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Revision as of 11:34, 4 July 2020

Host
Jimmy Carr
Broadcast
Distract
Comedy Central: 1/18/2005 – 4/11/2006
Packager
FremantleMedia North America

Distraction was a bizarre and short-lived game show based on the equally short-lived British game show of the same name with unconventional ways of playing. Many of the rounds had unusual challenges.

Premise

At the start of the show there were four contestants, usually two women and two men. Before the first round, they would "get to know each other", finding out about each other's embarrassing moments, unique hobbies, strange talents, or previous unflattering occupations.

Most of the time buzzing in required contestants to drink either shots of hot sauce or a cold slush, having to smash a bottle over your head, stopping a fan with your face, and even urinating to ring in. The player with the fewest points at the end of each round was eliminated until only one player was left.

The bonus round offered prizes, but there was a catch. If the player answered a question correctly, their prizes were unharmed. If not, a prize was destroyed either by wrecking ball, exploding, or dropping a weight on it. In terms of a car, a strong man would smash it or the three players that were eliminated would have a chance to wreck the car in the time allotted.

Games

Here are a few examples of games used.

Brain Freeze

Players ring in to answer questions by drinking a shot of blue raspberry slush and then slamming the glass down.

Fan Club

Players ring in to answer by stopping a fan with their face.

Pie in the Face

When players ring in, they are hit in the face with a pie tin containing something. It starts with pies, followed by mustard, then honey, then dried rice.

Pissing Buzzers

Players seat themselves in a toilet stall and to ring in, they have to "do a little wee." Usually the category has to deal with things that are "number one" or answers that involve the letter "P" in some way.

The ring-in sound in this round was recycled from the game show Smush and would later be used on 100 Latinos Dijeron.

Eyes Wide Open

Players are strapped to electric chairs, and every time they blink, they are zapped. Players ring in normally to answer questions. About halfway through the round, the difficulty increases when people come out smoking cigars and blow the smoke in the players faces, causing them to blink even more.

Nudist Turntable

Nudists are presented and the answers to the questions given are on stickers on the nudists. When a question is answered, the players have to find the correct answer and pull it off--using their teeth--and place it on a board.

International Versions

The following countries that have previously did their versions of Distraction includes:

  • Brazil
  • Canada (French language only)
  • Czech Republic
  • Greece
  • India
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Paraguay
  • Serbia
  • Spain
  • Uruguay 
  • United Kingdom (country that originated the program)

Trivia

Carr would later appear as a contestant in the four-episode only reality competition series Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle in 2016.

Studio

Hollywood Center Studios

Music

Alan Ett & Scott Liggett

Inventor

Based on the British show of the same name by David Taylor.

Link

Official Website (via Internet Archive)