‘Wipeout’ Returns ‘Bigger, Bolder, Edgier’ — and Funnier, Thanks to Its New Hosts
Preview
Wipeout creator and executive producer Matt Kunitz is back with more of that wacky obstacle course, last seen in 2014, only “bigger and bolder and edgier,” he promises. And don’t worry — that includes the iconic big red balls.
“Everything else is new,” he tells TV Insider of the show that premiered in 2008. “For the viewer, we want it to be fresh. They might see elements that are familiar, but the way that we’re using those elements will be unique.”
The hosts are also new — John Cena and Nicole Byer, with Camille Kostek on the field — and that “serious A-list talent changes the whole feel of the show,” Kunitz says. “We’re living vicariously through their eyes as viewers. It’s brought a completely different comedic tone to the show.”
Perhaps the biggest changes over the years has to do with changing technologies, says Kunitz. “GoPro cameras didn’t really exist,” Kunitz reminds us. “To have a POV [point-of-view] camera — and one that would work underwater — we were looking at these medical-grade cameras that were not used for filming television shows.”
Now, they’re putting GoPro 360s on the contestants as they run the course. “You can take that footage on your phone in an app and manipulate the footage so if somebody is running across the Big Balls and then they wipe out and fall in the water, you can then have a 360-degree view of that and follow the contestant down into the water,” he explains. They’re also using high-tech drones to follow every contestant in every run.
Tyler Golden/TBS/WarnerMedia
Speaking of the contestants, they did aim for “a slightly more athletic cast” — the goal is to have someone successfully complete the course every show — but it was about finding the right balance between athleticism and humor. “If you go too far athletic, then you get Ninja Warrior, which is not designed to be funny,” Kunitz says. “You watch Ninja because you want to see extreme feats of athletic prowess. That’s not why you tune into Wipeout. You tune in to see people wipe out.”
It’s bringing that comedy and “the idea of slipping on a banana peel” that the show has always had, says Kunitz, but there’s a new “vicarious thrill” to the course as well with the POV cameras. “[Viewers] feel like they might be running that obstacle course. They’re at home, ‘I can do that,’ and screaming at the TV. Some of the new viewers are going to be pleasantly surprised by how immersive the show is.”
And safety of course, he adds, remains the show’s top concern. It’s something clearly on Kunitz’s mind, after a contestant died of a heart attack after running the course this past November when shooting for the reboot. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family,” the EP says. “It was a tragic incident. Safety is, as it’s always been, a top concern for us and safety is constantly evolving from season to season as the course changes. Safety will continue to be a number one priority on Wipeout as we move on from season to season.”
TBS
As for the show’s timing, it couldn’t be more perfect, Kunitz says: “When Wipeout first came out in 2008, it came out right after a big recession. At that time, people were really looking for some light-hearted relief. Wipeout was this big, fun, silly show that the family could watch together and you didn’t have to worry about all the stresses of life.
“We’re in a very similar situation with the country just coming out of a year of COVID and families are stuck at home,” he continues. “They’re looking for other forms of entertainment. The things families would normally do together have changed dramatically.”
Wipeout, Premiere, Thursday, April 1, 9/8c, TBS
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Back. Now, the hosts. Yep, agree with you Robert, but a lot more to add. If anyone should be removed, definitely Nicole Byer. I got nothing from her, her jokes are pathetic and cringy trying to be modern. Karen joke? Really? Queen!? Again with that? And at the start, goes off saying about how we have the first woman of color in the White House. Yep! That solidified it! Celebrate the woman who put innocent people in prison just because they had drugs she also used! WOOOO! Throughout the hour, she was just annoying. Shut up already, I'm having PTSD of 2016 Ghostbusters.
John Cena, he can barely hold off as a host for this. He tries to be excited, but the audience is just disappointed. Yeah, he's John Cena, he's a wrestler, a celebrity. But he can't carry this show for superficial reasons. Sorry, it's not working.
Lastly, on the front lines, Camille Kostek. They really tried bringing in a Jill 2.0. I mean look at her, you can see the similarity, and that's it. Sure, she tried interacting well with the contestants, but it's just pitiful of trying to get a Jill 2.0 in the show, because everyone liked Jill, and John, and John.
I'd have given the benefit of the doubt when it came to the obstacles, I mean they just started back up again. And maybe they could at least bring back funny cartoons... The camera viewing/slow motions were bad by the by... But this is just a disappointing first impression.
For real though, Byer needs to go Bye Bye.
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You seem to hit the nail at every angle. I already got so bored of them, I was dozing off, maybe halfway in I stopped watching. Did that really happen in the end? 10 minutes just standing? if this keeps up, Wipeout's gonna get wiped out.
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So this is the comeback of Wipeout? Shouldn't have brought it back if this is the result. Already, first episode, 12 minutes of nothing. The only moment there I laughed at, the first round, was the guy of the special effects pair being paddled up and down a platform, and they lost! Every other contestant was a bore. And the old guys they let in... Yep, that should be a clue why teams shouldn't be in this, because it takes only one of them to ruin it for both of them.
Second obstacle course, next three pairs... Jesus. So one of all three pairs made it to the end, anyone's game. What did we see? The two women just stood near the end, contemplating what to do, their boys trying to encourage them. Meanwhile, The Old and the Restless caught up, again, that point, one of all three made it. Guess who won? The guys who were way behind and caught up! The other two guys, looking at their women all disappointed, the girls let them down. You can see it on one of their faces, staring upset she lost it for him.
The Wipeout Zone. Got nothing to say of the Spiritual Girls, but enough of The Old and the Restless guys... Holy... Why!? The old guy at the start, stood there at the start, for 10 minutes! He refused to go, why was he allowed in? They already lost, but they ran a buzzer for the other guy to go ahead to beat the 3 remaining minutes. In short, he almost made it. The old guy ruined it, wasted all that time. No wonder there were more commercials than usual.
Can't type any further...
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I watched the first episode Wednesday night and the hosts are terrible. Very corny and add nothing. Makes me really miss John, John and Jill. They added a lot to the show.
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Buyer seems to think that being wide-eyed and tilting her head is funny. That's her go to move. Hey it's not funny. I think Cena was born without a personality. Neither was funny. Kostek very standoffish with the contestants. Jill and Vanessa new how to interact with the contestants. I hope they get better with time and experience.
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The idea that they had to make it bigger, bolder, and edgier really falls flat in the first episode. The original hosts made the show the success it was and this trio just doesn't have the nearly the same chemistry. All the cuts and edits during the runs are way over the top.
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I was so excited for Wipeout to come back and was so disappointed last night. The hosts are fine people, but not funny and just not the same. The cuts during the course runs were also so annoying. Show someone running the course - with edits, of course, but not SO many. Bring back the original 3 hosts and you'll be fine.
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New hosts bad. Waste of time. Really, really bad. We were looking forward to it. Now forget it. Stinks.
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I dislike the new hosts. Neither of them are as good or as funny as the original hosts.
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We were originally excited to watch the reboot. But UGH! Lousy editing, boring hosts, they don’t follow contestants through the course like the old ones. Instead just pieces and parts of closeups. We don’t get to see the course. They cut the prizes in half?? They run as pairs? We stopped watching after 15 minutes and after fast forwarding to see if it improved. We are done with it. Will stick to the well done older ones.
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The host banter is moronic, nichole is annoying, not sure if can make it through the bad hosting.
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I was excited when I heard wipeout was coming back. Watched it Thursday night. I was disappointed! Are all the shows going to be teams ? That’s not as fun to watch. The hosts aren’t very good .i miss John, John , and Jill. They weren’t crude in their remarks. John cena said that one guy looked like he was pooping . Didn’t like that. And drawing a dick on the big red balls ? Not cool !
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erryThe only thing about this "new" WIPEOUT that even resembles the original of 7 years ago were the BIG RED BALLS. The course appears newer, cleaner, brighter and very sharp, all polish and no depth. The new hosts are nothing like the originals: John Anderson, John Henson and Jill Wagner who established a real connection with the audience and the contestants. The new hosts are nothing like the originals and at times boring. I am a fan of the show who has watched the show when it was originally on as well as in reruns. We have lost the feel of the variety and color of the different contestants, the new teams have lost the wild human ride of the original. The course isnt even that much fun, though it is much more organized and clean. The original organized chaos of the original is also lost.
I miss the feel of the original show that even was very different shows from all of the different nationalities were all different while being the same in feeling. I was excited when i heard the show was being brought back to life, but was sad to see what it has become.
And last but not least, the prize money after the years of absence has been cut in half, $25,000 instead of $50,000 split between 2 person teams. Even the smallzy bonus money is cut to $250 from $500. The show got cheap? Or is this cost of living in reverse? I wont watch much more and i will not tell friends that it is the fun it once was.
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