NBC has announced that production has begun in Los Angeles on the fourth season of NBC’s top-rated reality series Fear Factor” and it will feature many special editions of the program. Highlights of the action-packed new season hosted by Joe Rogan include a two-hour season premiere with a $1 million prize, holiday episodes celebrating Halloween and Christmas a la “Fear Factor” style.
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In addition to consistently scoring in the ratings among the top-25 series this season, “Fear Factor” often placed within the top-10 programs in total viewers.
"As ‘Fear Factor’ nears its 100th episode next season, its ratings are still growing, something no other reality show can claim at that stage of its life," said Jeff Zucker, President, NBC Entertainment. “This year, ‘Fear Factor’ delivered the highest 18-49 rating for any network in the Monday 8-9 hour in six years. 'Fear' dominates, with a 23 per cent advantage over second place in the hour in that category. And even more than that, it's an 18-34 magnet. This lone hour of reality on our schedule has revitalized our Monday night and jump starts our entire week."
David Goldberg, President of Endemol USA, added, "'Fear Factor' is a great success story for NBC and Endemol USA. We are thrilled to be producing a fourth season." “What makes ‘Fear Factor’ so exciting is that every episode is so different,” said Matt Kunitz, executive producer. “It’s our job to continue to push the limits and make each season more outrageous than the last.”
“Fear Factor” pits real people against each other, extreme challenges -- and themselves -- in the hope of taking home a cash prize of $50,000 at the end of each regular one-hour episode. In each installment, six contestants (three women and three men) recruited from across the nation must decide if they have the guts and determination to face their most primal fears.
“Fear Factor” recently completed a successful month-long, 22-city national contestant search using a bus outfitted as a mobile casting studio -- co-branded to create awareness for Sony Pictures feature film, “Identity,” which was the number-one feature film at the box office on its opening weekend. Some of the varied destinations for the tour included New York City, Los Angeles, Little Rock, Austin, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City, with the intent of stopping at such traditional celebrations as Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Spring Break in Panama City, Florida.
Highlights of the new season special episodes:
$1 MILLION SEASON PREMIERE -- The new season will begin with a special two-hour episode comprised of contestants selected from a nationwide search held in conjunction with Clear Channel radio stations -- and featuring a grand prize of a cool $1 million.
HOLIDAY SPECIALS -- Halloween “Fear Factor” style has more tricks than treats and come Christmas time the show will be serving up some “holiday fear.”
MISS USA 2004 ‘FEAR FACTOR’ - Before competing in the “Miss USA 2004” competition, six pageant contestants must stare fear in the eye.
ALL FEMALE EPISODE - It’s “ladies night out” when six women compete head-to-head to choose the distaff champion.
FAMILY ‘FEAR FACTOR’ - A quartet of parents and their young children compete as teams in what promises to truly give new meaning to the phrase “family feud.”
“THE SEVEN ‘FEAR’ ITCH” COUPLES EPISODES - A series of seven shows featuring all couples will be the ultimate tests of true relationships for couples who will face fear as a team while factoring in how to best work with one another to capture an ultimate payoff of $1 million. They’ll likely discover that communication and working together as a couple in extreme situations is the ultimate “Fear Factor.”
‘FEAR FACTOR’ LAS VEGAS, BABY! - Last season’s Las Vegas-based episode scored the highest rating in the series history as more than 18 million viewers took a nocturnal trip down “Sin City’s” notorious Strip. This time, the series ups the ante in a special two-part episode with a jackpot worth $100,000 and a final challenge in which the winner will be required to bet half of the winnings on one hand of blackjack.
WE’LL TAKE MANHATTAN - The “city that never sleeps” will be kept wide awake as the “Fear Factor” contestants face challenges around New York City guaranteed to make the most jaded and cosmopolitan Manhattanites take more than a New York minute to take notice.
“Fear Factor” is a production of Endemol Entertainment USA. Matt Kunitz, David Hurwitz and John de Mol are the executive producers.
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