Spike TV knocks 'Wipeout' as an 'MXC' ripoff

Spike TV is taking playful shots at ABC's new hit "Wipeout," calling the reality show a ripoff of its long-running series "MXC."

"Spike TV realizes that in the summer, some broadcast networks might be 'lost' like a 'desperate housewife' or an 'ugly betty' in search of 'bachelor' so they turn to imitating shows on cable," reads a press release. "In honor of this, Spike TV celebrates 'MXC, The Original, Not The Ripoff, Weekend' on July 5-6 as an homage to the network's original series based on a wacky Japanese game show which debuted five years ago."

The release later notes that "'MXC' has become so popular that many of the games featured in the Spike series such as Mudslingers and Log Jam can be seen in surprisingly similar forms on other networks."

Spike has a point. "Wipeout" takes a clear riff from "MXC," a comically dubbed version of the Japanese series "Takeshi's Castle." "Wipeout" also owes a debt to G4's "Ninja Warrior," an obstacle course series that, like "Wipeout," starts with a mixture of fit and out-of-shape contestants than gradually becomes a more straightforward competition.

But give ABC some credit for its execution here, which could have gone wildly wrong. Cable or no, "MXC" has been around for years and averages less than a tenth of the 10 million viewers that checked out "Wipeout." Plus, the original mocking-people-who-fall contemporary hit is ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos," which pre-dates both shows.

Comments

[Chris]

Interesting......wonder if they did rip it off

[JB]

Yeah its a total ripoff

[maotig]

So let me get this straight. Spike, basically literally takes a show, recuts and redubs it. ABC puts together a similar show, but uses all original footage, Spike gets all mad? Um, didn't they basically do exactly that? Takashi's Castle was the original show from Japan. It would be like if you cheated off someone's test, then you the guy next to you cheats off you, and you get pissed off about it. WTF.

[James]

"MXC" has been around for years and averages less than a tenth of the 10 million viewers that checked out "Wipeout."

You're seriously comparing network television ratings to cable?

[Hektikshok]

I've said the same thing about this show, "MXC Rip-off". The one thing this show needs is a live audience. It would perk things up a bit I think.

[SLHaynes]

Big deal, neither show is worth the air time.

[Liz]

I cried from laughing so hard at Wipeout. Even just watching that little clip made me laugh my ass off. I had no idea there was another show like it!

[mimi]

yeah, nbc surely did rip off spike's "mxc" bigtime. but like jb said, spike basically took "takashi's castle" and did voice-overs on it and patted themselves on the back. mxc is funny as hell indeed, but spike can't really cry foul here.

[think first]

Guys, Spike BOUGHT the footage of "Takashi's Castle", then added the dubbing. It in no way ripped the footage off from the Japanese show of the 80s. So they 'basically' did voice overs... first they had to realize that voicing over a 20 year old obscure Japanese gameshow would entertain enough people to put it on TV. Ergo, MXC *is* a Spike creation. Then, with the audience proved, ABC copied the format and mixed in a bit of Ninja Warrior without paying a dime.

Spike buys a show and makes it their own, and you're saying that's the same as ABC copying another station's show without compensating them? Idiots.

[Jinny]

It's definitely a ripoff, especially since they also have that dumb show I Survived a Japanese Game Show. They're obviously trying to copy the humor found in many Asian reality shows. Then FOX had to try to reproduce Human Tetris except the American show isn't funny at all.
Sad.