Distraction (game show)

*Distraction*
Distraction
Starring	: Jimmy Carr; : Jimmy Carr
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	: 2; : 2
Production
Producer	Talkback
Running time	30mins (inc. adverts)
Original release
Network	: Channel 4; : Comedy Central
Release	: 31 October, 2003 - 11 June 2004 –; ; : 2005 - 2006

Distraction is a British game show shown in Canada on the Comedy Network and in the US on Comedy Central. Presented by comedian Jimmy Carr, the show involves contestants answering questions, while being distracted in various bizarre, painful and humiliating ways.

The format was devised by Fremantle television and was sold to the U.S. network Comedy Central in 2004, where it lasted two seasons. The first season of the US version was shown starting on January 18, 2005, and the second season began airing on January 10, 2006. Jimmy Carr has hosted all episodes of both English-speaking versions. Digital channel Challenge started broadcasting repeats of the show on February 5, 2007, although these repeats are slightly edited due to longer advert breaks on the channel compared to Channel 4's.

Gameplay

At the start of the show there are four contestants, usually two women and two men. Before the first round, they "get to know each other", finding out about each other's embarrassing moments, unique hobbies, strange talents, or previous unflattering occupations.

The first three rounds are usually quizzes involving rather easy questions. However, these rounds feature various distractions (hence the name) to cause pain and/or discomfort while contestants try to answer them. The distractions may be endured throughout the round, activated in order to answer questions, as punishment for incorrect answers, or as a result of getting a question right. At the end of each round, the player who has performed worst is eliminated and receives nothing.

Distractions have included being shocked with electricity such as with electric dog collars, pushing buzzers surrounded by cacti (while blindfolded), sticking one's hand in live mousetraps to answer a question, being shot with paintballs, urinating in a specially designed toilet to activate one's buzzer, contestants drinking shots of hot sauce or their own urine, and being hung upside down and tickled on the soles of the feet.

In the fourth and final round, instead of answering questions to win prizes, the prizes are given to the winner upfront; however, the contestant must then answer several further questions to prevent these prizes from being damaged and/or destroyed. For example, if the prize is a car, getting a particular question wrong could result in the losing contestants getting to spray paint graffiti on the side of it, smash the windshield, or key-scratch the door(s) of the car. If a set of smaller prizes is at stake, each incorrectly answered question will result in the destruction of one of them, (say, by being blown up or hit with a wrecking ball).

UK and US Versions

Round 1 is always an on-the buzzers quiz (the "buzzers" being some of the items described above.) Round 2 may be another on-the-buzzers quiz, or an individual time trial in which each player is given 45 seconds (or so Carr claims) to answer questions while continually being distracted by someone or something else. Round 3 is a head-to-head round similar to round one, and is usually a race to 4 or 5 points.

Sometimes in round 1 or 2 (of both the US and UK versions), players must attach clothespins or rubber bands to their faces while answering questions; the player with the most clothespins/rubber bands on their face at the end of the round gets five extra points, and usually moves on because of this bonus.

After three rounds (and thus three eliminations), the final winner faces the prize round as explained above.

Italian version

In 2006, a version of Distraction began airing in Italy, with Teo Mammucari hosting the first season and Enrico Papi set for hosting the second season in 2007. Six contestants play in this version, with the same rules applying as the original two versions. Famous comedians and celebrities act as "judges" throughout the game, and instead of the contestants being interviewed at the beginning of the show, their casting tapes are shown instead.

Additionally, This is the only version of "Distraction" still on-air with new episodes.

Also, they play a game called "Hole in the Wall", similar to the Japanese Game Show of the same name.

Dutch version

In 2006, a Dutch version (called "Rat van Fortuin") began airing, with Ruben Nicolai as the host. The gameplay is the same as in the US/UK version.

Israeli version

Also in 2007, an Israeli version (called "Behafraa(בהפרעה)") began airing, hosted by Ido Rozenbloom, So far 21 episodes have been taped, the gameplay is the same as in the US/UK version.

Uruguaian version

In 2006, an Uruguaian varsion (called "Distraccion") began airing with Orlando Petinatti as host. The gameplay is the same as in the US/UK version. This version was airing by Saeta TV Channel 10 from Uruguay, and produced by ZUR Infotaiment from Uruguay too.

Notes

Distraction is the latest of a number of game shows that has employed destruction of prizes and/or property as one of its gimmicks. Other such shows have included Trashed, a 1994 MTV game show where contestants gambled their prized possessions as bets on how well they could answer pop culture questions; Big Deal, a knockoff of the classic show Let's Make a Deal in which certain deals involved contestants damaging and/or destroying their own possessions in an effort to win better prizes; I Bet You Will, another MTV program in which people were selected off the streets or other public venues to perform outrageous stunts and/or have their possessions destroyed for money; and Beat the Crusher, another British game show in which contestants had their prized possessions destroyed as a tradeoff for money and/or punishment for losing games, with the final competition involving two couples gambling their cars in an attempt to win another one (with the loser's car being dropped into a junkyard crusher and smashed.)

Distractor (noun): Someone who aids Jimmy Carr by distracting contestants painfully or emotionally. Examples include losing contestants, nudists, creepy carny guys, tattoo / piercing experts, professional wrestlers, midgets, Roller Derby girls, professional hockey players, professional volleyball players, paintball players, and a large bouncer-type male nicknamed "Tiny". Occasionally, a number of female assistants helped with some of the distractions; depending on the stunt being played, they could be referred to as "Jimmy's interns", "farmer girls", "schoolgirls" or "ammo ladies."

Carr claims that in an individual time-trial-based quiz, the players have 45 seconds. However, the time is not displayed on-screen. Viewers who time the round with a stopwatch will find that most times, the horn goes off after 35-40 seconds. This leads the viewer to believe one of three things: either the players are given a limited number of questions (perhaps 7, although this is unlikely; in the episode airing February 28, 2006, each player got through significantly more than 7, and, indeed, one scored 8), several seconds of footage are cut out of each quiz, or the timekeepers approximate the 45 seconds by counting it in their heads. If the first case is true, Jimmy doesn't tell the viewers, and if the third case is true, then human error becomes a major factor; a player could be given a significant amount of extra time over the others and thus could have a better chance of advancement to the head-to-head round.

Among the professional wrestlers used in the US version are Samoa Joe, Frankie Kazarian, Sylvester Terkay, and Curry Man.

The professional wrestlers used in the Italian version are Kishi and Black Pearl

There is a quiz book for Distraction in the United Kingdom, featuring most of the distractions featured on the show.

External links