The makers of MXC are not happy with the "creative" minds behind ABC's summer hit Wipeout. Spike initially called out the Wipeout folks in a press release announcing the MXC marathon, "MXC, The Original, Not The Ripoff, Weekend." Now Larry Strawther, MXC's executive producer, is upset with ABC and YouTube for removing a video that Strawther released in order to establish Wipeout's ripoff status. The video in question is after the jump. Strawther has also accused YouTube of "[altering] the search results algorithm to benefit ABC and punish MXC." He's right; a search using the terms "MXC" and "Wipeout" leads you to videos showing motocross wipeouts. Strange.
Spike and Strawther have a legitimate complaint about Wipeout's lack of originality. It's no secret that networks often "borrow" ideas from one another, but Wipeout is fairly bold in its borrowing. To make matters worse, the show's executive producer seemingly ignored MXC's influence by claiming that Wipeout is "90 percent Fear Factor-inspired, 10 percent Japanese game show." It's bad enough that they copied MXC's concept and had more success, but to not even mention MXC or Takeshi's Castle is an insult.
When I saw the promos for Wipeout, I immediately thought that it was just like MXC and assumed that there was some partnership between the two shows. ABC's take on game show humiliation is at least 50% MXC-inspired. Check out Strawther's video for yourself and see if you don't agree.
The TV Squad Podcast: Linda Purl talks about The Office, we talk spoilers, and more
Ask TV Squad: Ghost Whisperer and more!
The TV Squad Podcast: Bill Scheft of The Late Show, Cake Boss, Mad Men and more
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-10-2008 @ 9:08AM
hcnelson said...
Wipeout is a lot better than MXC. For example; Wipeout is funny.
Reply
7-10-2008 @ 9:46AM
rick cokely said...
Wipeout is like Ninja Warrior on Ritalin. I watched it for the first time, and being a fan of both NW and MXC I thought it was a poor ripoff. The hosts are awkward and unfunny, but it's always a pleasure to watch someone fall into a mud pit... I would just rather watch the Japanese doing it.
Reply
7-10-2008 @ 9:53AM
Rocketboy said...
Wow, Spike's just jumping up and down screaming "HEY EVERYONE, REMEMBER ME? YOU STILL LIKE ME DON'T YOU?". A newsflash for Spike, YOU DIDN'T MAKE THE SHOW THAT MXC IS A REDUBBED VERSION OF. So already, you're a ripoff. A ripoff with permission, but a ripoff none the less. Also, STUNT GAME SHOWS are not an exclusive type of show. There are quite a few of them that also came from the country that you bought your show from.
Let's kick it old school, MXC is nothing but a rip-off of Battle of the Network Stars.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Network_Stars
Deal with that Spike.
Reply
7-10-2008 @ 11:03AM
Thom said...
Wasn't there are US version of Storm the Castle (originally called Takashi's Castle) in the early 1990s on CBS? If anything, all of the above shows are ripping off of that.
Reply
7-10-2008 @ 1:20PM
judi said...
Fuck ABC. Not acceptable.
Reply
7-14-2008 @ 11:52AM
TheSpawn said...
The problem is MXC is on Spike at 3 AM!! Wipeout is in Primetime. I love MXC but Spike doesn't air it enough.
Reply
7-10-2008 @ 8:06PM
Anastasia said...
Aren't all shows really just rip off's of other shows? Both of the shows above are really just rip offs of Japanese gameshows that came before. Crazy obstacle courses aren't exactly orignal to begine with :)
Reply
7-10-2008 @ 10:18PM
nickmagoo said...
MXC Wipeout would lead to motocross wipeouts, because, DUH, MXC is shorthand for motocross. Sheeeeesh. Spike's show isn't original anyway - it's a crappily rewritten and repackaged Japanese game show. At least Wipeout is original programming. Sure, the hosts are lousy, but if you DVR the program, then you can just fast forward to the fun stuff. I'm enjoying the show after that too - 'So you Want to Be In a Japanese Game Show,' or whatever it is...MAJIDE!!! The game show host there also hosts Unbeatable Banzuke...I LOVE the Japanese. Those folks are insane...
Reply
7-13-2008 @ 2:13PM
Chuck said...
MXC is just taking clips of Takeshi's Castle and making new dubs over them right?
What's next, go after Ninja Warrior? American Gladiators?
If it was the people behind Takeshi's Castle then maybe people would care, but from the people who write funny lines for the us version? I'd rather see how pissed they get and laugh.
Reply
8-03-2008 @ 3:29AM
Ari L. said...
Just the blatent similarities actually caused me immediately be put off by the new ripoff show. What really killed me is the lack of life in the humor given by the two lifeless announcers. Mxc announcers have a loud, smooth sounding, actaul funny comedy sounding voices... the voices of the announcers on wipeout depresses me. Their humor is... bland.... the kind of humor you kinda feel embarrassed to laugh about. Just do show i was completely nuetral when watching wipeout, i did crack up with laughter when seeing some of the spills of the contestants on wipeout, but then again, the producers made sure they would comicly fall... Overall i am pretty repulsed of the gross tactic made by abc. It seems that there strategy was this:
Find a current funny show many people might not know about.
Try ( "TRY" ) to improove it
Air it to the millions during the few popular shows that are aired on that channel
Bring in the big bucks by the millions who tune in to watch a cheap laugh and dident know about the older show they TRIED to improove
Reply