XFire (TV series)

Infobox Television series
show_name = Xfire


caption =
format = Game show
camera =
picture_format =
audio_format =
runtime = 60 minutes
creator =
developer =
producer =
executive_producer =
voices =
presenter = Ed Hall
narrated =
opentheme =
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country = UK
language = English
network = Channel 4
first_aired = 2001
last_aired = 2001
num_series = 1
num_episodes = 13
website = http://www.channelfour.com/xfire (offline)
imdb_id =
tv_com_id =

XFire, meaning 'Crossfire', was a TV programme, aired on Channel 4 in the UK.

ynopsis

The programme was a game show/reality TV cross, featuring a strike team consisting of 6 players armed with paintball guns, who will attempt to complete challenges such as defusing a bomb or rescuing hostages. The teams would have to take care not to get shot by the "Grunts", whose sole objective was to stop the team completing the challenges by shooting them with paintballs. These were accompanied by the Special Forces; 6 individuals (with made-up character names and bios; however, their skill was real) with exceptional skills.

Each programme would contain three missions, the last of which always took place in the 'Special Forces HQ'. The missions would always be based around a particular scenario, such as stopping toxic waste dumping or stopping the production of counterfeit bank notes. The Special Forces would always be involved with these evil plots, and thus had to be stopped by the strike team.

In between each challenge the team were allowed to purchase items such as more paintballs, shields, grenades, a stationary shotgun weapon (firing up to 100 shots in one go) or buy back team mates who had been shot in the previous challenge (200 Credits). These were bought with credits, earned by shooting grunts, 500 for shooting special forces members, or completing objectives.

The series was axed shortly following the terrorist attacks on September the 11th, and as such the penultimate episode, titled 'Star Wars', was never broadcast, instead Channel 4 broadcast the final episode to end the series.

Comparison to Standard Paintball

Unlike the paintball games that are most commonly played, the paintball seen in X Fire is far more organized and realistic. Teams were inserted and extracted by a Ford Transit Van; teams often engaged enemy tanks; stealth was commonly used, with laser tripwire and security cameras used to detect the contestants; traps were often laid, such as ambushes, pressure-sensitive mines and tripwire mines. Games would take place in military compounds, office buildings, or in bunker complexes. In reality these were the facilities at RAF Bentwaters.