass with bare feet, or ingesting habanero peppers. With the exception of retrieval/transfer stunts, contestants were usually not eliminated after this stunt unless they did not complete it, or vomited before finishing. In the case of teams, one team may be eliminated for performing the worst.In later episodes, a common (but not always used) rule was that no one would be eliminated after the second stunt; instead, the contestant or team that performed the best would receive a prize, such as a vehicle or a prize package similar in value.
Third stunt
The third and final stunt was usually something from an extreme type of stunt seen in an action filmAction film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
. Like the first stunt, it usually involved heights, water, vehicles, or some combination of the three. In order to avoid ties, this stunt was always competitive. The player with the best performance this round would win the grand prize, usually $50,000, and had the privilege of being informed "evidently, fear is not a factor for you".
Tournament of Champions
The second and third seasons concluded with a Tournament of Champions featuring the winners of each show in that season and a $100,000 grand prize.In Season two, the thirteen non-celebrity winners were divided into groups of eight men and five women. For the first four stunts, men competed amongst men and women competed amongst women, in two stunts each. The men had to release a flag from a locked box while hanging suspended in the air and eat three different items from a table. The women had to collect flags while on top of an aircraft and retrieve three poles from a tank with alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
s. The stunts narrowed the constestants down from eight men and five women to two men and two women competed against each other for the grand prize by using a key to activate a horn while riding on a speeding truck.
In Season three, the twenty-four winners were divided into two groups of twelve, each containing seven men and five women. In the first semifinal episode, the group was cut from twelve to six to three to two finalists. In the second semifinal episode, the group was cut from twelve to six in the first stunt, then the men competed amongst the men and the women competed amongst the women in the second stunt, and then the final four contestants, two men and two women, were cut to two finalists. Each finalist won a 2004 Mazda RX-8
Mazda RX-8
The Mazda RX-8 is a sports car manufactured by Mazda Motor Corporation. It first appeared in 2001 at the North American International Auto Show. It is the successor to the RX-7 and, like its predecessors in the RX range, it is powered by a Wankel engine. The RX-8 began North American sales in the...
and a chance at the $100,000. In the finals, the four finalists competed in three stunts. Each stunt eliminated one contestant, and the final stunt determined the winner.
Special episode formats
Naked Fear Factor (Season two):Six contestants, three male and three female, were required to strip naked and parade down a fashion style runway in front of over a hundred people for three minutes while photographers took pictures. All six successfully completed this stunt and moved on to the next round.
Four Stunt Show (Seasons three to six):
This was typically a 90-minute episode featuring four stunts instead of three. The first such episode was notable for the stunt involving body piercing
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
. In seasons four to six, at least one of the four stunts was a non-elimination stunt, in which contestants competed for a prize. The four-stunt format was sometimes used in conjunction with other special formats, such as Family Fear Factor, Twins Fear Factor, and Reality Stars Fear Factor.
All-Gross Show (Seasons three to six):
All three stunts on this show followed the format of the second (gross) stunt as described above. The first such episode involved bobbing for objects in a vat containing 50 gallons of cow blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
. In seasons four and five, the all-gross format was used for Halloween-themed episodes. In season six, a "Farm Fear Factor" episode featured all gross stunts.
Las Vegas Show (Seasons three to five):
Stunts took place at various hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s and casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. The show's winner was required to bet at least half their winnings on one hand of Blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
, with the chance to continue gambling if successful.
Second Chance (Season four):
Losing contestants from previous seasons came back for a second chance at winning $50,000.
Favorite Winners (Season five):
Winning contestants from previous seasons came back for a chance at winning another $50,000.
Couples (Seasons three to five):
Four couples competed in three stunts, with the winning team dividing the prize (and, in season 3, sending one player to the Tournament of Champions).
In Season four, nine couples competed over seven weeks and 17 stunts for $1,000,000. Along the way, they competed for various other prizes, including $10,000, cars
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, vacations, credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
s, and a chance to steal a desired prize from another team. In Season five, eight couples competed for the million dollar prize.
While not specifically designated as "couples" episodes, several themed episodes in Season six featured all-couples teams. These episodes included "Psycho Fear Factor" and "Old vs. Young".
Twins (Seasons two, four, and five):
In season two, three pairs of twins
TWINS
Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers are a pair of NASA instruments aboard two United States National Reconnaissance Office satellites in Molniya orbits. TWINS was designed to provide stereo images of the Earth's ring current. The first instrument, TWINS-1, was launched aboard USA-184...
competed as teams in the first stunt, and competed individually the second and third stunts. In seasons four and five, four pairs of twins competed as teams in all stunts, with the winning team dividing the prize.
Best Friends (Season five):
Four pairs of best friends competed in three stunts, with the winning team dividing the prize.
Family (Seasons four and six):
Four teams of one parent and one child competed in three stunts for the prize. In the second stunt, the team with the best performance received a bonus prize, such as a car or a vacation.
$1 Million (Season four and six):
Twelve contestants competed in six stunts. The one player who survived all six won a $1,000,000 annuity.
Models (Seasons four and five):
Played in the normal format with models or entirely female contestants. The fifth season had one episode with male and female models.
Fear Factor Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
Halftime Show (Season two):
Played in the normal format with Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
Playmates.
Miss USA (Seasons three to five):
Played in the normal format with Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
contestants, with the winning contestant keeping $25,000 and giving $25,000 to a charity of their choice. There was no Miss USA edition in the sixth season of Fear Factor, as NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
produced a Miss USA edition of Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal (US game show)
Deal or No Deal is the American version of the international game show of Dutch origin of the same name. The show was hosted by Howie Mandel, and premiered on December 19, 2005, on National Broadcasting Company . The hour-long show typically aired at least twice a week during its run, and included...
instead; the Miss USA contestants were the briefcase models for the entire episode. The next time that Miss USA delegates would be involved in a game show was in 2010 on Minute to Win It
Minute to Win It
Minute to Win It is an American prime time game show on NBC hosted by Guy Fieri. Contestants take part in a series of 60-second challenges that use objects that are commonly available around the house....
. It is unknown if there will be a Miss USA edition in the revival, as the current format will require a Miss USA delegate to pair up with a male contestant.
WWE Stars (Season two):
Six WWE stars played for $50,000 to donate to the charity of their choice. It was won by Matt Hardy
Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore "Matt" Hardy is a semi-retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his stints in World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
.
Reality Stars (Seasons five and six):
Contestants from other reality shows, like The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
, Survivor, American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, The Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)
The Apprentice is an American reality television show hosted by real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump, created by Mark Burnett and broadcast on NBC...
, and The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
, played for a grand prize and other bonus prizes such as cars and vacations. In Season five, six contestants competed in a four-stunt episode for $50,000, and in the sixth season, five teams of two competed in a three-episode series for $150,000.
Military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
(Season six):
Contestants from the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, the Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
competed.
Psycho (Season six):
A three episode series featuring six couples performing stunts which were centered around the Bates Motel
Bates Motel
Bates Motel is a 1987 television movie about Alex West, a mentally disturbed youth who was committed to an asylum after killing his abusive stepfather. There he befriends Norman Bates and ends up inheriting the infamous Bates Motel.-Plot:...
on the set of the original Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
horror movie from Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. Unlike other Fear Factor episodes, contestants were required to sleep in the filthy Bates Motel between stunts, and were subjected to Fear Factor pranks and mini-challenges while in the motel.
Newlyweds (Season five):
Four sets of Newlyweds competed for $50,000 at Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
.
Blind Date (Season six):
Four single men were introduced to four single women, and either the women (in the first episode) or the men (in the second episode) got to choose their partner among the available contestants of the opposite sex. The winning team divided the prize.
No Sleep (Season four):
Five co-ed pairs of contestants competed as teams in the normal format, with one exception: contestants were not allowed to sleep for the 48-hour duration of the competition. If a contestant fell asleep at any time before the final stunt was completed, his or her team would be eliminated. This was the only episode the TV series in which contestants could be eliminated in the downtime between stunts.
Home Invasion: This was included at the end of each episode in Season six. It involved Joe Rogan going to different homes across America and challenging the family to compete in a stunt. Each stunt usually involved the contestants, under time limit (usually 1 minute), ingesting something foul or undesirable before receiving keys to open two safes, both containing $5,000 credit cards from Capital One
Capital One
Capital One Financial Corp. is a U.S.-based bank holding company specializing in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking and savings products...
.
International versions
| Country | Name | Host | Channel | Broadcast | Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Albania |
Fear Factor | Vizion Plus Vizion + Vizion Plus is a satellite frequency, private television station founded in 1999 in Tirana, Albania, part of Edil-Al construction group and WAZ-Mediengruppe. Besides being found terrestrially throughout Albania, the station can be found in Europe through Tring Digital, North America on IPTV and... |
|||
 Arab WorldArab world The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the... |
Fear Factor عامل الخوف | Najla Badr | MBC1 Middle East Broadcasting Center The Middle East Broadcasting Center Group is the first private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World which was launched in London in 1991 and later moved to its headquarters in Dubai in 2002. MBC Group provides multiple channels of information, interaction and entertainment... |
February 13, 2004 | 50.000 SR Saudi riyal The Riyal is the currency of Saudi Arabia. It is abbreviated as ر.س or SR . It is subdivided into 100 Halalas . The Saudi Ghirsh is 5 Halalas.-History:... |
 Australia |
Fear Factor | Marc Yellin | Nine Network Nine Network The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia... , FOX8 FOX8 Fox8 is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms... |
2002 | AU$50.000 |
 Belgium DutchNetherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
Now Or Never | Walter Grootaers | VTM VTM The abbreviation VTM may refer to::* Vampire: The Masquerade, a popular role-playing game* Virginia Tech massacre* vtm, the main commercial television station in Flanders, Belgium... |
2005 | |
 Brazil |
Hipertensão Hipertensão Hipertensão is the Brazilian version of Fear Factor, which premiered April 14, 2002 on the Rede Globo television network.The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland... |
Zeca Camargo (2002) (2010–present) |
Globo Rede Globo Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings... |
April 14, 2002 | R$500,000 |
 Kingdom of Bulgaria |
СТРАХ | Nikolay Mladenov | Nova TV | March 1, 2009 | 15.000 лв |
 Canada (French Canadian) |
Facteur de Risques | Benoit Gagnon, Josée Lavigueur | TVA | September 21, 2004 | CAN$30,000 |
 Chile |
Fear Factor Chile | Tonka Tomicic Tonka Tomicic Tonka Tomicic Petric is a Chilean model and television presenter of Croat origin.-Career:She first came to public attention as the Chilean representative to the 1995 Miss World pageant. Soon after she was invited to the program Pase lo que Pase of TVN as a fashion commentator... |
Canal 13 Canal 13 (Chile) Canal 13 , is the second oldest television station in Chile. It is owned by Luksic Group associated with the Papal Catholic University of Chile. Its inaugural transmission took place on August 21, 1959... |
November 13, 2010 | CL$3.000.000 |
 Colombia |
Frente al miedo | Juan Pablo Llano | Caracol TV Caracol TV Caracol Televisión is a Colombian private national television network, owned by Julio Mario Santo Domingo.- History :Caracol Televisión started in 1954 when Organización de Radiodifusora Caracol offered to afford national television costs, then state-run, through commercial spots... |
2005 | |
 Independent State of Croatia |
Fear Factor | Antonija Blaće | RTL RTL Televizija RTL Televizija is a Croatian commercial broadcaster with national availability that has been broadcasting since April 30, 2004.RTL Televizija is 74% owned by the RTL Group.... |
||
 Czech Republic |
Faktor strachu | Joe Rogan Joe Rogan Joseph James "Joe" Rogan is an American comedian, video blogger, actor, writer, podcaster, and martial artist. He is best known for his work on NewsRadio, his work as color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and his hosting work on Fear Factor.-Acting:In 1994, Rogan co-starred on... |
Prima Cool Prima Cool Prima Cool is a Czech private television station.Prima Cool is second channel of TV Prima. Cool is a man- and young-oriented station.Prima Cool launched on 1 April 2009 as new digital channel of TV Prima. It can be tuned in Czech DVB-T multiplex 2, where is free to air... |
||
| Poslední kapka | 2012-2013 | CZK10 000 000 | |||
 Denmark |
Fear Factor | Biker-Jens Biker-Jens Jens Romundstad, commonly known as Biker-Jens is a Danish television personality. He is a former professional soldier and educated Civiløkonom . In 2002, he served in Kyrgyzstan with the Royal Danish Air Force in mission Enduring Freedom... |
TV3 | 2003 | |
 Egypt |
Fear Factor Extreme أرض الخوف | Sally Chahin | AlHayat TV | April 2009 | US$50,000 |
 Finland |
Pelkokerroin | Aleksi Valavuori | Nelonen Nelonen Nelonen is a Finnish commercial TV channel. It started out as Helsinki's local television channel PTV in 1989 on the HTV cable network, which name was changed first to PTV4 and then to Nelonen. It started on June 1, 1997. Nelonen, in Finnish, means the glyph of the number four. The channel is... |
September 13, 2008 | €10.000 |
 Early Modern France |
Fear Factor | Denis Brogniart | TF1 TF1 TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network... |
10 000 € | |
 Germany |
Fear Factor | Sonja Zietlow Sonja Zietlow Sonja Zietlow is a German television presenter. She is most famous for her own tabloid talk show Sonja, which aired from 1997 to 2001 on Sat.1, and, more recently, as host of several RTL shows, most notably "Der Schwächste fliegt!", German adaptation of the hit BBC quiz show "The Weakest Link" in... |
RTL | 2004 | |
 Greece |
Fear Factor | Kostas Sommer Kostas Sommer Kostas Sommer is a Greek actor who has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows. In 2005, he appeared in the Hollywood film Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo starring Rob Schneider as the Greek gigolo Assapopoulos Mariolis... |
ANT1 ANT1 Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by... |
June 2006 | |
 Hungary |
A Rettegés Foka | Kovalcsik Ildikó | RTL Klub RTL Klub RTL Klub is a television station owned by RTL Group and broadcast in Hungary. It was one of Hungary's first commercial TV channels and was only two days after the main rival TV2 to begin broadcasting.-About RTL Klub:... |
2005 | |
 India |
Fear Factor India Fear Factor India Fear Factor India is an Indian adaption of the popular reality show Fear Factor. The series premiered on Sony TV on March 10, 2006, and is presented by Indian television actor Mukul Dev... |
Mukul Dev | SET Asia | ||
| Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi | Akshay Kumar Akshay Kumar Akshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series",... (2008–2009; 2011–present) Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film... (2010) |
Colors | July 21, 2008 | ||
 Indonesia |
Fear Factor Indonesia | Agatsya Kandau | RCTI RCTI RCTI is Indonesia's first privately owned television network and is based in West Jakarta. RCTI broadcasts Indonesian Idol as well as sinetron , films, news and current affairs, reality shows and religious programs... |
Rp.500.000.000 | |
| ' | Fear Factor Malaysia | Shamser Sidhu | ntv7 Ntv7 Natseven TV Sdn Bhd or better known as ntv7 is a terrestrial television channel in Malaysia. It was launched nationwide on 7 April 1998 and was the country's third private free-to-air TV station after TV3 and Astro. Its mission is to promote a happier and more enlightened Malaysia... |
August 27, 2005 | RM10.000 |
| ' | Fear Factor: Factor Miedo | Julio Bracho | Televisa Televisa Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract... |
MX$150.000 | |
 Netherlands |
Now or Neverland Fear Factor |
Fabienne de Vries | Veronica Veronica (television channel) Veronica is a commercial TV channel in the Netherlands, owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media . Other channels of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG in the Netherlands are SBS6 and NET 5.... |
1998 | €100.000 |
 New Zealand |
Fear Factor | Joe Rogan | TV2 | 2008 | $50,000 |
 Norway |
TV3 TV3 (Norway) TV3 Norway is a commercial television channel targeting Norway owned by Viasat, which is a part of the Swedish media group Modern Times Group... |
||||
 Philippines |
Pinoy Fear Factor Pinoy Fear Factor Pinoy Fear Factor is a franchise reality show on ABS-CBN that started airing on November 10, 2008. It ran for 15 weeks, ending on February 20, 2009. The show is based on the Dutch reality game show Now or Neverland and is produced by Endemol. It is hosted by Filipino actor-host Ryan Agoncillo... |
Ryan Agoncillo Ryan Agoncillo Kristoffer Lou Ryan Agoncillo , popularly known as Ryan Agoncillo, is a Filipino Film and Television actor, model, singer, photographer, and TV host.-Early life:Agoncillo was born on April 10, 1978... |
ABS-CBN ABS-CBN ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ... |
November 10, 2008 – February 20, 2009 | P2.000.000 |
 Poland |
Fear Factor - Nieustraszeni | Roman Polko Roman Polko Major General dr Roman Polko is a Polish Army officer, acting chief of Biuro Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego , former commander of "GROM", doctor of military science studies, speciality: management.... |
Polsat Polsat Polsat is Poland's second biggest television channel, founded on December 5, 1992 and owned by Zygmunt Solorz-Żak.Polsat belongs to the Polsat Group , which also owns other channels:*Polsat HD*Polsat 2 International*Polsat News*TV Biznes... |
50.000zł | |
 Portugal |
Fear Factor - Desafio Total | Leonor Poeiras José Carlos Araújo |
TVI TVI TVI may refer to:*Tamil Vision International, a Tamil language television channel in Toronto, Canada*TeleVideo, a manufacturer of computer terminals*Televisão Independente, Portugal's fourth television channel... |
2004 | |
 Kingdom of Romania |
Pariu cu Frica - Fear Factor | Sport.ro Sport.ro Sport.ro is a private channel in Romania, launched on July 27, 2003 and dedicated entirely to sports. Sport.ro reaches nearly 64% of the population of 21.5 million inhabitants of Romania and its broadcast schedule contains domestic and international sporting events... |
April 6, 2008 | ||
 Russia |
Фактор страха | Cyrill Nabutov | NTV | 2004–2005 | 100.000 RUR |
 South Africa |
Fear Factor | Thapelo Mokoena | M-Net M-Net M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers.... E.tv |
R300.000 | |
 Spain |
Factor Miedo | Alonso Caparros | Antena 3 Antena 3 (Spain) Antena 3 is a Spanish terrestrial television channel owned by Antena 3 de Televisión. Some of the more popular programmes broadcast by Antena 3 include Aquí no hay quien viva, El Barco, Los Protegidos, Los Simpson and El Internado.... |
2005 | |
 Sweden |
Fear Factor | Paolo Roberto | TV4 | ||
 Turkey |
Fear Factor Türkiye Fear Factor Extreme |
Acun Ilıcalı Acun Ilicali Acun Ilıcalı is a Turkish television personality, producer and sport journalist. He is also the founder and head of Acun Medya.- Biography :... Asuman Krause Asuman Krause Asuman Krause is a German-born former model and singer of mixed Turkish and German-Dutch descent.Krause grew up in Germany until the end of middle school. Afterwards she decided to stay with her mother in Turkey... |
Show TV Show TV SHOW TV is a nation-wide television channel in Turkey owned by Çukurova Holding. The channel was established by the Turkish businessmen Erol Aksoy and Haldun Simavi on March 1, 1992. During the last years, Show TV extended its range of viewers by adding more channels like Show Plus, Show Max and... |
2006 2010 |
TL100.000 |
 United Kingdom |
Fear Factor | Ed Sanders Ed Sanders (television carpenter) Ed Sanders is an English carpenter and television personality. He learned carpentry to help keep himself employed between acting jobs.In 1999, he landed the role of Eddie Moliano in the Sky One series Dream Team... |
Sky One Sky One Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two... |
September 3, 2002 – August 22, 2004 | £20,000 |
 United States |
Fear Factor | Joe Rogan Joe Rogan Joseph James "Joe" Rogan is an American comedian, video blogger, actor, writer, podcaster, and martial artist. He is best known for his work on NewsRadio, his work as color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and his hosting work on Fear Factor.-Acting:In 1994, Rogan co-starred on... |
NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... |
June 11, 2001 – September 12, 2006; December 12, 2011 - present | US$50,000 |
Criticism
Fear Factor has received criticism from the general public mainly because of the show's second stunt, which intends to disgustDisgust
Disgust is a type of aversion that involves withdrawing from a person or object with strong expressions of revulsion whether real or pretended. It is one of the basic emotions and is typically associated with things that are regarded as unclean, inedible, infectious, gory or otherwise offensive...
its viewers. More seriously, the American Humane Association
American Humane Association
The American Humane Association is an organization founded in 1877 dedicated to the welfare of animals and children.The AHA's Film and Television Unit has monitored the welfare of animals during the production of films and television programs since 1940. They are the source of the familiar...
expressed concerns for allowing animals and insects to get injured and even killing insects by eating them alive during the videotaping of the show. The association also revealed that professional animal trainers
Animal training
Animal training refers to teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Training may be for the purpose of companionship, detection, protection, entertainment or all of the above....
have refused to work on the show because the producers of Fear Factor have demanded stunts which violate the association's guidelines.
American Humane believes that shows like Fear Factor are on a slippery slope of animal mistreatment and provide poor examples of animal treatment and humane ethics. As we work diligently to expand voluntary compliance with animal safety guidelines, organisations like Endemol who blatantly demonstrate complete disregard for animal welfare, or even that of their human contestants — are producing unacceptable programming. Karen Rosa (Communications Manager of AHA Film and TV Unit)
In January 2005, an episode featuring a stunt involving blended rats
RATS
RATS may refer to:* RATS , Regression Analysis of Time Series, a statistical package* Rough Auditing Tool for Security, a computer program...
aired in its normal prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
slot. Austin Aitken, a part-time paralegal
Paralegal
Paralegal is used in most jurisdictions to describe a paraprofessional who assists qualified lawyers in their legal work. This is true in the United States and many other countries. However, in Ontario, Canada, paralegals are licensed by the Law Society of Upper Canada, giving paralegals an...
from Cleveland, sued NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
for $2.5 million USD for airing the show, claiming that he felt so disgusted from watching the stunt, his blood pressure
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...
rose until he felt dizzy and lightheaded and subsequently vomited. He claimed that his disorientation was so severe that he ran into a doorway and seriously injured himself. In March 2005, U.S. District Judge Lesley Wells threw out the lawsuit on the grounds of First Amendment protection
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
.
Fear Factor was also criticized by major U.S. electrical utilities for an episode that required contestants to climb through a simulated electrical substation with "electrified wires" replete with simulated sparks and electrical sounds added in post-processing. The Edison Electric Institute
Edison Electric Institute
The Edison Electric Institute is the association of United States shareholder-owned electric power companies. Its members serve 95 percent of the ultimate customers in the shareholder-owned segment of the industry, and represent approximately 70 percent of the U.S. electric power industry...
issued a warning regarding the episode, fearing that viewers might attempt to climb through a real substation with more fatal results.
Spin-off products
Fear Factor has also resulted in various spin-off products:- A game called Fear Factor: UnleashedFear Factor: UnleashedFear Factor: Unleashed is a video game that is based on the reality series Fear Factor.-Details:The player is able to choose if they want their character to be a man or woman and what skin color they want the character to have. The character has four statistics which are nerve, steadiness, stomach,...
was by Hip Interactive for the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. - A Fear Factor board game was published by Master Pieces.
- There are a few books based on Fear Factor, such as The Fear Factor Cookbook and Fear Factor Mad Libs.
- Brand New Candy, LLC. makes several novelty candies that are based on Fear Factor, including eyeballs.
- A HindiHindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
reality show called Khatron Ke KhiladiKhatron ke khiladiKhatron ke khiladi may refer to:*Khatron Ke Khiladi *Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi*Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi Level 2*Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi Level 3*Fear Factor - Khatron Ke Khiladi Level 4...
(English: The Players of Danger) based on Fear Factor was introduced in India. Its host was BollywoodBollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
superstar Akshay KumarAkshay KumarAkshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series",...
. - A theme park show called Fear Factor LiveFear Factor LiveFear Factor Live is an attraction located at Universal Studios Florida, and previously, Universal Studios Hollywood. Both attractions opened in Spring of 2005. The Hollywood attraction was closed on August 14, 2008 to make way for Creature from the Black Lagoon: The Musical, which opened in Spring...
opened at Universal Studios FloridaUniversal Studios FloridaUniversal Studios Florida is an American theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Opened on June 7, 1990, the park's theme is the entertainment industry, in particular movies and television. Universal Studios Florida inspires its guests to "ride the movies," and it features numerous attractions and...
and Universal Studios HollywoodUniversal Studios HollywoodUniversal Studios Hollywood is a movie studio and theme park in the unincorporated Universal City community of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood movie studios still in use...
in the Spring of 2005. The Hollywood attraction has since been replaced by Creature from the Black Lagoon: The MusicalCreature from the Black Lagoon: The MusicalCreature From the Black Lagoon: The Musical was a live performance show formerly located at the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park in Los Angeles, California. It debuted on July 1, 2009, replacing Fear Factor LIVE...
. - Eight champions from Fear Factor participated in a special edition of The Weakest Link in which only $22,500 was won; this stood as the lowest score on the NBC US version of the show.
External links
- Fear Factor on NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
- 2011 Announcement of Revival (article on the sanitary factors and health risks of the show)