Tonight ABC debuts a different kind of game show in the form of 101 WAYS TO LEAVE A GAME SHOW. It is not about the questions, the challenges or the personalities – it is all about how each contestant literally gets kicked off the show. Taking from the success of other kinds of extreme reality shows that have tickled the funny-bone and dared to show death-defying feats using the average person, this show seeks to amp up the adrenaline by inventing new ways to remove contestants in the most shocking ways possible.
The show’s host Jeff Supthen candidly admitted in response to the question, about how the contestants are removed without killing them, “I wonder that too! Here’s what I can tell you: we have some insane eliminations. Everyday, when I see one of these eliminations, I am jaw-dropped amazed. Generally, when I am on camera and what you will see on TV is my legitimate reaction to these things ’cause I’m seeing it for the first time. I purposely don’t want to see it get tested so I don’t know. I’m going in blind. 9 times out of 10, I’m refraining from saying something like, ‘I can’t believe I’m on a show that has explosions!'”
He reassuringly added, “The way we keep people safe is we have an amazing stunt crew. These guys have this place so well buttoned up. They have thought of everything — plan B, plan C, and D. They have tested it to make sure that it is going to be first and foremost safe and, second of all, is going to look spectacular on TV. It is the same guys who did Fear Factor, who did Wipe Out. Hence, they know what they are doing. They know how to put together a game show.”
The biggest draw for such a show is that it does not matter how old the viewer is, there is something for everyone. For Jeff, it is all about the crazy stunt. He even admitted, “Whether it is the fiery explosion eliminations or if it is the competition seeing people in unbelievably ridiculous situations, there is something there for everybody. Our contestants are from all different walks of life — ages 18 to 55 — all different backgrounds: PhD’s to culinary school. It is absolutely amazing and I’m having a great time doing it.”
He enthusiastically added, “Every day I am in complete shock because I think there is no way they can top what they just did. Some of the eliminations we have done so far: lifted someone 3,000 feet in the air via helicopter in a split second. I literally forgot my lines and then I had to do pick-ups later. We had people yanked and dragged across a lake by a powerboat. We pushed a person off a moving tractor-trailer. Someone standing on the wing of a biplane as it took off. Someone in a car as a monster truck crushed them. That one was really scary. Luckily I was in safety. In a car and we drove them at 50 mph at a ramp and they lift off in a huge fireball explosion and the car flips and landed.”
Based on all these outrageous scenarios, it would appear that this is a show that would only appeal to adrenaline-junkies, yet Jeff was quick to point out that the contestants vary from the unemployed video nerd to a nurse in the medical field to a stay-at-home-mom. The common denominator is that everyone wants $50,000. If people are willing to put it on-the-line, they could win $50,000. He also laughing added, “They may be rethinking that when they are staring down the barrel of a gun so to speak, but they sign up thinking ‘I got a chance at $50,000.’ And here’s a fact, someone is going to leave every episode with $50,000.”
The show has 8 contestants and every episode someone wins $50,000. One in 8 is pretty good odds, and people will do just about anything to win that kind of money! 
For a chance to see what these people are willing to do for $50,000, tune in to see 101 WAYS TO LEAVE A GAME SHOW on Thursday, June 16th at 9:00 p.m. on ABC.
Tiffany Vogt is a contributing writer to TheTVAddict. She has a great love for television and firmly believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored – she invites you to join her. Please feel free to contact Tiffany at Tiffany_Vogt_2000@yahoo.com or follow her at on Twitter (@TVWatchtower).