- Brain Wall
nihongo|Brain Wall|脳カベ|Nōkabe is a component of the
Japan esegameshow " Tonneruzu no Minasan no Okage deshita" (とんねるずのみなさんのおかげでした, lit. "Tunnels' 'Thanks to Everyone'"). The show originated in Japan on theFuji TV network and was first broadcast on27 July 2006 . Video clips from the show proliferated on video-sharing websites and the concept was eventually adopted by several countries. It became popularly known to non-Japanese speakers as simply Human Tetris, or Hole in the Wall - named for its involvement of the physical body a supposed close resemblance to the rules of the video gameTetris .Game rules
The rules of the game are the same, and how points are awarded vary from country to country.
* Contestants wear helmets and elbow and knee pads and a silver (or gold in some countries) spandex unitard stand on the "Play Area". A
Styrofoam wall, convert|4|m|ft wide by convert|2.3|m|ft tall, consisting of cut-outs resembling Tetris blocks, is revealed and moves towards the contestants in a convert|15|m|ft path. They have to make use of their wits in seconds to assume the position that will allow them to fit through the opening(s). Later episodes involve the use of more complicated shapes, such as words,gymnastic positions, and shapes from popular culture. Contestants usually have to twist and bend their bodies withagility anddexterity to fit through the hole in the wall.
* If contestants fail to fit through the hole, they are pushed by the wall into a pool of water that is convert|1.5|m|ft deep behind them and no points are awarded.
* Contestants play in teams and only win points if they are able to fit though the wall. Points are awarded if the contestant(s) in the round are able to successfully cross the Styrofoam wall completely, except in the following situations :
** No points are awarded if any of the contestants fall into the water due to any reason, even if they successfully pass through the wall. (There have been instances where the wall is cleared but contestants find themselves trapped over the water)
** No points are awarded if the contestants crash through the styrofoam wall causing it to break apart. [ [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117980832.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 Fox to remake "Hole in the Wall"] ]The first component of the game involves a solo contestant, while later components involve groups of two people or more.
International Versions
The production rights to the show outside of
Japan is owned byFremantleMedia and the program has been produced in over 20 countries includingAustralia ,Russia , andIndonesia .Argentina The name of the show in Argentina is "El muro infernal" ( _en. The Infernal Wall). The gameshow is broadcast on
Telefe . [La Gaceta: " [http://www.lagaceta.com.ar/nota/260267/Espectaculos/Marley_sale_recuperar_protagonismo_con_un_juego.html Marley sale a recuperar el protagonismo con un juego] ", retrieved on 05 March 2008 es]Australia The Australian version of the show is known as "Hole in the Wall", where it airs on the
Nine Network as ofAugust 2008 . [cite news |first=Glenn |last=Dyer |coauthors= |title=Media briefs and TV ratings |date=October 16, 2007 |publisher=Crikey |url=http://www.crikey.com.au/Media-Arts-and-Sports/20071016-Media-briefs-and-TV-ratings.html |work= |pages= |accessdate= |language= ]The concept was also adopted as part of a one-off challenge in the 2007 season of the popular
reality television showBig Brother Australia .Bulgaria The Bulgarian version of "Hole in the Wall" premiered in Bulgaria premiered on July 18th, 2008, airing on
Nova Television . the show's host isRumen Lukanov , who is also the host ofDeal or No Deal . The show is called "Дупка в Стената" ( _en. Hole in the Wall).Denmark The Danish version is known as "Hul i hovedet" ( _en. Hole In The Head).
Finland The Finnish version of the show is currently in production. It's known as "Reikä seinässä" ( _en. Hole in the wall), and will be aired by
Nelonen probably in 2009.France There also is a similar game aired on the French channel TMC
(Télé Monte Carlo) , entitled "Le Mur Infernal" ( _en. The Infernal Wall) presented byLaurence Boccolini Germany The German version will be broadcast on RTL starting October 18, titled "Ab Durch die Wand" ( _en. Off The Wall). Sonja Zietlow and Dirk Bach of the German version of "
I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! " are the hosts. This version will feature a third team in yellow helmets and pads.Hong Kong The game was also played on the
variety show Super Trio Supreme onTelevision Broadcasts Limited . [ [http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/14/tvnradio/20641420&sec=tvnradio Supreme fun] , Seto Kit Yan,The Star (Malaysia) ,14 March 2008 ]India The Indian version "Hole in the Wall" is aired on
POGO . The show is hosted byMTV INDIA VJ Cyrus Sahukar. The show is aired on all weekdays at 6:30 pmIST .Indonesia The Indonesian version is known as "Hole in the Wall".
Israel The Israeli version is called "Rosh Bakir" (ראש בקיר, _en. Head in the wall)
Italy Mediaset did a version with bikini models playing the game.Lithuania TV3 also airs its own version in Lithuania.Malaysia The Malaysian version is known as "Bolos" ( _en. Through) The gameshow broadcasts on ASTRO RIA
Mexico The Mexican version is known as "Aguas Con El Muro!" ( _en. Beware of the wall!) The gameshow will be broadcast on
TV Azteca .Norway The Norwegian version is known as "
Ylvis møter veggen" ( _en.Ylvis meets the wall). The gameshow is hosted byKjetil André Aamodt andKjersti Idem , while the Ylvis brothers are leading a team each. [ [http://www.tvnorge.no/programportaler/ylvis_moter_veggen/ylvis_moter_veggen/nyheter/4699337 Kjetil og Kjersti skal lede «Ylvis møter veggen»] (Norwegian)]Russia The Russian version is called "Stenka na Stenku" ( _en. Wall Against Wall)
South Korea This game was also played on the game show
Jiwhaza .Spain La Sexta premiered the Spanish version called "El Muro Infernal" ( _en. The Infernal Wall) on Summer2008 , hosted byJulian Iantzi . [ [http://www.vertele.com/noticias/detail.php?id=19320 La Sexta apuesta por un 'Tetris' humano para el prime time es] ]The concept had been previously introduced in
2007 as one of the challenges of the reality-show "Nadie es perfecto", onTelecinco .Sweden The Swedish version, "Hål i väggen" ( _en. Hole in the wall), premiered on TV6 on
September 14 ,2008 and features celebrities.United Kingdom BBC One 's version of "Hole in the Wall" is hosted byDale Winton and premiered onSeptember 20 , 2008, airing on Saturday nights.Anton Du Beke of "Strictly Come Dancing " and cricketerDarren Gough are the team captains for this series. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/02/bbc.television3 BBC Announce "Hole in the Wall"] ] Freemantle-ownedTalkbackThames is the series producer.
= USA =On the "
Ellen DeGeneres Show ", host Ellen introduced the game as well as the desire to host it and challenged several contestants to guess the outcome of a clip in a game called "Thru The Wall Or Take A Fall." On a later episode, Ellen's audience members played a version of the game on the set. The only difference between this version and Ellen's was that instead of a pool of water, failed players fell into a pit of playground balls.In May 2008, Fox ordered 13 hours of an adaptation called "Hole in the Wall" from FremantleMedia North America. [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i9189f73c48e7dd513b46db1c7008c98b Fox's 'Wall' taking shape] ] North American executives claimed that the reason the North American pilot was ordered was due to the recent popularity of the show on
YouTube . [ [http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Todays-News/Fox-Plans-Remake/800033122& Fox plans to remake Japanese game show Hole in the Wall] ] Actress/modelBrooke Burns is one of the hosts of the show. The other is Los Angeles weatherman, TV personality and long-time Fox announcer Mark Thompson. The show premiered with a preview onSeptember 7 and 9, and the first full episode airedSeptember 11 . This is the only version that uses actual contestants instead of celebrities.References
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