TVSquad

In general, you could mark me down as a fan of reality TV. I've never missed Survivor, written thousands of words about Dancing With The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, and despite what my daily uniform of jeans, t-shirt, and Chuck Taylors would suggest, I even watch Project Runway. The one show I actively root against though, is Moment Of Truth.

I just can't find anything to like about the show, from the concept right on through to the execution. It's with that in mind that I excitedly clicked on the entry in my feed reader telling me that Hole In The Wall was replacing it. Hosted by Brooke Burns (Dog Eat Dog), Hole In The Wall is the latest incarnation of a game popularized in Japan. Before the jump to the US there were already successful adaptations in a number of other countries.

The success has a lot to do with the simplicity of the concept. A wall, with a shape cut in it, moves toward the contestants and they have to contort their body to pass through the hole or be swept into the water. As they fail to do so, hilarity ensues, hopefully. Get a look for yourself, after the jump.

I'm curious to see how it plays out. Brooke Burns is a good choice for the host. She was always entertaining on Dog Eat Dog, which shares more than a couple similarities with Hole In The Wall. However, I do worry that the Americanization of the show is going to cost it some of the quirky charm that makes the original so entertaining. The somewhat odd nephew to the original's Takeshi Kaga, if you will.

Ah, but before we get to the wacky video, some bad news. As excited as I'm sure many of us are to see Moment Of Truth get trumped by spandex suits and Styrofoam walls, it might actually be the best thing that could happen to the show. It had the good fortune of a cushy post-Idol spot when it debuted, which certainly played a part in its ratings success. Those numbers dropped off when the show left the comfy time slot. The move back to mid-season could see the show once again riding on easy street, which might mean another season. Bugger.

Anyway, here's some crazy Japanese video.