Recently in Wipeout Category

Tonight's cuppa: decaf Irish breakfast tea

On Thursday, Dec. 8, on ABC, new "Wipeout" host Vanessa Lachey -- wife of Nick Lachey, host of "The Sing-Off," which has a Christmas-music special on Monday, Dec. 5 on NBC -- makes her debut in the show's first-ever Christmas special.

Since this is "Wipeout," there aren't going to be any heartwarming carols sung around a fireplace or jingle-bell sleigh rides through the snow.

But, there will be nutcrackers.

"One of the biggest stunts we've ever built," says executive producer Matt Kunitz, "which you'll see in the Christmas special, is called the Nutcracker. We had these giant Christmas nutcrackers. They are probably 40 feet tall. So, the contestant has to run past them. You can imagine what our nutcrackers would do.

"So, the first nutcracker they run past, the foot jerks past and kicks them right in the nuts, hopefully, and then they think, 'OK, that's what's going to happen on the next one.' Then they run by the next one, and they're kind of protecting their groin. But the arm comes out and knocks them in the head. We misdirect them a little bit."

And despite "Wipeout's" reputation as a family show, the fun just keeps on coming.

"We've never done a Christmas special before," Kunitz says. "We have Santa Claus. We have Christmas elves. We hired a bunch of little people, and they dress up like elves. They're sort of evil elves, as you might imagine 'Wipeout' elves would be. They definitely have an evil side to them.

"What's really funny is John Henson. You see him six times throughout the show. He starts off in sort of a simple Christmas sweater, and they get more and more outrageous, to the point where he's wearing a Christmas sweater -- I don't want to give away what his last Christmas sweater is, but we had a lot of fun with it. Basically, we took every sort of Christmas tradition and turned it upside down on its head and shook it a little bit."

Asked if Henson wanted to keep any of the sweaters, Kunitz explains that there was actual sweat involved.

"What's ironic is," he says, "on this day, when he had to wear these sweaters, the air conditioning was broken. It was 85 degrees, and he had to wear these sweaters that got bigger and bigger and more crazy and bizarre. Some of them had electricity in them. But he was a trouper.

"At the end, I said, 'Because you put up with the broken air conditioner, I'm going to let you take home any one of these sweaters that you want to have.' I don't think he took me up on the offer.'"

At some point during production of "Winter Wipeout," the new host's husband got in on the act.

"Nick came to the set a couple of times," says Kunitz. "He enjoyed it. he got to throw a couple of snowballs at our contestants. We make real snowballs, and we're mean with the snowballs. We're vicious. We're making snowballs all day long. We own to sno-cone machines. We're just making sno-cones and not putting the sweet stuff on it.

"You get a bonus for headshots. So, if anyone can hit contestants in the head with a snowball, they get an extra five bucks. There's some incentive, and it's fun. Whenever we have guests, we're like, 'Have at it.' Nick jumped right in there and started chucking snowballs.

"We actually purchased a snowball launching machine. We were excited about it and then discovered that, really, there is nothing as good as the human arm for really aiming a good snowball at someone's face."

Kunitz says there will be a Valentine's-themed "Wipeout" airing as part of "Winter Wipeout," which starts in January, and then, "We're not doing a Fourth of July 'Wipeout,' but we are doing a 'Military Wipeout,' which will probably air around the Fourth of July. That will be Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, all competing against each other. We are casting that now. We won't be shooting that until the fourth cycle -- that's four months away at least."

Today's cuppa: PG Tips tea

If you're a Roman Catholic, like me, you get used to thinking, "Well, it's a mystery."

All of the universe cannot be fully explained nor rationalized away -- as those poor, brave souls in Japan know with heartbreaking clarity -- and what is true of the universe as a whole is also true of that little corner of it called TV.

Screenwriter William Goldman, in talking about the movies, said, "Nobody knows nothing," and that goes for all of entertainment. Why some things succeed and others fail is as much about luck and happenstance and timing as it is about effort or talent.

Quality shows fail; cheesy shows are giant hits ("Jersey Shore" and all of the "Real Housewives" come to mind).

Why? Eh, it's a mystery.

I have loved plenty of shows that failed, from "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr." and "EZ Streets" to "The Good Guys," and several shows that have hung on by the skin of their teeth but never became big hits, like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (before you yell, it was never The WB's highest-rated show, or usually even the second highest-rated show, but it did well enough by The WB's modest standards to survive) to "The Wire" and "Friday Night Lights."

(I shall always have a warm little spot in my heart for former NBC chief Ben Silverman and DirecTV for striking the deal that let under-appreciated "FNL" have a full five-season run -- the final season begins on NBC Friday, April 15.)

Now, you may say, well, you're a TV critic, you have elevated and refined tastes, and you don't like shows that normal people like.

Hold it right, there, buckaroo. I've been on the case of megahit "NCIS" since the beginning, long before the mainstream press was finally forced to take notice -- went off in a blog post a few years ago about that -- and as any regular reader of this blog knows, I love the intellect-free but fun-filled "Wipeout," reality-competition megahit "Dancing With the Stars" and reality hits "Deadliest Catch" and "Dirty Jobs."

OK, and "IRT: Deadliest Roads." Nothing like TV you have to watch through your fingers, curled in a fetal position.

For what it's worth, here are a few theories I've cooked up as to why shows succeed or fail (bearing in mind, "nobody knows nothing") ...

Timing is everything. When you've had a hard day at work, do you want to come home, help the kids with their homework, argue with your teenage daughter about boys or college admission, maybe look over the budget with your spouse and then sit down and watch people do the very same thing on "Friday Night Lights"? Maybe not. Shows have to hit people at the right place and the right moment in their lives. On the other hand, if the show is funny enough, like "Modern Family," you just might.

Stars don't matter. Maybe they do in movies -- but I'd only make an argument for a few people even there -- but big-name actors don't get people to watch scripted TV, at least not past the pilot. If the viewers still don't like the show, they're gone. But stars are something to promote, so I know why the networks try.

Stars do matter. But usually only in reality TV, because viewers hope they'll learn something new or the star will do something ridiculous or entertaining. You tune in because you know something about the person, and therefore you care more than with a total unknown. But if the star is boring  -- which means he or she is probably a sensible person and not an unbalanced exhibitionist -- the audience is gone. (Which may go a long way to explaining why sane, sensible stars don't often do reality shows.)

Big-name producers matter ... to a point. Again, it's a selling point to have a name producer, but very few of them are hit machines, and the recognition doesn't often penetrate beyond a small slice of the TV audience. But if you've got a Mark Burnett or a J.J. Abrams, you've got wider recognition and a good track record, and that's about as good as it gets.

Swing viewers matter. There will always be a loyal constituency for every show -- the size varies wildly, and often it's not enough -- and there will be a certain number of people who wouldn't watch the show if you paid them. It's those people in the middle, not necessarily inclined to love a show nor to hate it, that are the difference among utter failure, cult hit and "NCIS." I believe a lot of those swing viewers came to "NCIS" through its frequent airings on USA, and that the show was accessible enough and consistent enough to satisfy them when they tried out the new episodes.

A copy is never as good as the original. Never. Ever. Development execs should have this tattooed on their arms, so they have to see it every day. A COPY IS NEVER AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL. And cloning is only for sheep. Unless you get the same producer, same writers, same crew, same actors, same premiere date and same societal conditions at the time of the premiere date, you can't clone a hit.

Amuse yourself first. If you're a producer or a development exec or a network exec, and a show tickles you or moves you, go with it. Unless you're deeply weird or clinically insane (and sometimes even if you're one or both), someone else will feel the same. How many of those someones there are, well...

It's a mystery.

Today's cuppa: hotel hot tea (pretty darn good, comes in little silky teabags)

Yesterday, I described a bit about my night visiting the set of "Winter Wipeout" not long before Thanksgiving -- click here for that, and a couple of pictures of the set covered in real snow --  and today I'm continuing with my chat with "Wipeout" executive producer Matt Kunitz, which took place that night in his office at the location north of Los Angeles.

All sorts of ordinary folks get a chance to tackle the "Wipeout" obstacle course in hopes of making it all the way to the nighttime "Wipeout Zone" and wining the cash prize. But it turns out that special people with special requests for a special "Wipeout" experience have less chance of running the course than a plumber from Duluth.

(Disclaimer: HGTV does not assert that, in, fact, a plumber from Duluth appears on the next episode of the show, called "Winter Wipeout: The Musical," airing Thursday, Jan. 13 on ABC, or, indeed, on any episode. But we wouldn't mind if one did.

BTW, regarding this episode, host John Henson said, "It's our craziest course yet ... and it's completely covered in snow! Fortunately, that helps reduce the swelling." After my night at the Wipeout Zone, I suspect that "snow" is more Ivory than fallen, but I digress.)

"We got a call," says Kunitz (at right), "from someone at the highest level of government -- top, top, top, can't say the name, but high, high, wanted to come with his whole family this Thanksgiving and do it. The person was impressive enough -- you couldn't get much higher -- and wanted to come with the kids, try the course.

"So we thought about it, 'What are the implications if something was to go wrong with this person? Certainly, we put a thousand contestants through it; we could let this person do it.'

"But we looked into, what would it really cost? It was not going to be on a shoot day. We would be doing it next week, during the downtime for Thanksgiving. It was going to be $80,000, and that pretty much put an end to that.

"There's no profit in that, even, but it's not worth it. It's not what we do."

After talking with Kunitz the other day, we were exchanging emails, and he told me of another request.

"Did I tell you a Saudi prince's staffer once called?" he wrote. They wanted to fly him and his friends in to play on the course. 'Money was not an issue.'

"We turned him down just as we have every other request. We don't have any downtime on the course when we are not either shooting or tearing it down to build a new course."

Speaking of building, Kunitz tells me on set in November, "It's literally like we have our own lumber supply here. Of course, we buy it, but we have shelves of every kind of bolt and fastener and glue and paint and vinyl. It's very well-organized. I was down there a few days ago, and it was like, 'Wow, this is like literally like being at your local lumber store.'

"We have spent close to a million dollars on foam. We are probably one of the largest foam buyers -- certainly the largest television show buying foam, period. I imagine the only people buying as much foam as us are mattress manufacturers."

I can attest that the outer edges of the "Wipeout" location are a strange maze of obstacle parts, supplies and equipment, which, when driving in the dark, is a little hard to navigate. I finally had to have a production assistant guide me off the property (which also has a rather alarming ditch at the perimeter that didn't look very inviting in my headlights either).

So far, "Winter Wipeout" is doing well, perhaps well enough to come back for another edition next year.

"If it does well," Kunitz says, "in January and February, we should get a pickup in time, so that we'll shoot our two summer cycles and then go, boom, right into the next winter cycle. We'll just be shooting year-round. We'll keep everybody working."

Tonight's cuppa: hotel coffee

I've been locked up for a week in a lovely hotel in Pasadena for the winter edition of the biannual Television Critics Association Press Tour (you can follow the fun on Twitter at @KateOH and by searching for the #TCA hashtag -- there are a few more days yet to go!).

Yesterday, ABC and DIsney were presenting their shows, and that included a hot-chocolate break with the cast and producers of "Winter Wipeout" (including big, round, red mascot Ballsy), a first-time winter-themed edition of the rollicking obstacle-course competition show.

I had a nice chat with executive producer Matt Kunitz, who provided the photos here, which depict a rare Southern California snowstorm that recently blanketed the "Wipeout" location north of Los Angeles with real snow.

(There was even some talk that day that the show might go year-round.)

Back when I visited the set not long before Thanksgiving, filming for "Winter Wipeout" -- airing its second episode Thursday on ABC -- was almost finished. I drove up after dark, down the winding country roads that lead to the filming location on a former ranch surrounded by hills. In the pitch darkness, the lights of the "Wipeout Zone" (the name for the show's final round, which is always at night) could be seen for quite a distance, especially the searchlights.

No word on how the neighbors in this rural area feel about this. Luckily, it doesn't look like there are any close by.

I overshot the entrance the first time and wound up headed into the Angeles National Forest, then did a U-turn and found my way back. Filming on the first "Wipeout Zone" of the evening was underway, featuring a contestant who was taking a very, very long time finishing the course. As you've seen on TV, the obstacles all have a wintry theme, and there were fake snowflakes drifting through the air.

On impulse, I started to stick my tongue out to catch one, until Kunitz's assistant reminded me they were actually soap flakes. For that, she got one of the homemade oatmeal cookies I'd brought with me ... as you may remember a previous visit to "Wipeout" early in 2010, Kunitz expects baked goods. Another one went to Kunitz's brother, who was there for a visit. But yes, there were plenty left for Kunitz to enjoy (and be forced to share with everyone in the control room).

Appropriately enough, it was cold that night (ironic, since a couple of weeks before, it had been blistering hot), so I had broken out the berber fleece jacket, hat, gloves and scarf -- and I can't even imagine what it was like when the contestants (wearing colorful vests that sagged unattractively when wet) plunged repeatedly into the foamy water. "Wipeout" normally shoots in the winter so the shows can be edited to air in the summer, and the pools are often not very warm, even on the balmiest of days.

After a visit to the control room to warm up and enjoy a grilled sandwich stuffed with turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce, I sat with Kunitz in his office for a chat about how he created his winter wonderland. Check back here for that tomorrow (including a bit about a proposed visit by a political bigwig).

UPDATE: Click here for Part 2: Princes and Potentates Need Not Apply.

Today's cuppa: Coffeeshop coffee

Before tomorrow's turkey stupor, I'll give thanks for things in my life and the world at large. Today, though, it's all about the TV.

Here's what I'm thankful for right now ...

* That Discovery and Science Channel are simulcasting "Punkin Chunkin 2010 " tomorrow, on Thanksgiving Day. Ever since "Junkyard Wars" days, there's hardly been anything better than watching an unsuspecting gourd flung through the ether to its eventual splat-tastic demise -- except when you add in Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage of "Mythbusters" as hosts. (BTW, it starts tonight on Science Channel with "The Road to Punkin Chunkin.")

* That no more Bristol Palin-hating wingnuts did anything abominably stupid during the "Dancing With the Stars" finale on Tuesday (at least as far as I know). Getting drunk and shooting your TV? Sending a threatening letter with white powder that just scared the heck out of a bunch of innocent people at CBS Television City, where ABC's "Dancing" is filmed (and "The Price Is Right," why the hate for Drew Carey)? And, death threats? DEATH THREATS? Someone needs a reality check. Reminds me of what I was taught as a kid, that how you treat others says nothing about them, but it says everything about you.

* That we didn't have any entertainment-industry strikes by any of the many alphabet-soup unions, whether it's the WGA, the DGA, SAG or AFTRA. Yes, there was a labor dispute at NBC's "The Biggest Loser," but that was settled in what seemed like a reasonable amount of time, and nobody got hurt. With any luck, none of the contestants gained any stress weight either.

* That Thom Beers keeps making TV shows. Yes, I do watch History's "IRT: Deadliest Roads" -- in which North American truckers navigate terrifying mountain byways in Northern India -- while curled in a fetal position and through my fingers, but It's the most fun you can have behind the wheel while not actually getting behind the wheel (or risking a hideous death plunging off a cliff, as often depicted in the Thom Beers Graphics of Doom).

* That, after a bruising fall season, midseason is charging in to save us, armed with such returning goodies as FX's "Justfied," Fox's "Kitchen Nightmares," NBC's "Parks and Recreation," and ABC's "Shark Tank," "Wipeout" (the winter edition) and "V."

There is also a bunch of promising new shows, such as NBC's "Love Bites," "Harry's Law" and "The Cape"; and Fox's "Bob's Burgers" and "The Chicago Code" (formerly known as "Ride-Along," from "The Shield" executive producer Shawn Ryan).

* That, on Dec. 1, "Celebrity Rehab" is coming back on VH1. 'Nuff said.

* Finally, and most importantly, that America's first responders and armed forces keep watch on the holiday, protecting our homes and lives, along with the liberty that allows me to not only watch good TV, but to complain when TV isn't so good. God bless and keep safe.   

Once upon a time, summer TV was all reruns, busted pilots and short-run replacement shows (I liked that Ben Vereen one, though ...), but now, it's just as stuffed with scripted and reality shows as the rest of the year -- and a bunch of them are just awesome.

So, in no particular order, here's my list of Summer Shows I Can't Live Without (feel free to play along at home; your results may vary):

"Wipeout": Anytime I need a boost to my spirits, ABC's reality-competition show, which sends contestants through wild and wacky obstacle courses, is just the ticket. In some ways, it's a living "Road Runner & Coyote" cartoon, only with no Road Runner (unless you count that $50,000 ultimate payoff that everyone's chasing). All the colorful contestants are Wile E. Coyote, forced to suffer repeated splats, falls, flips and indignities in search of an elusive prize. Yes, it's silly and mindless fun, but I love it because ... it's silly and mindless fun.

"America's Got Talent": You can keep your "American Idol," I prefer NBC's often emotional, sometimes downright loopy talent-competition series, which pits dog acts against magicians against singers against a harmonica player against a guy who flossed his neck. What all of the acts have in common is that they have nothing in common except a willingness to endure possible public humiliation to realize a long-held dream. Sometimes it makes me cry, and sometimes it makes me want to take a shower.

"Ice Road Truckers": In the midst of a sultry summertime, there's nothing like tuning in to History Channel and watching truckers on the frozen Dalton Highway in Alaska battle snow, ice and below-zero temperatures to get their rigs and their loads from one tiny tundra hamlet to another. If I still lived in the Northeast and was facing similar conditions in a few months, I might not be so sanguine, but as I don't, it's a visually stunning reminder of what I'm missing.

"Burn Notice": USA Network now has a second spy drama, called "Covert Affairs," but the original remains the gold standard for espionage thrills, chills and fun. The summer finale airs tonight (Aug. 26), so you better get hopping if you haven't yet fallen in love with burned spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) and his motley crew in Miami. Oh, and any chance to watch Sharon Gless puff a cigarette and have her say as Westen's savvy mom is worth the price of admission.

"The Choir": I fell in love with the first season of this BBC America reality show, in which elfin choirmaster Gareth Malone built a choir out of the rough-hewn raw materials at a British high school that didn't even have a music program, eventually taking it all the way to a worldwide competition in China. In the most recent season, he took on adolescent masculinity to create a choir at a sports-focused all-boys school. In the next season, he heads to a blue-collar area to not only revitalize the school but the whole town. Gareth is tough but loving and has an unshakable faith in the transformative power of singing -- and he's made a believer out of me.

"Warehouse 13" and "Eureka": Syfy has just found the right mix of science-fiction, fantasy, character humor, drama and good old entertainment in this pair of hit shows, which had crossover episodes early in the month. Both shows manage to be true to their genres without resorting to silliness or self-parody (excellent casts and writers go a long way to making that happen). They're light in tone, but not lightweight -- and that's harder than it sounds.

"Psych": A perfect froth of slapstick, one-liners, homages galore and even a dead body or two, this USA Network comedy-drama about a pretend police psychic (James Roday) and his long-suffering best buddy and partner (Dule Hill) is an absolute delight. The whole cast is strong, the writing is clever but never twee, the theme song rocks, and there's just enough heart to anchor it to Earth and keep the whole thing from floating away.

These are only the tip of the iceberg, and I could easily give Honorable Mentions to: Discovery's "The Colony"; Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva": USA's "Royal Pains" and "White Collar"; BBC America's "James May's Toy Stories": and Syfy's new "Haven" (like the chemistry between the leads a lot). And of course, there's Discovery's "Pitchmen," which just returned for a new season. And while it's as old-fashioned as it could be, I'm liking ABC Family's sitcom "Melissa & Joey" (as I only watch one other sitcom, NBC's "Community," that's something).

I'm sure there are more I just can't think of right now. Ain't summer grand?

On Tuesday, June 1, ABC's summer hit "Wipeout" gives viewers a sneak peek at the new obstacle course with the "Wipeout Blind Date" two-hour special (the series returns for its regular season on Tuesday, June 22).

Click here for a behind-the-scenes video.

In the special, 12 single girls and 12 single guys take on the course as their first blind dates, in hopes of winning $100,000 and perhaps finding true love.

Early this year, I headed out to the rural location north of Los Angeles where "Wipeout" is filmed to visit with executive producer Matt Kunitz (and bring him the scratch-baked banana bread I had promised) and watch contestants and crew in action.

I got to spend some time in the control room, and if you think doing several seasons of "Wipeout" has made the producers and crew blase about it all, think again. They want the contestants to succeed, because the show can't go on until the requisite number of contestants has cleared each round. As the day wears on and the light begins to dim, the situation starts to become a little desperate.

On this particular day, it was a nailbiter, as the producers were one contestant short of the number needed to proceed to the next round, and the day was fading fast. It was tense in the room (and not just because Kunitz was forced to share his precious banana bread), and when the final contestant made it through, raucous cheers and clapping broke out.

It's also hard not to get drawn into the stories of the individual contestants, including one plus-size lady who struggled mightily but made it through the big-balls course by sheer determination and persistence.

As always, my favorite folks are the Black & Blue Crew, the young men and women who test the stunts. Click here and here for earlier posts introducing them.

The B&Bs also participate in the games, which feature some themes this year, including a construction-worker motif. The idea is that the testers would dress up as workers and toss wet concrete -- actually well-aged, slightly gross oatmeal -- at the contestants.

Here are some of my shots to give you an idea of what's coming up.

Former Marine Megan Stiner (her usual partner, fellow former Marine Michelle Dickson, was out with an injury)...

The very cool and laid-back Kenny Shackelford...

Crew members strike a pose in repose ...

Today's cuppa: Newhall Coffee Vanilla Nut

Right now, I'm not sure how much "Wipeout" fans in Eastern and Central time are going to see on Wednesday, Sept. 9. It depends on whether live coverage of the presidential address to a joint session of Congress and whatever reactions and/or commentary follow it wrap up by 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

(Info below was revised from original post.)

According to ABC, fans in Pacific time can expect new "Wipeout" at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. MT), followed by a repeat.

But please don't trust me, check your local listings, whether online, in print or in the on-screen guide.

Whenever the new episode airs, it's a special installment, and here's what ABC had to say:

JOHN HENSON AND JOHN ANDERSON GO DOWN UNDER TO SHOW AMERICAN VIEWERS HOW AUSSIES BOUNCE, IN A UNIQUELY AUSTRALIAN VERSION OF ABC'S "WIPEOUT"

 

G'day America... The Johns go down under after receiving an opportunity to host this unique Australian version of "Wipeout," which we wanted to share with our audiences as part of the WIPE Program, the Wipeout International Presenter Exchange. This Aussie-filled hour will feature native mates and ladies bouncing off Big Balls, among other over-the-top obstacles in the outback. "Wipeout," which is seen in 25 countries, will surely delight viewers with one of the most spectacular sweeper wipeouts ever seen in Wipeout history! This special version of, "Wipeout" will air WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

 

Note: This program was originally scheduled to air at 8:00 p.m., but was pre-empted by President Obama's address to Congress.

Last week, we met the female half of the "Black & Blue Team," a quartet of energetic individuals that tests the "Wipeout" stunts to make sure they balance thrills and spills with health and safety.

This week, we'll meet the male half, Kyle Wasserman (left) and Kenny Shackelford (right), who also took time off from their day to chat during production of the current season.

Shackelford had a cousin who worked on "Wipeout," and who had worked on "Fear Factor," and Wasserman was acquainted with the assistant to "Wipeout" executive producer Matt Kunitz.

For both of them, when presented with the opportunity to run around on an abandoned ranch and bounce off of giant red balls into cold water all day, it wasn't a tough decision.

"They needed some people to run the courses and get hurt," said Wasserman, "and I signed up as quick as I could. Here I am, still here!"

"It's pretty much summer camp, for life," said Shackelford.

"Super playground summer camp," said Wasserman.

Asked about requirements for the job, Wasserman said, "Sturdiness."

"High pain tolerance is crucial," added Shackelford.

"And a lot of endurance," said Wasserman. "You've got to be able to go over and over again. Sometimes the test isn't finished until you've done it six times, and then you've got to move over and test the next thing, move over and rig the next stunt -- just keep going."

As for injuries, Shackelford said, "Every now and again (we get hurt). None of us, I think have broken anything yet. None of us has done anything that critical. A lot of stitches in the last year, here and there."

"A lot of hematomas," said Wasserman.

"Sore muscles," said Shackelford.

"Bruises," said Wasserman.

"That's how we got our name," Shackelford said. "We were originally called Bumps and Bruises, I think, but our team leader didn't like that."

Shackelford couldn't think of anything to criticize about his job -- not even having to get up early to drive in -- but Wasserman had a gripe.

"The only thing is," he said, "after my feet have been wet for about six hours, they start to hurt and get all prune-y. Six hours of wet feet, that can be a bummer."

If you're a kid out there who'd like to grow up to do what the Black & Blue Boys do, Shackelford said, "I grew up in a small ski town -- Park City, Utah -- and when you have seven feet of snow in your yard, the trees and your house are the playground. I used to jump off my roof a lot, do crazy things.

"All my friends' parents used to give me crap and say I was crazy. Now I get paid to do it. That would be my advice, I suppose, so crazy when you're a kid. You can't think too much.
We're smart guys, but when you over think the stunts, that's when you get hit."

"Just relax and go," said Wasserman. "It's alla bout playing. It's all about relaxing, having a good time and getting the rush, jumping around."

And, it's a pretty good workout.

"You don't have to go to the gym," said Shackelford, "and look at a bunch of lame people. We come here, eat hearty, run as hard as we can, sleep well."

"I wouldn't trade my job for a thousand dollars a day in gas," said Wasserman.

"Me, neither," said Shackelford.

Today's cuppa: iced green tea with mint (still, still hot in L.A.)

My cuppa: iced coffee, one from a fast-food place and the other from a coffeeshop. Verdict? Toss-up!

Available in syndication is a pair of short articles I did on reality shows hitting the airwaves this week. Without further ado...

The Little Couple Takes on the World

On Tuesday, May 26, TLC adds to its stable of families facing unusual challenges with the premiere of "The Little Couple," chronicling the daily lives of newlyweds Bill Klein and Jen Arnold.

Klein's a businessman, and Arnold's a pediatrician, and their lives are as busy as those of any young professional couple. But since they're both under 4 feet tall, life has thrown them a few extra curveballs.

But, Klein doesn't really see it that way.

"People may say, 'Wow, that's amazing; they're able to do laundry or save a baby,' " Klein says, "but to us, it's second nature. It's like you putting on your shoes.

"You learned it that way when you first learned how to do it, and that's the way you've done it ever since. Now we weren't on this planet for three days -- we've been here for a while.

"All the things that we've learned how to do, we've learned just like you guys have. We go through the same steps to get there. Just because we have the intermediary of a stepladder or something like that, it's not that big a deal."

Actually, the biggest challenge Klein and Arnold may be facing right now is just how to squeeze a relationship into a TV schedule.

"With the fact that we have jobs besides this that need our full attention," Klein says, "for the production of the show, what gets taken away is our personal time, of Jen and I being able to be alone."

• Klein's tips for young little people:

"Shoot for the stars. Pay attention to your exams; get good grades; go to the best school. Write an awesome essay, talk about your personal trials, tribulations and successes. Do what really turns you on."

• On avoiding victim mentality:

"The whole world isn't against us. That's the mentality of the minority of people that have challenges like this. Most people don't think about it. They think about how to achieve their goals, not why they can't."

And now for something completely different...

'Wipeout' Takes It to the Edge

Far outside of Los Angeles, on a dusty abandoned ranch ringed by hills scorched by brush fires, ABC's obstacle-course competitive reality show "Wipeout" -- returning for a new season on Wednesday, May 27 -- aims to manage chaos.

While the job of wrangling what goes on in front of the cameras falls to the show's hosts, John Henson and John Anderson, and co-host Jill Wagner, there's a whole army of people behind the scenes working hard to make the huge obstacles colorful, exciting and scary but not overly dangerous.

Among those leading that army is executive producer Scott Larsen, one of the evil geniuses behind elaborate qualifying challenges with names like Sucker Punch, Dizzy Dummy and Dreadmill.

The goal is to weed out the weaker competitors from the initial 24, leaving only the strong to make it to nightfall and the brightly lit "Wipeout Zone" with its waterfalls and jets of flame -- all in pursuit of a $50,000 grand prize.

"What we're looking for are uncontrolled, awkward falls," says Larsen, "because those are the funniest, and it's always funny when you bounce off of something. The big balls are always good for that.

"We design all the stunts to be safe, but we also design for maximum wipeout. We go from safe to wipeout -- that's always the rule. If you go the other way around, that's how we get hurt.

"(In testing), we go a little bit faster, little bit faster, until we wipe out. We aim for 90 percent failure. That's what we want."

Although only one competitor can take home the cash, those who wiped out don't necessarily go home empty-handed.

Says casting director Rich Leist (photo from my set visit, at right), "These guys are exchanging e-mails, giving phone numbers. They're planning parties together. "It's amazing to see people competing for money, but at the end of the day, they've genuinely become friends, because they've shared this bonding experience.

" 'How did you do on the big balls?' Once they get out of it, and they can talk to somebody else who's done it, all of a sudden they have this in common."