Going Straight (TV programme)

Last updated
Going Straight
Genre Reality
Presented by Manu Bennett
Country of originNew Zealand
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
Production
Production locationAuckland [1]
Production company Touchdown Television
Original release
Network TV3
Release2003 (2003)

Going Straight is a New Zealand television reality programme by Touchdown Television that aired on TV3 in 2003. The show also aired on the United Kingdom cable channel Challenge. [2] The programme was hosted by New Zealand actor Manu Bennett, where contestants had to continue moving in a straight line, no matter what the obstacles in the way, to compete for prize money of $NZ10,000.

Contents

Format

The format of the programme challenged five contestants, wearing location monitoring equipment, to get to the end of a specified "virtual lane" across a landscape by completing three separate straight-line challenges. Contestants were eliminated each round. There was a $10,000 prize for the winner. [3]

By 2005, the show's format had been licensed to international television channels and production companies. [2]

Fire stunt accident

In 2004, an investigation was launched into the programme after a contestant suffered severe burns following a retake of a stunt. [4] The production company was fined $65,000 in district court for the incident. [5] Charges were to be put to either Touchdown Television or its Warkworth District Court representative. [6]

Reception

Local media called Going Straight a show similar to Fear Factor [1] [5] on a sickness benefit. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game show</span> Type of television or radio program where contestants compete for prizes

A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating and narrating where necessary. The history of the game shows dates back to the late 1930s when both radio and television game shows were broadcast. The genre became popular in the United States in the 1950s, becoming a regular feature of daytime television.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television, contestants tackle a series of multiple-choice questions to win large cash prizes in a format that twists on many game show genre conventions – only one contestant plays at a time, similar to radio quizzes; contestants are given the question before deciding whether to answer, and have no time limit to answer questions; and the amount offered increases as they tackle questions that become increasingly difficult. The maximum cash prize offered in most versions of the format is an aspirational value in local currency, such as £1 million in the UK or 75 million in India.

Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s with shows such as The Real World, then achieved prominence in the early 2000s with the success of the series Survivor, Idol, and Big Brother, all of which became global franchises. Reality television shows tend to be interspersed with "confessionals", short interview segments in which cast members reflect on or provide context for the events being depicted on-screen; this is most commonly seen in American reality television. Competition-based reality shows typically feature the gradual elimination of participants, either by a panel of judges, by the viewership of the show, or by the contestants themselves.

<i>Survivor</i> (British TV series) British reality television series

Survivor is a British adventure reality game show based on the international Survivor format. Following the premise of other versions of the Survivor format, the show features a group of contestants, referred to as "castaways" as they are marooned in an isolated location. The castaways must provide food, water, fire, and shelter for themselves. The contestants compete in various challenges for rewards and immunity from elimination. The contestants are progressively eliminated from the game as they are voted off the island by their fellow castaways. The final castaway remaining is awarded the title of "Sole Survivor" and a large monetary prize.

There's Something About Miriam is a British reality television series broadcast by Sky1. The six-episode series premiered on 22 February 2004 and concluded on 24 March 2004. Set in Ibiza, Spain, the series depicted six men in competition for a £10,000 reward over who could make the best impression on 21-year-old Mexican model Miriam Rivera. The men were required to compete in various physical challenges in addition to going on individual and group dates with Rivera. In the final episode, Rivera selected the one contestant who left the best impression on her; upon selection, Rivera revealed to the contestants that she was a transgender woman who had not yet undergone gender-affirming surgery. The series was hosted by Welsh television presenter Tim Vincent.

<i>Fame Academy</i> British television talent competition

Fame Academy was a British television talent competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner received a chance to become a successful music artist and part of the international franchise Star Academy known under various titles in various countries.

<i>Dick & Dom in da Bungalow</i> British childrens TV series (2002–2006)

Dick & Dom in da Bungalow is a British children's television series presented by the duo Dick and Dom. The series was broadcast on weekend mornings for five series on the CBBC Channel, BBC One and BBC Two, running between 31 August 2002 and 11 March 2006.

<i>Fear Factor</i> Game show

Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare game show that first aired on NBC from 2001 to 2006 and was initially hosted by comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan. The show was adapted by Endemol USA from the original Dutch series titled Now or Neverland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Loos</span> Dutch media personality

Rebecca Loos is a Dutch former glamour model and media personality. She first came to public attention following her claims that she had conducted an affair with the married footballer David Beckham, while she was employed as his personal assistant. The allegations led to Loos appearing on several reality television series, magazine covers, and in other media for a few years thereafter.

<i>Shattered</i> (British TV series) 2004 reality television program in the United Kingdom

Shattered is a reality television programme shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, aired in January 2004 and presented by Dermot O'Leary.

Australia's Next Top Model is an Australian reality television series which premiered on 11 January 2005 and concluded on 22 November 2016, and was based on Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model. It was broadcast on the Australian subscription television channel, Fox8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eyeworks Touchdown</span> New Zealand-based television production company

Warner Bros. Television Studios New Zealand is a New Zealand-based television production company specialising in reality and unscripted formats, which has become a leader in the field in New Zealand, and the world. Its formats include The Chair and Treasure Island, as well as many others.

Treasure Island is a reality competition television franchise. The programme originated in New Zealand in 1997, where it was originally produced by Touchdown Television and broadcast by TVNZ, with later editions produced for broadcasters in Australia and Ireland. In the programme, contestants are isolated on a remote Fijian island and compete for a cash prize of NZ$25,000. From the 2019 edition, the winner of the Celebrity Treasure Island will receive NZ$100,000 and NZ$50,000 for the regular season their chosen charity.

<i>I Survived a Japanese Game Show</i> American TV series or program

I Survived a Japanese Game Show is an American reality show that saw its first-season premiere on ABC on June 24, 2008. The show followed a group of Americans, who leave the United States for Japan where they competed in a Japanese style game show. The winner takes home US$250,000. The series won both the Best Reality prize and the overall prize at the 2009 Rose d'Or ceremony.

<i>MasterChef Australia</i> Cooking reality television series

MasterChef Australia is an Australian competitive cooking reality show based on the original British MasterChef. It is produced by Endemol Shine Australia and screens on Network 10. Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston served as the show's main judges until 2019, when they were replaced by Series 4 winner and chef Andy Allen, food critic Melissa Leong, and restaurateur and chef Jock Zonfrillo.

New Zealand's Next Top Model (NZNTM) is a New Zealand reality television series in which a number of young women compete for the title of New Zealand's Next Top Model and the chance to start their career in the modeling industry.

The X Factor was a New Zealand television reality music competition, originating from the original UK series and based on the Australian The X Factor production format. The show began in 2013 and was open to anyone aged 14 and over. The winner was signed to Sony Music Entertainment New Zealand.

Dropped is a French survival reality television series that was scheduled to air on TF1 in 2015. Based on the Swedish television series Det största äventyret, the premise of the programme is to drop celebrities into a hostile environment and leave them to fend for themselves. Filming began in February 2015, but was halted in early March following a helicopter crash that claimed the lives of ten people, including three of the contestants and five of the production crew.

Survivor NZ was a New Zealand reality game show based on the international Survivor format. The series premiered on 7 May 2017 on the TVNZ 2, which also holds the broadcast rights to Australian Survivor. The show was renewed for a second season filmed in early 2018 and released on April 22.

<i>Finding J Smith</i> New Zealand reality television

Finding J Smith is a New Zealand reality show, also known as Finding J Smith with Vodafone Live! The show aired in 2003 on TV2. The show consisted of contestants calling up as many people in New Zealand with a J. Smith name. $250,000 was the amount of money that was up for grabs, making it at the time the biggest prize ever offered by a New Zealand television program. The show was hosted by Nick Young, Eric Young and Dominic Bowden. Team Murphy was the winning team for the show, who found Jenny Smith, a 32-year-old from Taihape. She was revealed as the real J Smith. The show only ran for one season.

References

  1. 1 2 Patrick Gower; Angela Gregory (July 29, 2003). "TV show contestant badly burned in attempt to 'get a better shot'". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  2. 1 2 OnFilm Magazine February 2005
  3. Eyeworks New Zealand & Australia – Going Straight Retrieved December 2011
  4. Louisa Cleave (30 January 2004). "TV show in firing line over stunt". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  5. 1 2 Peter Calder (13 May 2004). "Kiwi reality show to pay hurt player". Variety . Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  6. OnFilm Magazine, April 2004
  7. Philip Matthews (September 26, 2003). "The decline and fall of Western civilisation".