The logo of the show's American version.
A British stunt-based Game Show from 2001 that also got a U.S. version in 2002; both were relatively Short-Runners, but they did have some class. Six contestants competed per episode; on the day before taping, the contestants had spent time at a training camp. The purpose of this was to allow contestants to evaluate one another's abilities, since the goal of the game proper is to vote on the contestant most likely to fail at a particular challenge. These often involved physical tasks, but sometimes involved mental challenges, trivia, or on the U.S. version, stripping. If the contestant manages to beat the odds and win, they get to send one of the contestants who voted for them to the Dog Pound (Called the "Losers' Bench" on the British version. Boring!), or else the contestant got sent to the Pound himself.
The final two contestants played a final head-to-head challenge to determine the champion, who got to play for £10,000 (or US$25,000) in a best-of-three game where the champion must get three eliminated contestants to answer a question incorrectly. Of course, if the Dog Pound won, they'd split the money instead.
The British version was aired by The BBC, while NBC carried the U.S. version. Neither lasted long, however, though GSN continues to air occasional repeats of the U.S. version.
"It's time to choose the trope":
- The Ace:
- Marty, from the U.S. version. He properly placed the former pinup models with their old pictures, conquered the Pendulum Swing, became the show's Top Dog and won.
- Tracey from a late episode similarly won two challenges (Tons of Fun and Ratchet Roulette) as well as the head-to-head Power Balls challenge to become Top Dog, before acing the final trivia 3-0 and walking away with the grand prize.
- All for Nothing: Top Dogs who lose the final trivia receive no money at all, rendering their victory in the head-to-head challenge and any other challenges they may have completed not just meaningless but detrimental, as they are worse off than if they had been eliminated to the Dog Pound early on.
- All Men Are Perverts: At times when a female contestant has to get into a bikini for a challenge, she will accuse any male contestants who voted for her of being this.Ron: On one hand we've got Jill, that dirty, dirty girl. And then we have Tony, who's also dirty, but more in a smelly kind of way.
- Several times, the Strip X games came about when the remaining contestants had an unequal gender balance, usually two guys and one girl. Brooke would then lampshade the unsurprising reveal that both guys voted for the girl, and during the game the two guys would be visibly enjoying the show. This was subverted at least once though, to Brooke's surprise, where the men voted for each other and the one girl's vote ended up causing a tie.
- All Women Are Lustful: On the same hand, the times where the gender split was reversed for the vote for the Strip games, the guy would unsurprisingly be the one voted. Even in the times where there was only one girl who lost the vote, they would admit their choice was usually on which of the two guys she wanted to see naked.
- Bonus Round: Subverted in that the £10,000 or $25,000 is the only prize offered. The Top Dog is given a category and asked to pick the eliminated contestant he or she thinks will get it wrong. If the contestant answers right, the Dog Pound scores a point; if not, the Top Dog scores a point. The first to get three points wins the money; if the Dog Pound wins, they split the prize equally, leaving the Top Dog with nothing.
- Catchphrase:
- "It's time to choose the loser."
- "You're off to the Dog Pound now, see ya!"
- Cross Dressing: The challenge "He or She" involves a line-up of male- or female-presenting people, one of whom is of the opposite sex to all the others, and requires the contestant to pick the odd man or woman out. The task may be to identify the biological woman from a group of men dressed as women, or the biological man from a group of women dressed as men, or the bearded lady from a group of bearded men etc.
- Deadpan Snarker: A female contestant in the Strip Quarterback challenge, who was down to her panties but had completed one of the two passes needed, had this exchange:Brooke: I’m going to offer you TWO footballs, TWO chances to stay in the game ... for your last piece of clothing.Marisa (Mock puzzlement) What would that be, Brooke?
- Downer Ending: One episode the Top Dog was a girl who beat two challenges prior to winning the final challenge. The Dog Pound was made up of people either she sent or people who failed miserably in their challenge, and on top of it were unbearably condescending. Guess who won the money...
- Epic Fail: Happens quite often in the trivia challenges.
- During the Final Trivia for Episode 3, one contestant was asked what the largest nation in the Americas was. The contestant guessed Asia. Cue facepalms from two other members of the Dog Pound.
- In season 2, a contestant was asked what Academy Award winner for The Fugitive was Harvard roommates with Al Gore. Not surprisingly, he said it was Harrison Ford. Made even funnier by the fact that the audience and three other members of the Dog Pound started cheering after he announced his answer.
- Another time, a female contestant from Ohio was chosen for a trivia challenge on the grounds that people from Ohio wouldn't know about pop culture. She failed to recognize a high school picture of Drew Carey, and pointed out that he is from Ohio too.
- Fake Weakness: Each episode has a training camp before taping where the contestants can get ready for the challenges they may face, as well as evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. It's a common strategy to underperform in the training camp, in hope of being picked for a challenge that the player can handle easily.
- Fanservice: A substantial number of the challenges require contestants to change into swimsuits and get wet. Never mind the ones that require a contestant to take off a piece of clothing for each failure (Strip Quarterback, Strip Hangman) or for a better chance of success (Strip Golf).
- Gag Censor: During a strip challenge, a contestant that exposes private parts will have the Dog Eat Dog logo superimposed over that portion of their body. In one case, this was even used to cover the rear end of a contestant wearing a thong.
- Game Show Host: Ulrikka Jonsson in the UK version; Brooke Burns in the US.
- Gender-Equal Ensemble: Many of the episodes featured three female and three male contestants.
- Leap of Faith: Downplayed in the challenge sharing this trope's name. The target is visible, but so far below the jumping point that the contestant's actual point of contact is uncertain. In essence, the contestant has to be a "human dart".
- Ms. Fanservice: Brooke.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: Similar to Fake Weakness above, the players will often give each other a false impression of their background and knowledge, so that if they have to play from the Dog Pound in the final trivia round, they may get a category that they know cold. ("We were talking about football and she didn't seem to have much to say." "I love sports. All kinds.")
- Product Placement: The on-screen timer was sponsored by NetZero on the U.S. version, and Circuit City sponsored the big screen on the set.
- Recurring Element: Dropping nets were a very common theme seen throughout the show (Cargo Climb, Crate Drop, Aerial Obstacle Course, Perfect Storm)
- Shameful Strip: A number of challenges involved "Strip x" games; for instance, Strip Golf allowed the player to give up an article of clothing to get a closer shot.
- Shameless Fanservice Girl: In Episode 6 of the U.S. version, a contestant picked by her (male) opponents for Strip Darts turned out to have worked as a stripper. "I'm not afraid of taking off my clothes." She also won the round after going all the way down to her panties. Turns out she never really was a stripper.
- Smart Girl: Tracey as mentioned above. She not only has one of the more higher educated jobs, as a tax accountant, but she beat three mental-based challenges then pulled a clean sweep on trivia.
- Statuesque Stunner: Brooke Burns is one tall blonde. This tended to be particularly noticeable when standing next to the female contestants, who often looked tiny next to her.
- Tightrope Walking: Downplayed. Several challenges require contestants to walk the length of a thin beam under an adverse circumstance, such as simulated bad weather or wearing high heels.
