Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge
Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge | |
---|---|
Genre | Game show |
Presented by |
Laura Hamilton Geno Segers (Series 1–2) Andy Akinwolere (Series 3–5) |
Theme music composer | Paul Farrer |
Country of origin |
United States United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 5 |
No. of episodes | 50 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
Nigel Pickard Ged Allen Pierre Godde |
Producer(s) | Steve Pinhay |
Location(s) | Fort Boyard, France |
Running time |
22 minutes (Series 1–2) 52 minutes (Series 3–5) |
Production company(s) |
Adventure Line Productions The Foundation |
Distributor | Zodiak Media |
Release | |
Original network |
Disney XD (USA) CITV (UK) |
Picture format | 16:9 (UK) |
Original release |
17 October 2011 – 23 March 2012 (USA) 1 January 2012 – 17 December 2014 (UK) |
Chronology | |
Related shows | Fort Boyard |
External links | |
Production website |
Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge is a CITV game show that premiered on 1 January 2012 in the United Kingdom. The first two series were a co-production with Disney XD, airing from October 17, 2011[1] to March 23, 2012 in the United States.
The show is a challenge game where six teams of teenagers battle-to-the-finish to win the Ultimate Challenge and become "Conquerors of The Fort". The show is a revived version of the original Fort Boyard and was presented by Geno Segers and Laura Hamilton in the first two series. In May 2012, Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge was renewed for a third series.[2] It was also revealed that Andy Akinwolere would be the new co-host, replacing Segers. Hamilton and Akinwolere both returned to present series 4 and 5.
In the UK, the third series began on 8 December 2012 and was simulcast on the ITV network. The fourth series began airing on 20 October 2013 and the fifth (and final) series on 15 October 2014. The series was also rolled-out globally (excluding France and the Nordic countries) on the Disney network.
Format
Six teams compete against each other in a tournament. Each episode, two teams face each other in a battle to see who is the strongest and toughest team. The challenges are based on toughness, fear and speed. In each season, the teams play three times each; with the two teams which have the most gold coins returning for the final round of the tournament at the series' finale.
Every level, the teams fight to get a key which helps them in the final level of the game in the Treasure Chamber. If they get three (five from series 3) keys or more at the end of the game, they get the maximum amount of time in the Treasure Chamber (3:00); but if they get two (four from series 3) keys or less, a time penalty will be dealt out (see below). If a team wins a 4th key (6th or more from series 3), they receive an extra 150 bonus coins per key which are added to their final total.
Games
Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge uses the same games as the original show; but with different names, no lock-ins and may also be slightly adapted in order to suit the show. For example, in Boiler Room the contestant is not hancuffed to the pipe; instead must move a chain with the key on through the maze and out to the exit within the time limit.
Each solo team challenge is against the water clock (a clepsdyre) usually set at either 1:30, 2:00 or 2:30 minutes. Some games (such as Tightrope and nearly all duels) require a code to open the box containing the key, which is outside the room or nearby the other team members. Games involving members of both teams are not against the water clock and are known as "duels".
Regular Games
- For more detailed information, see Phase One and Phase Two sections of the main Fort Boyard article.
In order of first appearance:
Series 1:
|
Introduced in Series 2:
Introduced in Series 3:
|
Introduced in Series 4:
Introduced in Series 5:
|
Council Duels
Before the teams go to the Treasure Chamber, the final challenge in each episode is a non-timed duel in the Council 'hallway' (an open area on the second floor close to where "Cold Room" is located) between both teams.
Tests usually involve a level of skill and speed; such as building a tower with shaped blocks, using chopsticks to write the word "Boyard" on a pole or hammering nails into a piece of wood. The whole team(s) take part in the duel and the winners receive the final key of the day. Games played so far include:
In order of first appearance:
- Surface Tension
- Tipping Point
- Tower Build
- Balance of Forces
- Letter Pick
- Hammer Time
- Reflex
- Weights
- Hang Nail
- Floating Towers
- Dominoes
- Shape Stack
- Roach Race
The Treasure Chamber
The Treasure Chamber is the climax to each episode of Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge. The gold is stored here, which is guarded by the Fort's tigers (in series 4 and 5).
Series 1 and 2
Before they enter the chamber, each team is handed a scroll with a plan of the board (a giant alphabet chessboard), which is composed of Georgian letters and the word "Fort Boyard" is also written out on it. On this chessboard, they must place four circular plates of color, as shown in the plan. These plates are hidden in the decorative elements of the chamber (a treasure chest, barrel or underneath ropes). They must therefore find where they are hidden. Boxes are suspended in the fountain and the key for the coins is on top of a vertical rod above and on either side of the Fountain.
Once a team has found and placed their four plates in the right place, the captain returns his/her hand to a tiger's head located nearby the entrance. If correct, the key is released to open their chest containing the coins. Once the chest is opened, coins fall into the fountain below. The team members must collect as many of these coins as possible and put them into a Plexiglas box near the entrance.
At 0:20 seconds from the end of the 3 minutes, a bell rings and the gate of the Treasure Chamber begins to descend and the 8 candidates must get out before it closes.
Then it's time to weigh the coins; two candidates from each team take turns placing their container on the scales to set the number of points scored by the team. At the end of the show, the ranking of teams is updated compared to previous results
Keys for the Treasure Chamber
No. of keys | Time awarded |
---|---|
4 | 3:00 minutes + 150 bonus coins |
3 | 3:00 minutes |
2 | 2:40 minutes |
1 | 2:40 minutes (for 3 team members), 2:20 minutes (for the other 1 team member) |
0 | 2:40 minutes (for 2 team members), 2:20 minutes (for the other 2 team members) |
Series 3 to 5
Several changes were made to the Treasure Chamber in this series, including a new time structure and layout. For example, the crests are not hidden.
Keys for the Treasure Chamber
No. of keys | Time awarded |
---|---|
6 or more (7 max) | 3:00 minutes + 150 bonus coins per key |
5 | 3:00 minutes |
4 | 2:50 minutes |
3 | 2:40 minutes |
2 | 2:30 minutes |
1 | 2:20 minutes |
0 | 2:10 minutes |
Filming
Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge is set and filmed on the Fort Boyard fortress, on the west coast of France.
From a broadcasting perspective, Fort Boyard itself was refurbished during 1988–89 to become, essentially, a large outdoor television studio. The Fort has its own doctor, catering facilities, as well as production gallery and veterinary centre. The Fort is equipped with 10 portable television cameras, one camera crane for overhead shots, one under-water camera as well as a number of smaller cameras which specifically cover individual games and challenges around the Fort.
Filming took place between 9–15 July 2011; consisting of two seasons of 10 episodes each. A third season was filmed from 7–14 July 2012, with a further 10 episodes made. The fourth was filmed from 18–25 June 2013 and the fifth from 22–27 June 2014.
Teams
In series 1 and 2, there were 24 participants (48 in total) from 13 to 19 years of age, divided into 6 teams (12 teams in total) of 4 members with two British and two American members in each team. However, in series 3 (2012), contestants were from 14 to 18 years of age and were all British. In Series 4, they were 12- to 18-year-olds. In addition, each team has a captain.
Series 5 in 2014 saw an overhaul in team colors and animals; a new set of six team names were introduced to replace the original names: (Grey) Rhinos, (Orange) Tigers, (Green) Crocodiles, (Black) Tarantulas, (Yellow) Eagles and (Purple) Cobras.
In the first two series the teams consisted of three boys and a girl; from the third series, there are two boys and two girls per team.
Each team has a color and a symbol of animal:
Series 1 to 4:
Series 1: Shona, Nathan, Jake, Louis
Series 1: Tashi, William, Jimmy, Ashley
Series 1: Harry, Kyle, Kennedy, Charlie
Series 1: Amy, Matt, Ryan, Xavier
Series 1: Max, Natalie, Shaun, Ivan
Series 1: Kasey, Katherine, Joe, Peter |
Series 5 onwards:
Series 5: Sam, Katy, Josh, J'nae
Series 5: Claire, Charlie, Alex, Corey
Series 5: Finton, Olivia, Oli, Scarlet
Series 5: Abi, Harry, Lauren, Charlie
Series 5: Ben, Chloe, Brandon, Georgia
Series 5: Katy, Jack, Amelia, Alex |
Episodes
Series 1
Episode No. | Teams | Air Date (UK) |
---|---|---|
1 | Yellow Scorpions Vs Red Vipers | January 1, 2012 |
2 | White Falcons Vs Blue Sharks | January 7, 2012 |
3 | Silver Dragons Vs Green Jaguars | January 14, 2012 |
4 | Blue Sharks Vs Red Vipers | January 21, 2012 |
5 | Yellow Scorpions Vs Green Jaguars | January 28, 2012 |
6 | Silver Dragons Vs White Falcons | February 4, 2012 |
7 | Yellow Scorpions Vs Blue Sharks | February 11, 2012 |
8 | Red Vipers Vs Silver Dragons | February 18, 2012 |
9 | Green Jaguars Vs White Falcons | February 25, 2012 |
10 (final) | Yellow Scorpions Vs Green Jaguars | March 3, 2012 |
- Conquerors of The Fort: Yellow Scorpions
Series 2
Episode No. | Teams | Air Date (UK) |
---|---|---|
1 | Blue Sharks Vs White Falcons | March 10, 2012 |
2 | Yellow Scorpions Vs Red Vipers | March 17, 2012 |
3 | Green Jaguars Vs Silver Dragons | March 24, 2012 |
4 | Red Vipers Vs Blue Sharks | March 31, 2012 |
5 | White Falcons Vs Sliver Dragons | April 1, 2012 |
6 | Yellow Scorpions Vs Green Jaguars | April 7, 2012 |
7 | Red Vipers Vs Silver Dragons | April 8, 2012 |
8 | Blue Sharks Vs Yellow Scorpions | April 14, 2012 |
9 | White Falcons Vs Green Jaguars | April 21, 2012 |
10 (final) | Silver Dragons Vs Blue Sharks | April 28, 2012 |
- Conquerors of The Fort: Silver Dragons
Series 3
Episode No. | Teams | Air Date (UK) |
---|---|---|
1 | Green Jaguars Vs White Falcons | December 8, 2012 |
2 | Blue Sharks Vs Silver Dragons | December 9, 2012 |
3 | Red Vipers Vs Yellow Scorpions | December 15, 2012 |
4 | Yellow Scorpions Vs Green Jaguars | December 16, 2012 |
5 | White Falcons Vs Sliver Dragons | December 22, 2012 |
6 | Blue Sharks Vs Red Vipers | December 23, 2012 |
7 | Blue Sharks Vs White Falcons | December 26, 2012 |
8 | Red Vipers Vs Green Jaguars | December 27, 2012 |
9 | Yellow Scorpions Vs Silver Dragons | December 29, 2012 |
10 (final) | Blue Sharks Vs Green Jaguars | December 30, 2012 |
- Conquerors of The Fort: Green Jaguars
Note: episodes 7–10 were not simulcast on both UK channels as usual; the airdates are for ITV1 only. CITV will air these at a later date, due to schedule changes and in order to celebrate its 30th birthday.[3]
Series 4
Episode No. | Teams | Air Date (UK) |
---|---|---|
1 | Yellow Scorpions Vs Blue Sharks | October 20, 2013 |
2 | White Falcons Vs Green Jaguars | October 27, 2013 |
3 | Red Vipers Vs Silver Dragons | November 3, 2013 |
4 | Silver Dragons Vs Green Jaguars | November 10, 2013 |
5 | White Falcons Vs Yellow Scorpions | November 17, 2013 |
6 | Red Vipers Vs Blue Sharks | November 24, 2013 |
7 | Yellow Scorpions Vs Silver Dragons | December 1, 2013 |
8 | Red Vipers Vs White Falcons | December 8, 2013 |
9 | Blue Sharks Vs Green Jaguars | December 15, 2013 |
10 (final) | White Falcons Vs Green Jaguars | December 22, 2013 |
- Conquerors of The Fort: Green Jaguars
Series 5
Episode No. | Teams | Air Date (UK) |
---|---|---|
1 | Rhinos Vs Tigers | October 15, 2014 |
2 | Cobras Vs Tarantulas | October 22, 2014 |
3 | Crocodiles Vs Eagles | October 29, 2014 |
4 | Eagles Vs Cobras | November 5, 2014 |
5 | Tarantulas Vs Tigers | November 12, 2014 |
6 | Rhinos Vs Crocodiles | November 19, 2014 |
7 | Eagles Vs Tigers | November 26, 2014 |
8 | Cobras Vs Rhinos | December 3, 2014 |
9 | Tarantulas Vs Crocodiles | December 10, 2014 |
10 (final) | Rhinos Vs Tarantulas | December 17, 2014 |
- Conquerors of The Fort: Black Tarantulas
Transmissions
USA
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |
---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||
1 | 10 | 17 October 2011 | 7 November 2011 |
2 | 10 | 16 January 2012 | 27 January 2012 |
UK
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |
---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | ||
1 | 10 | 1 January 2012 | 3 March 2012 |
2 | 10 | 10 March 2012 | 28 April 2012 |
3 | 10 | 8 December 2012 | 30 December 2012 |
4 | 10 | 20 October 2013 | 22 December 2013 |
5 | 10 | 15 October 2014 | 17 December 2014 |
Awards and nominations
Awards | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Award | Category | Result | |
2014 | British Academy Children's Awards | Best Children's Entertainment[4] | Nominated |
References
- ↑ "Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge". TV.com. CBS Interactive.
- ↑ "Disney, CiTV renew Fort Boyard". C21 Media. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ↑ "CITV set for classic kids TV weekend". BBC News Online. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
- ↑ "BAFTA Children's Awards". BAFTA. Retrieved 2015-03-21.
External links
Comprehensive fan sites:
- Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge on Tumblr
- Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge on Twitter
- Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge on Facebook