The Almost Impossible Game Show?

By | August 8, 2015

So. While we were watching Schlag den Star tonight, we came across an advert for a show called Crash Games – jeder Sturz zählt (Crash Games – Every Fall Counts) which followed immediately afterwards and pretty instantly we twigged that this is ITV2’s upcoming Almost Impossible Game Show, although we suspect there have been a few changes between the German version and ours.

In the German show three teams of two (usually dressed up to provide an angle) attempt five largely wacky physical tasks, usually with a mild pain/pratfall/mess element and they must complete each one in as few attempts as possible. Four of these will be skill based, the fifth will be largely down to luck. They have a maximum of 25 fails at each one before they give up and move on. At the end, the two teams that have incurred the fewest fails take part in the finale, a race around the park and up Mount Crash to win €5,000.

It looks and feels ultra-cheap but features an enjoyably sarcastic commentator and quite a fun absurdist streak – the episode tonight declared itself to be a “Star Wars Special”, which was exactly the same as normal except there are a few people in Star Wars costumes about the place. The production crew make regular appearances, and when things go wrong (like a machine to dispense marbles which drop on a contestant’s head, which they’re meant to count not dispensing marbles) they keep it in. The tone is like an Aldi Total Wipeout.

Here’s the first bit of an episode on Youtube, you will probably have worked out quite quickly if it’s the sort of thing you’re going to like or not. We can definitely see why it’s going on ITV2 and not ITV1:

 

The Almost Impossible Game Show does not sound like a like for like match – as we recall individuals were encouraged to apply, and the idea went round that they’d get 50 chances to complete five games, but this is similarly an Endemol format and we’re 95% confident an adaptation.

One thought on “The Almost Impossible Game Show?

  1. Nico W.

    Last Night’s Schlag den Star was the most successful one ever, finally reaching more than 20% market share. It’s been far more successful than the boring Ich Bin Ein Star – Lasst Mich Wieder Rein which had very consistent ratings throughout its run, but the finale which aired exactly against SdS had the worst ratings of the series.

    Reply

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