Full Metal Challenge

Infobox television
show_name = Full Metal Challenge
runtime = 60mins (inc. comms)
starring = Cathy Rogers Henry Rollins
channel = Channel 4
num_series = 1
num_episodes = 13
location = Richborough Power Station
num_of_teams = 27
original run = April 6 2003 - July 6 2003
country = flagcountry|United Kingdom

"Full Metal Challenge" was a television series made by RDF Media for Channel 4 in the UK and the Learning Channel in the USA. Hosted by series creator Cathy Rogers and Henry Rollins, the show was very similar to Rogers' last show, Scrapheap Challenge. It was filmed in the United Kingdom with a budget of approx £6.5 million on location at the disused Richborough Power Station just outside Ramsgate in Kent.

There are initially 27 teams from around the world in the Challenge. Each team consists of 3 people. The teams were all given 1 month and $3000 USD (exchanged to their country's respective currency) to build a car. Their car had to be loud, noisy, big, and if possible, destructive -- qualities relished by the show's co-host, Henry Rollins.

The vehicles competed in a series of events, with each episode showing the competition between 3 vehicles. After the events, the teams each received points based on their performance. After all the events were complete, the team with the lowest score had to watch their car blow up. However, it is likely the car was merely dismantled, and the film edited to give the viewer the belief the car was destroyed. The car was typically driven into a large steel cylinder, at which point an unseen explosive explodes, and the car is consumed in a cloud of smoke, which clears to reveal the vehicle is gone. Since the explosion seen would not be sufficient to destroy the vehicles built, and there is never any shrapnel seen, it is obvious the car were not actually blown up. In fact, in the finale, all the cars were shown in a huge pile at the awards ceremony, proving that the cars had not really been destroyed.

The two winning teams faced off in a sumo wrestling match. The sumo-ring was re-sized for their cars, and was littered with things such as water puddles, snails, sandtraps, and generally anything to hinder or disable their vehicle. As with sumo wrestling, the objective is to push the opponent out of the ring. The winner of 3 moves on.

The overall winning team was "Aquaholics" from the UK with their vehicle Octopush.

At the time some of the vehicles involved in the series were on display at the Beaulieu Motor Museum.

The programme originally aired on Channel 4, and is now repeated on Dave.

List of games

Regular games

Three of these games appeared in each episode.

* Ten Pin
* Pitball
* Hall of mirrors
* Bumper cars
* Roller coaster
* Wetropolis
* King of the Hill

Finish games

* Sumo (for the two finalists of each episode only)
* Grand International (first game played only in the last episode between the three finalists of the show)

Teams

UK teams

The Aquaholics
"Team Members:" Adam Russell Kyte, Martyn Pitman and Tony Stankus
"Vehicle": Octopush
The Dodgy Oppos
"Team Members": Anthony Edwards, Kevin Noble and David Davies
"Vehicle": Wolverine

The Pole Cats
"Team Members": David Ganiford, Rodney Arnold and Chris Thompson
"Vehicle": White Noise

The Have A Go Likelies
"Team Members:" Barry Babister, Stuart White and Neil Challice
"Vehicle:" Devil's Mule

The Battle Bodgers
"Team Members:" Steve Atkin, Phil Hopwood and Martin Mitchell
"Vehicle:" Pure Adrenalin

The Body Snatchers
"Team Members:" Tim Miles, Debbie Bilton and Gerry Lea
"Vehicle": Stomp

Three Shades of Grey
"Team Members:" Peter Anderson, James Anderson and John Brian Anderson
"Vehicle:" Wild Thing

The Mud Hatters
"Team Members:" Jeremy Greenwood, Michael Williams and Stephen Nicholls
"Vehicle:" Mega Hurtz

The Tartan Tinkerers
"Team Members:" Arie Rodenburg, George Gray and Tarik Rodenburg-Abro
"Vehicle:" Spartacus

North American teams

All teams are from USA except "The Snowdiggers", which were from Canada.
Tribal Force
"Team Members:" Paul Shipman, Edward Hara and Leslie Hara
"Vehicle:" Rez Ride

The Snowdiggers
"Team Members:" Jonathan Gendron, Benoit Ranger and Christian Poirier
"Vehicle:" Steel Survivor

The Death Guild
"Team Members:" Sam Nordemann, Matthew Noble and David Howe
"Vehicle:" Monkey

Country Boys
"Team Members:" Keith Hartzog, Corkey Perkins and Billy Stafford
"Vehicle:" Southern Crusher!

The Hot Rods
"Team Members:" John Streets, John Buddenbaum and Jay Streets
"Vehicle: Double Dub"

The Law Dawgs
"Team Members:" Tom Rhea, Dave Corder and Michael Hicks
"Vehicle:" Impact Weapon

The Ball & Chain Gang
"Team Members:" Tim Wiggans, James "Jamie" Collins and Robert Cochran
"Vehicle:" Idiodyssy

The Washburns
"Team Members:" Ray Washburn, Shane Washburn and Jon Washburn
"Vehicle:" Agivator

Chicago Fire
"Team Members:" Mike Kappel, Joseph Mrozek and Edward Brennan aka Proby
"Vehicle:" 911

International teams

The Kalahari Cats (South Africa)
"Team Members:" Mike Rideout, Guy Fielding and Gavin Coetcee
"Vehicle:" Leopard

The Desert Pumas (Chile)
"Team Members:" Attilio Gattavara, Pedro Boeri and Nestor Aguilera
"Vehicle:" Marabunta

Kiwi Thunder (New Zealand)
"Team Members:" Trevor McCoid, Kent McCoid and Steve McCoid
"Vehicle:" Black Thunder

The Flamin' Aussies (Australia)
"Team Members:" Melissa Thompson, Jane Casos and Rebecca Anderson
"Vehicle:" Deflector

Flying Horse (China)
"Team Members:" Zhong-qi Sun, Tian Sun and Guo-Feng Chiang
"Vehicle:" Flying Horse

Indian Hope Trick (India)
"Team Members:" Raj Kapoor, Vijay Parmar and Jayesh Desai
"vehicle:" Delhi Belly

The Russian Bears (Russia)
"Team Members:" Maxim Nagaytsev, Evgueni Novitski and Alexey Novitski
"Vehicle:" Siberian Monster

The Autobahn Boys (Germany)
"Team Members:" Heinz Udo Fink, Ulrich Weinberg and Christian Diekmann
"Vehicle:" Humungus

The Ice Vikings (Iceland)
"Team Members:" Rafn Hardarson, Sverrir Ingjaldsson and Haldor Bjornsson
"Vehicle:" Thor

External links

* [http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/F/fmc/ "Full Metal Challenge"] at Channel4.com
* [http://www.ukgameshows.com/index.php/Full_Metal_Challenge "Full Metal Challenge"] at UKGameshows.com