Viva La Bam is an American
reality televisionReality 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...
series that stars
Bam MargeraBrandon Cole "Bam" Margera is an American professional skateboarder, television and radio personality, actor and daredevil. He released a series of videos under the CKY banner and came to prominence after being drafted into MTV's Jackass crew...
and his friends and family. The show was a spin-off from
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's
Jackassjackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
, in which Margera and most of the main cast had appeared. Each episode had a specific theme, mission, or challenge which was normally accomplished by performing pranks, skateboarding, and enlisting the help of friends, relations and experts. Although partly improvised, the show was supported by a greater degree of planning and organization.
Production
The cast includes
Ryan DunnRyan Matthew Dunn was an American reality television personality and daredevil best known for being a member of the Jackass and Viva La Bam crew. He hosted Homewrecker and Proving Ground...
,
Brandon DiCamilloBrandon Ralph DiCamillo is an American actor, stuntman and screenwriter. He was a founding member of the CKY Crew and rose to fame through appearances in the CKY video series and MTV's Jackass, Viva La Bam and Bam's Unholy Union.-Personal life:He previously worked for Neiman-Marcus, and is the...
,
Raab HimselfChristian Joseph Raab, , better known by his stage name Raab Himself, is an American television personality, known as a former member of the CKY Crew featured in the MTV series Viva La Bam and Jackass ....
,
Brandon NovakBrandon Novak is a professional skateboarder, actor, stuntman, and friend of Bam Margera and is a prominent member of the CKY Crew...
, Tim Glomb, and
Rake YohnRake Yohn is a member of the CKY Crew and a regular in the CKY Videos, MTV's Viva La Bam and Jackass.-Life and career:Yohn was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania...
. The show also starred Margera's parents
PhilPhillip "Phil" Margera is an American reality television personality, best known for appearing on Viva La Bam, the CKY Videos and the Jackass television series and movies...
and
AprilApril Margera is an American reality television personality, best known for her appearances on MTV's Viva La Bam, Jackass, the CKY videos, Minghags: The Movie and Bam's Unholy Union....
and his uncle
Don VitoVincent Roy Margera , more commonly known as Don Vito, is an American former reality television personality known for his appearances in Viva La Bam, Jackass, Haggard and the CKY videos alongside his nephew Bam...
. The show was mostly filmed in and around
West Chester, PennsylvaniaThe Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
and also visited
Las VegasLas 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...
, Atlantic City, New Orleans,
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Minneapolis,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Bam and his friends also went to Spring Break in 2006 for "Viva La Spring Break".
The show debuted on October 26, 2003 on the MTV network in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was later licensed around the world. The first episode featured Bam building a skatepark inside his house. Tony Hawk starred on this episode. Each of the
five seasons consisted of eight half-hour episodes, with the fifth and final season finishing on August 14, 2005. Later that year, in December, Bam Margera addressed rumors of a sixth season on
Last Call with Carson DalyLast Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
. His comment was that there would be no sixth season, but there would be occasional MTV specials and he and
Johnny KnoxvillePhilip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
were planning things for possible
Jackass stunts.
Featured music and guests
The show also often featured music from some of Margera's favorite bands, such as HIM,
CKYCKY is an American alternative metal band that formed in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1998. Centred around core members Deron Miller , Chad I Ginsburg and Jess Margera , the band shares its name with a skateboarding and stunt video series produced by Bam Margera, brother of drummer Jess...
,
The Bloodhound GangThe Bloodhound Gang may be a reference to:*The Bloodhound Gang , a segment on the program 3-2-1 Contact*The Bloodhound Gang, a band that took its name from the TV show segment...
,
Cradle of FilthCradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
,
ClutchClutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland, formed in 1990. The band's first release was an EP entitled Pitchfork, which debuted in October 1990. Their first studio album, Transnational Speedway League, was released three years later in 1993. To date, Clutch has released nine studio...
,
TurbonegroTurbonegro is a Norwegian punk rock band that was initially active from 1989 to 1998, and later reformed in 2002. Their style combines glam rock, punk rock and hard rock into a style the band describes as "deathpunk"....
,
Dimmu BorgirDimmu Borgir is a Norwegian black metal band from Oslo, Norway, formed in 1993. Dimmu borgir means "dark cities" or "dark castles/fortresses" in Icelandic, Faroese and Old Norse. The name is derived from a volcanic formation in Iceland, Dimmuborgir...
,
Carnal ForgeCarnal Forge are a Swedish band, best classified as thrash metal with some melodic death metal influences. The songs tend to be very fast and violent. Their name originates from a song on Carcass's album Heartwork.- Biography :...
,
SlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
,
GwarGwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
,
Children of BodomChildren of Bodom is a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993, the group currently consists of Alexi Laiho , Roope Latvala , Janne Wirman , Henkka Seppälä , and Jaska Raatikainen...
and
The 69 EyesThe 69 Eyes are a multi-platinum selling Finnish gothic rock band. They are currently signed to EMI Finland. The band's albums are now distributed worldwide. The End Records acts as the band's official North American distributor, as Nuclear Blast Records provides distribution in Mainland Europe,...
. Many of Margera's friends also appear on the show, including
Johnny KnoxvillePhilip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
, The Dudesons, and fellow skateboarders
Tony HawkAnthony Frank "Tony" Hawk , nicknamed "The Birdman" is an American retired professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk gained significant fame for completing the first 900 as well as his licensed video game titles distributed by Activision...
and
Bob Burnquist. Actor
Sean PennSean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
also makes an appearance in one episode.