Man vs. Beast

For the sixth book in the CHERUB series, see CHERUB: Man Vs. Beast.

Man vs. Beast is a series of sensationalistic television specials aired in the United States by the Fox television network. The shows were produced by Brian Richardson and directed by Bob Levy. They involve a variety of challenges in which people and animals compete against each other. Although the initial special, Man vs. Beast, was heavily panned by critics^[1] and animal rights groups,^[2] Fox commissioned a sequel, Man vs. Beast 2, which aired on February 20, 2004.

The competitions included the following matchups:

• Professional eater Takeru Kobayashi lost a hot dog eating contest against a Kodiak bear.
• Scott Helvenston, a US Navy SEAL, won a race against a chimpanzee through an obstacle course.
• A group of 44 dwarves lost a race against an Asian elephant to see which could pull a commercial jet a certain distance first.
• Shawn Crawford, a world-class sprinter, won a 100 meters against a giraffe but lost against a zebra.
• A Sumo wrestler lost a tug-of-war against a large, female orangutan.

In 2003, ITV commissioned Granada Productions to re-create the American special for British audiences. A six-part series was filmed, hosted by John Fashanu. However, due to heavy lobbying by animal rights groups^[3], transmission of the series was postponed indefinitely.

See also

• List of television series cancelled before airing an episode
• Man vs. Beast is the name of the rivalry between the Colorado State Rams and the University of Idaho Vandals. Following the showdown of 1992, Mountain West president Matthew Medlock verbally assaulted the University of Idaho, calling the educational establishment a "cesspool of low-life scum". In response, Idaho president J. Maxwell Faller referred to the Rams as "mongrels".

References

1. ^ Robert Weintraub (January 16, 2003). "Aaron Sorkin Mauled by Fox: The disturbing appeal of Man vs. Beast.". Slate.com. http://www.slate.com/id/2077075/. Retrieved 2006-06-15. 
2. ^ "Unnatural Animal Acts A Turnoff.". Born Free Foundation. http://www.bornfree.org.uk/zoocheck/manvsbeast.shtml. Retrieved 2006-06-15. 
3. ^ "Man vs Beast - programme may be scrapped". Captive Animals' Protection Society. http://www.captiveanimals.org/news/2003/granada2.htm. Retrieved 2006-06-15. 

External links

• Man vs. Beast (2003) at the Internet Movie Database
• Man vs. Beast, synopsis and scheduled listings at FoxReality.com