Old Skool Total Wipe-out! (Takeshi's Castle)

Member Name: Beanie8844

Product:	Takeshi's Castle
Date:	05/02/09 (196 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: excellent challenges, entertaining, Craig Charles commentary

Disadvantages: not on tv as much as it used to be

With some very bizarre television shows being very popular on television at the moment, for example hole in the wall and total wipe-out, I thought I'd bring back and old classic in Takeshi's Castle which in its heyday was a huge hit in many countries around the world!

The show first aired in November 2002 in the UK and proved a success immediately with large viewing figures. The format of the show was slightly different from the Japanese version of the show, shorter and elements were renamed so that they were more suitable for UK audiences, but the entertainment factor was very much the same; a really funny show, fit for all of the family.

Basically, approximately one hundred contestants would start the show and gradually be eliminated as they all take part in a series of quite strange challenges; not too dissimilar from total wipe-out in this respect. There were many challenges, different each week, but all seemed to involve contestants having things thrown at them, falling over sometimes into water or mud or being chased by some very odd looking characters! Some examples of the games are: Avalanche, Boulder Dash, Giant Maze and Skittles. Generally, it would take about eight challenges to get to the final contestants who would then take on General Lee and his army in the final showdown. The final showdown involved some sort of water fight in which the team who had their targets in tact at the final whistle were the winners, but lets face it this show was never about who won, just the fun they had along the way!

I believe the show is still aired on Virgin 1, but not sure of the timings. If it's on I always watch it, maybe not the whole way through, but it is very good viewing. Craig Charles commentary is hilarious and made even better by the instant replays which are shown at the end of every round! Well recommended.

Thanks for reading, feel free to comment.

Summary: if you can find it on the tv listings then it's worth a look