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Total Wipeout
by linzeelou
Total Wipeout is a BBC One game show that airs on a Saturday night. It is presented by Richard Hammond and Amanda Bryan. The aim of the show is for 20 contestants to get through an obstacle course with various stages, against the clock, competing to get to the final stage. The winner will win £10,000 and in past series, winners have been ... able to go on to a champions of champions show.
The first two parts of the game are my favourite, mainly because I don't think the third and final rounds are as funny. The first part of the game is The Qualifier. The 20 contestants must do a number of different things to get to the end like bouncing on some huge red balls over water, trying not to fall in and walking past a wall covered with moving poles with boxing gloves on the end. A lot of the contestants end up falling in the water or mud at some point which obviously slows them down. I think I have only ever seen one person get through the whole first part without falling at any point.
The 12 contestants with the fastest completion times move on to the next round which is The Sweeper. This is my favourite round as it is the funniest. The contestants stand on huge podiums above water while a mechanical arms moves around which they must jump over or duck under to stay from falling off. Some of the contestants in this round don't even look as if they are really trying to jump which makes them fall off the podium really quickly.
The 6 contestants that last the longest then go on to the next round which involves being spun around on a merry-go-round and then being released, only to face a number of obstacles before the finish. If they fall into the water though, they must go back to the beginning and start over. The first 3 to make it to the finish will get to go on to the last round.
The final stage is pretty big and very daunting looking. The remaining contestants left must battle it out against the clock to be crowned the Total Wipeout champion. Again, this is done over water so there are plenty of opportunities to fall in and have to climb back up or even start over. At the end of this round, the contestant has to press a big red button to stop the clock. The contestant with the shortest time, wins. I think that this is the stage where contestants either prove that they are worthy of winning or not because it is so so hard and they must already be extremely tired from the other rounds.
What makes this show so funny is that the contestants really think they are going to win, no matter what they do for a living or their size. Each is very determined to begin with but I have seen some not even get half way through the first round before they are completely exhausted. I do love to see some of the contestants that you wouldn't think could do well get to the later rounds just to prove everyone wrong. The contestants are a large mix of people so I guess there is someone that everyone will be able to relate to in someway, even if it only their occupation or build etc.
Amanda Bryan is my favourite presenter of the two because she has the funniest facial expressions. Sometimes she can look so horrified and shocked at the way the contestants go about completing the course and she cant help but laugh when they don't do very well. I love that she makes fun of the ones that aren't good at all.
My main problem with this show is the fact that it is always the same. The only thing that makes each episode different is the contestants and why they are so funny. I would have liked if the stages were changed every now and again just to break up the monotony.
Total Wipeout makes for very easy viewing on a Saturday night (when it is on) and is great for when the reality shows aren't on. I cant help but laugh at this show every single time I watch it. I wish that there were more episodes per season as it always seems very short and by the time I get used to watching it again, it is over again. Very entertaining show.
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