Who Dares Wins (game show)
Encyclopedia
Who Dares Wins is an Australia
n adventure game show
that aired on the Seven Network
between 1996 and 1998, with re-runs airing in 2005 and 2007. Hosted by former test cricket
er Mike Whitney
and co-hosted by Tania Zaetta
, the show has been screened in over 50 countries around the world.
As an adventure game show in which contestants are expected to complete undesirable tasks in order to win prizes, Who Dares Wins could be considered a precursor to contemporary reality TV
series such as Fear Factor
. It was created by David Mason and Adrian Brant.
of some kind. An unsuspecting contestant, previously nominated by a viewer of the show, is ambushed by Whitney and dared to partake and complete the stunt successfully in order to win a major consolation prize (usually a holiday and spending money).
Most of the runtime of a typical episode is devoted to the preparation of the stunt and the training the contestant receives in order to try complete it successfully. Often the stunt would also be demonstrated beforehand (successfully or unsuccessfully) by professional stuntmen.
In the climax of the show the contestant then attempts to complete the dare; if successful they win the major prize. If they fail or decide to drop out, co-host Zaetta will then try to complete the dare instead; the contestants forfeits the prize if she succeeds, but if she fails or pulls out herself, the contestant wins regardless.
During the show each major dare is bookended by several minor segments in which Whitney travels the streets and shopping malls of Australia challenging people to complete a lesser dare for a cash prize (usually around $50 to $200). This may range from sticking a hand into a container full of cockroach
es or having all their hair shaved off, to more complex dares such as tightrope walking
above a mall foyer, or diving off a ten metre platform into a pool.
Despite Australian production of the show ending in 1998, Who Dares Wins continues to be popular around the globe on cable television
networks such as AXN
. In particular, the show's massive success in India
has even lead to a series of India-based specials hosted by Zaetta in 2002, and later an Indian spin-off
called Extreme Dhamaka in 2003.
The show was also licensed to the United Kingdom
and named Don't Try This At Home and then renamed Challenge of a Lifetime. In the United States
the Game Show Network
aired Who Dares Wins on several occasions, with the tagline that Who Dares Wins was "Australian for Game Show" as a parody of Foster's Lager
's American advertising campaign of the time.
held in 1997, Tania Zaetta was nominated for the Logie for "Most Popular New Talent" for her work on Who Dares Wins. The series itself was also nominated for "Most Popular Light Entertainment Program".
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n adventure 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...
that aired on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
between 1996 and 1998, with re-runs airing in 2005 and 2007. Hosted by former test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
er Mike Whitney
Mike Whitney
Michael Roy Whitney is an Australian television personality and former cricketer, who played in 12 Tests and 38 ODIs from 1981 to 1993....
and co-hosted by Tania Zaetta
Tania Zaetta
Tania Zaetta is an Australian actress and television presenter who acts in Bollywood.-Early life:Zaetta was born to an Italian father and an Australian mother. Grand daughter of James Howard Browne OAM, botanist. She spent the earlier years of her life living in Merbein, Victoria...
, the show has been screened in over 50 countries around the world.
As an adventure game show in which contestants are expected to complete undesirable tasks in order to win prizes, Who Dares Wins could be considered a precursor to contemporary reality TV
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...
series such as Fear Factor
Fear Factor
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 contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a...
. It was created by David Mason and Adrian Brant.
Format
The main focus of each episode of the show often revolves around a dangerous stuntStunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...
of some kind. An unsuspecting contestant, previously nominated by a viewer of the show, is ambushed by Whitney and dared to partake and complete the stunt successfully in order to win a major consolation prize (usually a holiday and spending money).
Most of the runtime of a typical episode is devoted to the preparation of the stunt and the training the contestant receives in order to try complete it successfully. Often the stunt would also be demonstrated beforehand (successfully or unsuccessfully) by professional stuntmen.
In the climax of the show the contestant then attempts to complete the dare; if successful they win the major prize. If they fail or decide to drop out, co-host Zaetta will then try to complete the dare instead; the contestants forfeits the prize if she succeeds, but if she fails or pulls out herself, the contestant wins regardless.
During the show each major dare is bookended by several minor segments in which Whitney travels the streets and shopping malls of Australia challenging people to complete a lesser dare for a cash prize (usually around $50 to $200). This may range from sticking a hand into a container full of cockroach
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
es or having all their hair shaved off, to more complex dares such as tightrope walking
Tightrope walking
Tightrope walking is the art of walking along a thin wire or rope, usually at a great height. One or more artists performs in front of an audience or as a publicity stunt...
above a mall foyer, or diving off a ten metre platform into a pool.
Despite Australian production of the show ending in 1998, Who Dares Wins continues to be popular around the globe on cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
networks such as AXN
AXN
AXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America...
. In particular, the show's massive success in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
has even lead to a series of India-based specials hosted by Zaetta in 2002, and later an Indian spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
called Extreme Dhamaka in 2003.
The show was also licensed to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and named Don't Try This At Home and then renamed Challenge of a Lifetime. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the Game Show Network
Game Show Network
The Game Show Network is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite channel dedicated to game shows and casino game shows. The channel was launched on December 1, 1994. Its current slogan is "The World Needs More Winners"...
aired Who Dares Wins on several occasions, with the tagline that Who Dares Wins was "Australian for Game Show" as a parody of Foster's Lager
Foster's Lager
Foster's Lager is an internationally distributed Australian brand of 5.0% abv pale lager, It is a product of Foster's Group brewed under licence in several countries, including the U.S. and Russia...
's American advertising campaign of the time.
Awards
At the 39th Annual TV Week Logie AwardsLogie Awards of 1997
The 39th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Sunday 18 May 1997 at Crown Casino in Melbourne and broadcast on the Nine Network. Daryl Somers from Hey Hey It's Saturday was the Master of Ceremonies for the second year in a row...
held in 1997, Tania Zaetta was nominated for the Logie for "Most Popular New Talent" for her work on Who Dares Wins. The series itself was also nominated for "Most Popular Light Entertainment Program".
See also
- List of Australian television series
- The Mole (Australian TV series)The Mole (Australian TV series)The Mole was an Australian reality television series that aired on the Seven Network. It is based on The Mole franchise of programs that have aired in numerous countries. The sub-title for the Australian version of the show was a simple question: Who is the traitor?...
- a similar show where players must work together to complete assignments