History Series / Wipeout2008

** There are those moments of disbelief. In September 2010, one contest actually horizontally dived through the hole and landed on the platform with a tummy slide.

* CloudCuckooLander[=/=]LargeHam: Frank "Freak of Nature" Beasley.

** Still could be FetishFuel for some. [[spoiler: But would that be a rare instance of a live action prime time family show version of DroppedABridgetonHim?]]

** TheBigGuy (sort of): Kenny Shackleford, a member of Wipeout's "Black-and-Blue Crew", a group of current and former Marines who test-run the obstacles before the contestants go. Kenny also plays the Referee during the Bruiseball 3rd game and is one of the two people throwing stuff at contestants during either the "Jump over the spinning bar on the rotating platform" 3rd game or the "Go around all 4 stations without falling in the water" 3rd game. He's joined by

--->'''John Henson''': "Who's it gonna be? [[ItMakesSenseInContext Smelly's Boyfriend]], or the contestant we've never met before...[[ForegoneConclusion It's Smelly's Boyfriend!]]"

** A mention is made for an air traffic controller about Oceania airplanes ie the stock airline used in pretty much every movie made. In the same episode when the contestant splashes down onto another in Double Cross, one of the Johns wonders where Captain Sully is, the airline pilot who did a waterlanding.

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*** There's a FridgeBrilliance element to the Spiked Whackers when you realize they show up most (if not all) of the time right after the Rib Rage--the Brilliance part comes when you consider that the latest rib crossed before the contestant wipes out [[WildMassGuessing may POSSIBLY]] determine the algorithm of the Whacker's movements. Although we have yet to see either a Rib Rage completely crossed (the distance between ribs coupled with the excessive padding on each rib essentially makes it impossible) or an occurrence of the Whackers both popping out fairly (or even not at all), it has not yet been confirmed that it's indeed impossible. ([[{{Beat}} A beat.]]) Then again, if the Whackers are controlled by somebody with a lever, we're all screwed anyways.

** In fact, [[{{Tropers/Metalitia}} This troper]] wonders why the show isn't simply called "Schadenfreude: The Series" (or why there isn't a trope called "schadenfreude" just so this show and the Japanese shows that inspired it could be considered leading examples in the "Game Show" section).
* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: "Run" Forrest "Run" Vanderbilt in Season 2, who set a record of 01:06.9 for the Qualifier and only wiped out ''once'' (on the Big Balls). [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJCfWz4qJJo See it here (at about 5:34).]] He goes on to win the episode.
** "Freak of Nature" Frank Beasley in Season 3 being one of the first and the few people to ever successfully cross the spray-paint-spewing season 3 Sucker Punch, which has downed [[NintendoHard pretty much everybody else it encounters]]. He also completes the rest of the Qualifier with only ''one'' wipeout on the Big Balls (much like Forrest's run, and he didn't have a Sucker Punch wall to cross). He goes on to win the episode as well, completing in half the time as the second-place contestant.
** Rico "Thunder" Curtis gets through the [[MoonLogicPuzzle Shapeshifter]] with''out'' having to ride around on the shapes with one amazing leap. Sadly, unlike the other examples, he gets knocked out in the second round.
** The "Board Gamers" in the Family episode, who used the strategic skills honed from playing board games together to dominate the [[PuzzleBoss Wipeout Zone]]. The son, Tom Cordiff, posted the fastest time of all contestants on that particular course (4:45), and the mother, Jamie Cordiff, finished in 9:12, the fastest time of any female contestant and 5th fastest time overall (and at 48 years old, no less).
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: Several, one [[YourMileageMayVary arguably]] season 3's ''cafeteria'' spinner. In the second subround, a huge lump of tomato sauce caused all five contestants on the spinner to wipe out at once! (Complete with ''super''-super-slow-mo replay of the sauce being thrown out.)
** Jacob "Crunch Time" Mann, who [[GroinAttack does the splits on the Big Balls]].
** Ariel "Never-Been-Kissed" (and later "Kissaholic") Tweeto, in her entirety, though particularly her [[FailedASpotCheck inability to see a pole right in front of her]].
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: [[CoolOldGuy 45 year old]] David Brummel in Season 3, who won the episode ''on his birthday''.

* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard:
** If the spiked whackers are the first obstacle on the Gauntlet, the first time the contestant gets there, it will ''always'' wait until the contestant actually tries to cross until the first wall pops out. ''Every. Time.'' [[spoiler:Except for the one time when the first wall would intentionally miss the contestant... and then it's the ''second'' wall that nails them as soon as they try to cross it.]]

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* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: If the spiked whackers are the first obstacle on the Gauntlet, the first time the contestant gets there, it will ''always'' wait until the contestant actually tries to cross until the first wall pops out. ''Every. Time.'' [[spoiler:Except for the one time when the first wall would intentionally miss the contestant... and then it's the ''second'' wall that nails them as soon as they try to cross it.]]

*** There's a FridgeBrilliance element to the Spiked Whackers when you realize they show up most (if not all) of the time right after the Rib Rage--the Brilliance part comes when you consider that the latest rib crossed before the contestant wipes out may determine the algorithm of the Whacker's movements. Although we have yet to see either a Rib Rage completely crossed (the distance between ribs coupled with the excessive padding on each rib essentially makes it impossible) or an occurrence of the Whackers both popping out fairly (or even not at all), it has not yet been confirmed that it's indeed impossible. ([[{{Beat}} A beat.]]) Then again, if the Whackers are controlled by somebody with a lever, we're all screwed anyways.
** Also done by the Door Knock obstacle, which uses 3 mystery doors. While the contestants were told to just pick a door and see what happens, no one told them all three doors would have a giant pendulum hammer activated right when they open it.
* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: "Run" Forrest "Run" Vanderbilt in Season 2, who set a record of 01:06.9 for the Qualifier and only wiped out ''once'' (on the Big Balls). [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJCfWz4qJJo See it here (at about 5:34).]] He goes on to win the episode.
** "Freak of Nature" Frank Beasley in Season 3 being one of the first and the few people to ever successfully cross the spray-paint-spewing season 3 Sucker Punch, which has downed [[NintendoHard pretty much everybody else it encounters]]. He also completes the rest of the Qualifier with only ''one'' wipeout on the Big Balls (much like Forrest's run, and he didn't have a Sucker Punch wall to cross). He goes on to win the episode as well, completing in half the time as the second-place contestant.
** Rico "Thunder" Curtis gets through the [[MoonLogicPuzzle Shapeshifter]] with''out'' having to ride around on the shapes with one amazing leap. Sadly, unlike the other examples, he gets knocked out in the second round.
** The "Board Gamers" in the Family episode, who used the strategic skills honed from playing board games together to dominate the [[PuzzleBoss Wipeout Zone]]. The son, Tom Cordiff, posted the fastest time of all contestants on that particular course (4:45), and the mother, Jamie Cordiff, finished in 9:12, the fastest time of any female contestant and 5th fastest time overall (and at 48 years old, no less).
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: Several, one [[YourMileageMayVary arguably]] season 3's ''cafeteria'' spinner. In the second subround, a huge lump of tomato sauce caused all five contestants on the spinner to wipe out at once! (Complete with ''super''-super-slow-mo replay of the sauce being thrown out.)
** Jacob "Crunch Time" Mann, who [[GroinAttack does the splits on the Big Balls]].
** Ariel "Never-Been-Kissed" (and later "Kissaholic") Tweeto, in her entirety, though particularly her [[FailedASpotCheck inability to see a pole right in front of her]].
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: [[CoolOldGuy 45 year old]] David Brummel in Season 3, who won the episode ''on his birthday''.

* CloudCuckooLander / LargeHam: Frank "Freak of Nature" Beasley.

* GameShowHost: Two of them: John Anderson and John Henson, although their role is closer to that of a commentator. (Unsurprisingly, Anderson's day job is SportsCenter anchor and John Henson was a former [[TheSoup Talk Soup]] host.)
* TheVanna: Jill Wagner, who ironically plays more of a host role than either of the Johns.
** CarriedByTheHost: The commentary of and banter between the Johns and Jill is part of what makes the show enjoyable.
* GoldenSnitch: Rankings in any given round have no effect on the next round. Also, in the Wipeout Zone final round, the Gauntlet (when it appears) is often the match-decider, as it is a series of obstacles, often with a particularly hard one last, and wiping out anywhere on it forces you to start the entire set from the beginning.
* HomeGame: There are video game versions on the Wii and DS. Don't get those confused with the Sci-fi racing game series of the same name.

* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Some of the obstacles slow down the longer it takes contestants to cross them, making the obstacle easier. Particularly noted for Season 3's Spin Cycle.
* BookEnds: Aside from the obstacles and the need to restart, the Qualifer and Wipeout Zone are fairly identical: each player goes one at a time, tries to get past a series of obstacles in order to each the finish spot, and tries to get the best time amongst them.
* CargoShip: One Season 1 contestant claimed he was in love with the Big Balls. Also a CrowningMomentOfAwesome, as said contestant actually manages to get past the Big Balls without wiping out, and then proceeded to ''clear the ball-themed obstacle that followed as well''! And then, in an all-star reunion episode in Season 2 when he returns, he clears the Big Balls ''again''! Clearly, the Big Balls love him back.
* CatchPhrase: "Good night, and big balls."
* CerebusSyndrome: The Wipeout Zone is decidedly darker than the rest of the show's courses.
* CherryTapping: Many challenges feature added distractions in the form of water being sprayed at the contestants or various objects being thrown at them. With balance being as much of an issue as it oftentimes is, sometimes just the lightest hit can knock a person into the water. Best exemplified in one episode where a contestant was knocked into a water by a thrown ''hot dog''.
* CloudCuckooLander[=/=]LargeHam: Frank "Freak of Nature" Beasley.
* ComedicSociopathy: Half the fun of the show is seeing people get beat up by giant waterproof beanbags and fall into mud.
* TheComputerIsACheatingBastard: If the spiked whackers are the first obstacle on the Gauntlet, the first time the contestant gets there, it will ''always'' wait until the contestant actually tries to cross until the first wall pops out. ''Every. Time.'' [[spoiler:Except for the one time when the first wall would intentionally miss the contestant... and then it's the ''second'' wall that nails them as soon as they try to cross it.]]
** This was lampshaded by contestant "The Wiggler" James Runcorn. "This is gonna hit me, isn't it?" When it [[ForegoneConclusion knocks him back into the water]], he shouted, "{{I knew it}}!"

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: 'Run' Forrest 'Run' Vanderbilt in Season 2, who set a record of 01:06.9 for the Qualifier and only wiped out ''once'' (on the Big Balls). [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJCfWz4qJJo See it here (at about 5:34).]] He goes on to win the episode.
** "Freak of Nature" Frank Beasley in Season 3 being one of the first and the few people to ever successfully cross the spray-paint-spewing season 3 Sucker Punch, which has downed [[NintendoHard pretty much everybody else it encounters]]. He also completes the rest of the Qualifier with only ''one'' wipeout on the Big Balls (much like Forrest's run, and he didn't have a Sucker Punch wall to cross). He goes on to win the episode as well, completing in half the time as the second-place contestant.
** Rico "Thunder" Curtis gets through the [[MoonLogicPuzzle Shapeshifter]] with''out'' having to ride around on the shapes with one amazing leap. Sadly, unlike the other examples, he gets knocked out in the second round.
** The "Board Gamers" in the Family episode, who used the strategic skills honed from playing board games together to dominate the [[PuzzleBoss Wipeout Zone]]. The son, Tom Cordiff, posted the fastest time of all contestants on that particular course (4:45), and the mother, Jamie Cordiff, finished in 9:12, the fastest time of any female contestant and 5th fastest time overall (and at 48 years old, no less).
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: Several, one [[YourMileageMayVary arguably]] season 3's ''cafeteria'' spinner. In the second subround, a huge lump of tomato sauce caused all five contestants on the spinner to wipe out at once! (Complete with ''super''-super-slow-mo replay of the sauce being thrown out.)
** Jacob "Crunch Time" Mann, who [[GroinAttack does the splits on the Big Balls]].
** Ariel "Never-Been-Kissed" (and later "Kissaholic") Tweeto, in her entirety, though particularly her [[FailedASpotCheck inability to see a pole right in front of her]].
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: [[CoolOldGuy 45 year old]] David Brummel in Season 3, who won the episode ''on his birthday''.
* DVDCommentary: The official Wipeout Twitter account provides a director's commentary of the night's episode. This commentary is also available while watching episodes on the Wipeout official site.
* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: The Spin Cycle, the Dizzy Dummy, the various other spinners that have appeared in every season so far...
** Also, depending on how the obstacles smack them around, the contestants can go into some pretty crazy spins themselves.
** Those metal bases on the Big Balls seem almost impossible to reach, yet...
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Several of the obstacles, including the trademark Big Balls (which are giant rubber red balls).
* FetishFuel: In the "Food Fight" episode, during the Spinner challenge, the unnamed helpers were dressed in chef outfits. The FetishFuel part comes in when the ''show'' points out - completely with a ''camera shot'' (though with modesty angle) - that the female helper is ''not wearing any pants!''
** FetishRetardant: Just be sure not to read the commentary, where you learn that said female helper is [[spoiler:Kenny, the ''[[{{Crossdresser}} male]]'' lead stunt-tester...]]
** Still could be FetishFuel for some. [[spoiler: But would that be a rare instance of a live action prime time family show version of DroppedABridgetonHim?]]
* FiveManBand: You watch enough of the recent 2010 season of Wipeout, you realize that the on-air crew actually fits this quite well (though the "ranking" may be shuffled around)...
** TheSmartGuy: John Anderson, the [[OnlySaneMan sensible]] [[DesignatedHero third]] of the show's speaking-role PowerTrio. Generally considered serious and uptight, though he's not above making [[IncrediblyLamePun Incredibly Lame Puns]] when a good wipeout happens.
** TheLancer: John Henson, the [[LargeHam constantly jokey]] third of the show's speaking-role PowerTrio. The color commentator (being a comedian, after all) of the show, who will take any opportunity to deliver a HurricaneOfPuns, which makes him and Anderson's interactions with each other basically an extended BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine.
** TheChick: Jill Wagner, the [[FauxActionGirl hot interviewer]] third of the show's speaking-role PowerTrio. [[HeyItsThatGuy You may recognize her]] from those Mercury car commercials and her [[JonasQuinn role]] in the TV adaptation of the {{Blade}} movies. These three are joined by...
** TheBigGuy (sort of): Kenny Shackleford, a member of Wipeout's "Black-and-Blue Crew", a group of current and former Marines who test-run the obstacles before the contestants go. Kenny also plays the Referee during the Bruiseball 3rd game and is one of the two people throwing stuff at contestants during either the "Jump over the spinning bar on the rotating platform" 3rd game or the "Go around all 4 stations without falling in the water" 3rd game. He's joined by
** CuteBruiser (again, sort of): Megan Stiner, another member of the "Black-and-Blue Crew", who bears a more than passing resemblance to Playboy model Summer Altice.
* {{Flanderization}}: When you make it to round 2, one thing said during your interview will be the basis for all of the commentators jokes about you.
* FridgeHorror: This is a stunt show, so things may occasionally go wrong. Nothing does go wrong, but several times the show seems to have dodged a bullet. This troper remembers an episode where a girl tumbles down the big balls and hits her head on the padding around the metal base ring, sliding off - and the padding wasn't there from the beginning. Had this happened in the first episode, a broken neck may have ensued (a contestant did end up getting stuck between the ball and the metal ring, but somehow suffered no injury). Also, this troper suspects the tipping floor motivator was because the pendulum seems to carry a high [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpi6N8JxY1g risk of whiplash]].
* GenreBlind: Some of the contestants seem this way. "Hey, how come there's mud on one of several wall panels that might pop out and smack me into the mud puddle below? [[TooDumbToLive Probably a coincidence.]]"
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: With the show's trademark obstacle called the Big Balls, this can be expected. Also expect some of the things they say to almost sound like a swear word ("This is going to be bucking nuts!", when talking about a mechanical bull riding challenge).
** The censors quite literally couldn't do anything about the abuse that one of the hosts did regarding Funke Ho's name. This was lampshaded by the other host.
** In one episode, Henson makes a joke about (what else) the bouncy balls being thrown at the contestants during a Spinner Challenge. Anderson quickly responds with: "Ah Johnny, you and your ball gags." Gags being a joke but a ball gag being something used in bondage.
** In general, the three hosts and production staff in general seem to be starting to 'suffer' from making a lighthearted PG show day in and day out by slipping in all sorts of jokes and innuendos.
** [[ItMakesSenseInContext Mmm]] [[{{Beat}} ...]] [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean MOIST.]]
* GroinAttack: Some of the punches on the Sucker Punch are designed to give low-blows, and many other obstacles have the potential to do this too. And in this case, it's not just males who suffer the pain (although they get the most made fun of).
** Jacob "[[ItMakesSenseInContext Crunch Time]]" Mann had it twice in the Qualifier - the first from the aforementioned Sucker Punch, and the second from doing the splits on the Big Balls.
* HurricaneOfPuns: Trademark of the hosts.
* IHaveManyNames: One third-round course has made several appearances in Season 3 with a completely different name and theme every time it appears.
** The walking spinner obstacle that takes the other third-round slots of Season 3 is similarly variably-named.
* IncrediblyLamePun: Henson's specialty, with Anderson calling him out on the lamest of ones.
* MoonLogicPuzzle: The Shapeshifter is something like this. How the hosts describe the obstacle, it sounds like you have to jump ''through'' one of the shapes onto the final platform (via a trampoline, swingset, zipline, slide, or the like)... except that, if you imagine that the Shapeshifter itself wasn't there, that jump is way too far for a human to reach. A grand total of ''three'' contestants have crossed it so far... two of them by landing ''in'' one of the shapes and riding it around until they could jump out, and the third by pushing against the contraption once through the hole to give himself the extra force needed to get through.
** There are those moments of disbelief. In September 2010, one contest actually horizontally dived through the hole and landed on the platform with a tummy slide.
* TheNicknamer: Just about any contestant who makes it past qualification will get some sort of wacky nickname from the hosts.
* NintendoHard: Some of the obstacles are very difficult to pass, especially in the Qualifer since contestants don't have to repeat them. Probably the best example is the Sucker Punch with spray paint.
** It's probably not a coincidence that Forrest's record-setting run mentioned above was done on one of the few episodes that did ''not'' include the Sucker Punch, and even if it had, it would have been the season 2 Sucker Punch, the version that people have been able to get through.
** The real winner of the NintendoHard award, though, has to go to the Fling Set and all its variations. In the nine episodes it has appeared in, it has been crossed a grand total of ''zero'' times.
* NominalImportance: Any contestant who somehow manages to make it past the qualifier '''without''' getting a nickname won't survive the second round.
** Lampshaded in this quote:

* OneSteveLimit: Averted, as both of the hosts are named John.
* PuzzleBoss: The Crankshaft and The Arms and Dangerous are hard to complete just by rushing it through. Contestants must find their pattern to get across.
** In spite of first impressions, a similar principle is true for most of the Qualifier's obstacles. [[RealityShowGenreBlindness Very few contestants have managed to deduce that "dash like a maniac" is a subpar strategy, though.]]
*** Admittedly the rules eventually did forbid unusual strategies like hanging on to a sweeper and riding it around. Intentionally pushing contestants off an obstacle is also forbidden, and intentionally failing in a way that minimises time loss (doing a running leap into the mud) warrants a time penalty.
** The Spin Cycle, which contestants can get stuck in for a long time trying to figure out how to get out of (usually involving riding the cycle around the top, instead of trying to run against it along the bottom).
* RealityShowGenreBlindness: An astoundingly large number of the contestants are horribly out of shape, and an even more astoundingly large number of contestants have ''no'' idea how to get past the obstacles, especially in the Qualifier (which is NintendoHard enough ''without'' taking contestant incompetence into account!!!) Though, this makes the ones who ''can'' figure out a way past the tougher obstacles and then pull it off especially impressive (such as the girl who got through the Big Balls by leaping onto each one belly-first and clinging on for dear life until she was stable before getting up and leaping to the next one.)
** Lampshaded by the Johns in a recent episode. "No matter how many times contestants watch the show, they all start the day thinking they'll do great!"
* ShoutOut: When a contestent that happens to be a geologist wins the game, Henson says "If you smell what the rock star is cooking?", a reference to WWE wrestler, the Rock.
** A mention is made for an air traffic controller about Oceania airplanes ie the stock airline used in pretty much every movie made. In the same episode when the contestant splashes down onto another in Double Cross, one of the Johns wonders where Captain Sully is, the airline pilot who did a waterlanding.
* SublimeRhyme: 'Enter on green, exit on red. Don't let the sweeper arms go over your head.' Also, 'If you hesitate, we motivate.'
* ThoseTwoGuys: John Henson and John Anderson.
* [[TransAtlanticEquivalent Trans Pacific Equivalent]]: The show is similar enough to ''[=~Takeshi's Castle~=]'' that the Tokyo Broadcasting System is suing {{ABC}} over copyright infringement.
* UpToEleven: The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Overdrive]], compared to the Double Cross.

** Moon logic? I worked that one out as soon as I saw the thing. The contestants just have very bad timing.

* SublimeRhyme: 'Enter on green, exit on red. Don't let the sweeper arms go over your head.' Also, 'If you hesitate, we motivate.'

* Rico "Thunder" Curtis gets through the [[MoonLogicPuzzle Shapeshifter]] with''out'' having to ride around on the shapes with one amazing leap. Sadly, unlike the other examples, he gets knocked out in the second round.

* MoonLogicPuzzle: The Shapeshifter is something like this. How the hosts describe the obstacle, it sounds like you have to jump ''through'' one of the shapes onto the final platform (via a trampoline, swingset, zipline, slide, or the like)... except that, if you imagine that the Shapeshifter itself wasn't there, that jump is way too far for a human to reach. A grand total of ''two'' contestants have crossed it so far... by landing ''in'' one of the shapes and riding it around until they could jump out.

* HomeGame: There are video game versions on the Wii and DS.

GameShow on {{ABC}} in which 24 contestants compete in a series of events seemingly designed to humiliate and otherwise annoy them. The last contestant standing wins $50,000. Inspired by [[WidgetSeries crazy Japanese stunt game shows]] like ''TakeshisCastle''.

->'''John Henson''': "Who's it gonna be [[ItMakesSenseInContext Smelly's Boyfriend]] or the contestant we've never met before... [[ForegoneConclusion It's Smelly's Boyfriend!]]"\\-

* CloudCuckooLander[=/=]LargeHam: Frank "Force-A-Nature" Beasley.

* CloudCuckooLander / LargeHam: Frank "Force-A-Nature" Beasley.

* CloudCuckooLander/LargeHam: Frank "Force-A-Nature" Beasley.

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