Low budget failure and pain based comedy game show - perfect (Takeshi's Castle)

Member Name: bruffyboy

Product:	Takeshi's Castle
Date:	09/02/09 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: funny

Disadvantages: low budget

WHAT IS IT ABOUT:
Takeshi's Castle is a Japanese game-show where contestants battle their way through low budget assault courses, whittling down the numbers from 100 to a fe finalists who storm the castle. The show is funny, and the emphasis is on laughing at contestants falling over, not on the sportsmanship.

IS IT ANY GOOD:
This show is just brilliant. There's something about watching people attempt a course so tough you know they'll fail, and just enjoying the moment of failure: this show is all about that.

A typical episode has around eight challenges, the funniest of which is the stepping stones, where contestants have to make it across a muddy pool by getting across stepping stones. The only problem is the stones sometimes give way, and they have to run full blast at them; this more than usually leads to painful and comic falls and spills.

The UK version of the show is narrated by Craig Charles, who parodies the whole thing and does silly jokes throughout. Most of these jokes are very adult in nature, so be aware of that if thinking of letting kids watch the programme. It's important to remember that the show is filmed in Japanese, which may be annoying for those wanting to know exactly what is going on.

Another thing that's great is the contestants often take a real battering during the show - no health and safety concerns here! For example, a super fast gun shoots bowling sized balls at contestants' heads and faces as the try and balance their way along a rickety roe bridge - you wouldn't get that over here in the UK!

IF YOU LIKED IT:
The BBC's new show 'Total Wipeout' is a similar programme, full of near impossible physical challenges. It's not quite as dangerous, but is still fun.

IN CONCLUSION:
The daddy of all game-shows!

Summary: brilliant!