As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up...

'Fear Factor' Goes Theme Park

"Fear Factor" has become the first reality show to be transformed
into a theme park experience.

Different readers will find different parts of that sentence most
disconcerting.

Taking brand expansion across the full limits of the NBC Universal
family, "Fear Factor Live" is set to open at Universal Orlando and
Universal Studios Hollywood in the spring of 2005.

No specifics have yet been offered as to what kind of spiders and
worms lucky audience members will get to cuddle with or what kinds
of testicles they'll be able to ingest, but park guests will,
indeed, get to take part in an escalating series of stunts modeled
after the popular NBC challenge show.

"I've always referred to 'Fear Factor' as an extreme theme park
ride," says David Goldberg, president of "Fear Factor" producer
Endemol USA. "It has become a self-fulfilling prophecy now that
'Fear Factor Live' will be a permanent attraction at two of the
world's greatest theme parks."

Theme park guests will also get to spin "The Wheel of Fear" to
confront their own phobias.

"The odds are more in your favor for getting into Harvard than
being chosen to appear on Fear Factor,'" says the show's executive
producer, Matt Kunitz. "With 'Fear Factor Live,' people will now
have the chance to participate in some of the same stunts we've
done on the show."

Those people won't, however, have the chance to study with some of
the world's most respected professors or expand their cultural,
historical, scientific and sociological knowledge base. Perhaps
applying to Harvard doesn't sound so bad after all.

"Our theme parks are known for thrilling, cutting-edge,
entertainment," says Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Universal
Parks & Resorts. "Creating an extreme experience such as 'Fear
Factor Live' is perfect for us - and a perfect way to fit our
brand within the NBC brand."

From:	Locoboy
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	Fri, 21 Jan 2005 03:48:20 GMT

"William December Starr" wrote in
message news:cspgcq$ep9$1@panix2.panix.com...
>
> "I've always referred to 'Fear Factor' as an extreme
> theme park
> ride," says David Goldberg, president of "Fear Factor"
> producer
> Endemol USA.

I take it that Mr. Goldberg has not been to many different
parks in his life. I would describe Fear Factor as many
things, but never ever would I refer to it as any type of
ride.

Of course he could be throwing out some publicity overhype,
but naaaaa...I can't ever imagine a TV executive doing that!

From:	Mike Robinson
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	Fri, 21 Jan 2005 08:48:26 -0600

Maybe he was referring to the food......

"Locoboy" wrote in message
news:8Y_Hd.4059$8Z1.3117@newssvr14.news.prodigy.com...
> "William December Starr" wrote in message
> news:cspgcq$ep9$1@panix2.panix.com...
>>
>> "I've always referred to 'Fear Factor' as an extreme theme park
>> ride," says David Goldberg, president of "Fear Factor" producer
>> Endemol USA.
>
> I take it that Mr. Goldberg has not been to many different parks in his
> life. I would describe Fear Factor as many things, but never ever would I
> refer to it as any type of ride.
>
> Of course he could be throwing out some publicity overhype, but naaaaa...I
> can't ever imagine a TV executive doing that!
>

From:	Rig2
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	22 Jan 2005 04:49:07 GMT

I would not touch this "thing" with the longest pole I could support. It is
one thing to do a TV show with with a huge crew and highly skille progessional
stunt coordinators and staff. Now take an hour long show that maytake weeks to
film and try to run that eight times a day with a staff of teenage
"technicians" with 30 minuites to reset between shows.

The TV show requires 60 pages of releases from the carefully screened and
tested participants. Even if the "stunts" are minimal (think the hype of
getting slimed at game lab), this is a disaster waiting to happen.

Big time mistake. I'll trust my safetyto Six Flags food before this thing.

From:	steelforce at aol.come2Mypark (Sam Marks)
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	22 Jan 2005 14:43:25 GMT

> Now take an hour long show that maytake weeks
>to
>film and try to run that eight times a day with a staff of teenage
>"technicians" with 30 minuites to reset between shows.
>
>The TV show requires 60 pages of releases from the carefully screened and
>tested participants. Even if the "stunts" are minimal (think the hype of
>getting slimed at game lab), this is a disaster waiting to happen.
>
>Big time mistake. I'll trust my safetyto Six Flags food before this thing.

Do you honestly think that they would put anyone in real danger? GET REAL

From:	William J. Buckley
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	Sun, 23 Jan 2005 05:04:06 GMT

I donno -- passing through the gates of any Six Flags park is "Fear Factor"
enuff for me.

From:	William December Starr
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	20 Jan 2005 20:42:17 -0500

And another article:

January 17, 2005
Putting Some Terror in Family Outings
By NAT IVES

"Fear Factor" from NBC makes its contestants swallow the unsavory
and perform stomach-churning stunts as they chase big cash prizes.

Now the theme parks of Universal in Orlando, Fla., and Universal
Studios in Hollywood are planning "Fear Factor Live" attractions
that will ask contestants to swallow the unsavory and perform
stomach-churning stunts while vacationing with their families.

"No, people aren't going to eat live bugs. Are we going to ask
people to eat strange things? Yes," said Scott Trowbridge, vice
president for design and creative development at Universal Parks
and Resorts.

"Those kind of extreme, over-the-top stunts and challenges we see
every week on television - we're going to be able to put ordinary
average people into those situations every day."

The attractions, which are scheduled to open this spring, follow a
deal, completed last May, that formed NBC Universal by combining
the assets of NBC, part of General Electric, with those of Vivendi
Universal. NBC Universal, which is 80 percent owned by General
Electric and 20 percent owned by Vivendi, has set about making the
most of its sweeping entertainment portfolio, which includes
television, movies and the Universal theme parks.

"We always thought of 'Fear Factor' as the ultimate theme-park
ride on television," said Jeff Zucker, president of the NBC
Universal Entertainment Group. "What this shows is the capability
of the new company to find unique ways of expanding our creative
products across all of our businesses."

The "Fear Factor" series, which is produced by Endemol USA, has
already survived longer than many of its unscripted prime-time
peers, even going into syndication last fall.

"'Fear Factor' is an incredibly popular show for families to watch
together," Mr. Trowbridge said. "When they scream like a
schoolgirl, that's the beginning of family fun."

From:	Shawn Mamros
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	21 Jan 2005 14:47:00 GMT

William December Starr quotes:
> "No, people aren't going to eat live bugs. Are we going to ask
> people to eat strange things? Yes," said Scott Trowbridge, vice
> president for design and creative development at Universal Parks
> and Resorts.
>
> "Those kind of extreme, over-the-top stunts and challenges we see
> every week on television - we're going to be able to put ordinary
> average people into those situations every day."

So I can go all the way to Orlando or Florida and plunk down $60 (or
whatever the daily admission is now) for the "privilege" of eating
strange things? I can do that much cheaper at my local Six Flags! ;-)

> The attractions, which are scheduled to open this spring, follow a
> deal, completed last May, that formed NBC Universal by combining
> the assets of NBC, part of General Electric, with those of Vivendi
> Universal. NBC Universal, which is 80 percent owned by General
> Electric and 20 percent owned by Vivendi, has set about making the
> most of its sweeping entertainment portfolio, which includes
> television, movies and the Universal theme parks.

I think I liked it better when the rumor du jour had NBC Universal
spinning off their theme parks instead.

Maybe it's just as well that Viacom wants to get out of the park business
now, before we wind up with "Survivor: Doswell", or something like that...

-Shawn Mamros (P.T. Barnum was right!)
E-mail to: mamros -at- mit dot edu

From:	Shawn Mamros
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	21 Jan 2005 14:49:11 GMT

Fumblefingers wrote:
>So I can go all the way to Orlando or Florida [...]

Make that "Orlando or Hollywood", natch...

From:	Locoboy
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	Fri, 21 Jan 2005 18:40:50 GMT

"Shawn Mamros" wrote in message
news:41f115e4$0$573$b45e6eb0@senator-bedfellow.mit.edu...
> So I can go all the way to Orlando or Florida and plunk
> down $60 (or
> whatever the daily admission is now) for the "privilege"
> of eating
> strange things? I can do that much cheaper at my local
> Six Flags! ;-)

Haha - excellent point Shawn!

From:	tommy
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	Fri, 21 Jan 2005 01:03:55 GMT

In article ,
wdstarr@panix.com (William December Starr) wrote:

> 'Fear Factor' Goes Theme Park
>
> "Fear Factor" has become the first reality show to be transformed
> into a theme park experience.

Why do all the radio ads for this at USH fail to mention the actual name?

They talk about NBC's hit reality show that scares you, etc.. but they
never say the words 'fear factor'.

/tommy

From:	William December Starr
Subject:	Re: "Fear Factor" -- the theme park experience
Date:	20 Jan 2005 20:47:30 -0500

In article ,
tommy said:

> Why do all the radio ads for this at USH fail to mention the actual
> name?
>
> They talk about NBC's hit reality show that scares you, etc.. but
> they never say the words 'fear factor'.

I suppose it's possible that despite all the announcements the actual
final contracts haven't all been signed yet so that as of right now
they aren't allowed to mention the trademarked name, sort of the way
that so many tv and radio ads around this time of year talk about
"the big game" because they don't have the legal rights to use the
trademarked name "Super Bowl" commercially.

It'd be weird, but as I said I guess it's _possible_.

--
William December Starr