It was recently announced that the hit obstacle course game show this time on TBS. The original show saw everyday Americans take on larger than life challenges, most famous of which were the big red balls. It originally ran on ABC for seven seasons from 2008 until 2014, after which it quietly left the lineup. The new network seems to be a perfect home for the revival since it had previously aired reruns of the series’ original run.
The show was originally hosted by SportsCenter anchor John Anderson and former Talk Soup host and stand-up comedian John Henson. They were ed for most of the series by Jill Wagner, except for the show’s fifth season where she was briefly replaced by Vanessa Lachey. Like the original run, the new iteration will be executive produced by Matt Kunitz who will also serve as showrunner.
As reported in Deadline, the new incarnation will feature a different format from before. The revival will feature three rounds instead of the previous four, and will mix in “multiple strategy and decision points designed to further challenge, and wear out, the stamina of the competitors.” The previous iteration always started with the Qualifier, which featured the Big Balls, and ended with the Wipeout Zone. The two middle rounds would change from season to season but started in the first season with the Sweeper and the Dizzy Dummy. The new format will streamline the game eliminating one of the two middle rounds.
The Wipeout Hosting Structure
For those unfamiliar with the hosting structure of Wipeout, Anderson and Henson are the two main celebrity hosts in “the booth” who, although they are seen on-camera throughout the episode, mostly provide commentary in voice-over. They are recorded on green-screen after the competition has been filmed. As established in the original American version, and typically followed in many international versions, the two-man hosts follow a classic straight-man/comic format with a sportscaster/comedian match up.
Wipeout's host structure also featured a third female co-host. In the previous instance, Wagner or Lachey would actually be on the course and would interact with the contestants throughout the episode. They would interview the contestants beforehand, watch and react to their runs, and them in various ways. Sadly, the change in format will mean new hosts, as confirmed by one of the previous co-hosts John Henson on Twitter.
The (Possible) Next Generation of Wipeout Hosts
So with that news, who should take over the famous green-screened broadcast booth? Since it’s on TBS, the revival's hosts are probably going be people who are associated with Turner and WarnerMedia brands. An easy guess as to who would fill the sportscaster role is Inside the NBA on TNT host Ernie Johnson. With a great voice, personality, and choice of bow ties, Johnson can give great play-by-play while still having a fun demeanor for the proceedings.
As for who can replace Henson as the comedic foil, any of the stars of Impractical Jokers, which airs on sister network TruTV, would be a great fit. Alternatively, the showrunners could hire a stand-up comedian who stars on a Turner-aired show, like any one of the hilarious voice actors used by Adult Swim. While either option would work, the best strategy would be to get someone who isn’t necessarily a comedian but is inherently really funny — someone who would have great reactions to the contestants and their antics. Ernie Johnson’s co-host on Inside the NBA, the one and only Sir Charles Barkley, would fit the bill: Barkley would pair nicely with Johnson, not just because they've been working together for years and already have a rapport, but also because Barkley himself is a clown. If a contestant says or does something crazy or has a nasty wipeout, you know Sir Charles will give his honest, unfiltered, and usually funny opinion.
Alternative Route: Rich Eisen & David Koechner
If the network and production team want to go outside the Turner world, a great pick for the sportscaster position would be Rich Eisen, NFL Network personality and host of The Rich Eisen Show. Eisen has had a prolific career as a broadcaster, from anchoring SportsCenter to hosting The Great Escape on TBS’ sister network TNT. He also started as a stand-up comic, which would work nicely if they wanted to go the way of the U.K.’s version of the show Total Wipeout, which featured then Top Gear host Richard Hammond as the sole host in the booth, providing both jokes and commentary.
A fun pairing with Eisen would be a wild card pick like comedian and actor David Koechner. Koechner is best known for playing sports anchor Champ Kind in the Anchorman movies, with his signature phrase “Whammy!” The comedian could play an extremely zany and wild comedic counterpart to Eisen’s straight-laced approach. Even better if he could somehow host in character as Champ Kind. Think of the buzz that would get, and the potential comedy it could produce.
The Third Female Co-Host
As for the third co-host, Wagner was an actress who appeared in projects such as Blade: The Series and during her hiatus, she had a recurring role on MTV’s similar role on American Ninja Warrior. Whoever it is will need to balance between ing the contestants and playing off their eccentricities in a comedic way.
An interesting approach could easily be to gender-swap the roles. Two female hosts in the booth and a male sideline reporter. TBS could cast someone like Erin Andrews or Charissa Thompson as the sportscaster, a comedian like Jen Kirkman or Ali Wong for them to play off of, and bring back John Henson back and put him with the contestants on the course.
Either way, the all-new hosts of Wipeout, like any show, need to have great chemistry that can carry the show beyond the falls, spills, and wipeouts. The action is great, but it’s the slapstick and the comedy of it all that can make or break the show beyond its initial 20 episode order. The show is yet to be given a release date, but due to the current pandemic, it's unlikely there will be a 2021 launch for the show.