While watching an episode of MXC today I began to wonder (not for the first time) what the hell the people are doing on this show. I mean, when this show was made in (I think) Japan as Takeshi’s Castle what the hell was the point of the show and how did (or does) it work.
Anyone have an idea?
Speaking as someone who watched a 2-3 hour marathon tonight, I’m guessing that everyone involved in the project is an actor. My WAG is that it is intended to be part parody of ridiculous Japanese gameshows and part really awesome scenes of people getting hurt.
Ummmm…Fred…the show MXC is a parody. The voices are actors, reading pre-scripted lines.
The show it’s based on is a real Japanese game show. They take the best (and worst) parts of it, add some overtly-sexual dialogue and come up with a humorous show.
I have not seen the original show, so I don’t know what the “prize” is or what people are competing for. Either tickets home to America or dinner at Americaville, I think. 
Some Japanese Dopers should be able to tell us what the original show entailed.
THE HELL YOU SAY. WHAT A NEWSFLASH.
No hard feelings, man. 
What I was trying to say is that I find the show to be enjoyable even if you’re not familiar with the subject matter being ridiculed (Which is generally a prerequisite for enjoying parody/satire) because people hurt themselves in funny ways. So even though it’s all parody it’s funny outside that context.
Fred no worries…I was going on this part of your post:
I was trying to point out that the voice pieces were done by actors, but that the contestants were real people competing on a real show.
And yes, you’re correct in that it’s still a funny show even if you’ve never seen a Japanese game show!
[to self]…MUST…spend less time in GQ…[to self]
I have nothing to add, other than to state that this show makes me laugh so hard that I worry about coughing up my spleen.
That is all.
My favorite injury was during the Dirty Balls competition and the woman gets hit right in the face. That had to hurt a lot.
The show is Takeshi’s Castle (Web Site: http://www.takeshiscastle.org/). It’s a real Japanese game show.
The concept is that the dude in the military uniform at the beginning who is talking to all the contestants is the ‘leader’, and he takes 100 volunteers as they try to make it to the castle and storm it. The games are all obstacles along the way. The people who survive to the end get to ‘storm the castle’ or something.
The show was apparently filmed in the 1980’s, but has made a big comeback with voice-over narration added. In the U.S., it’s now called MXC. Britain apparently does the same thing, only their voiceover is done as a commentary track by Craig Charles (the guy who hosts Robot Wars, and was in Red Dwarf).
I read somewhere that people did get injured on that show regularly. Nothing life threatening, but cracked ribs, concussions, arm fractures, etc.
Oh, I forgot - the two guys doing the ‘commentary’ on MXC are Takeshi and his henchman, the guys who are supposedly defending their castle.
Don’t get eliminated!
I must say this is a top-notch program. The dubbing is superb (Kenny and Vic’s movements match up with their dialog-it’s hard to explain), and the gags, occupations, and double-entendres are just plain funny (some sort of competition where all the woman contenders are diving into a pool. The winner goes to the bottom and recives her prize, a pair of earmuffs. Comments one of the two, “Nice muff diving.”)
As I’ve often been told in situations like this…
DON’T GET ELIMINATED!
Right you are, Ken.
Get it On!
Llllllllet’s go!
Some MXC trivia for you:
Who are the four main scripted characters?
What are Kenny’s “hobbies”?
What was Vic’s affliction?
Where is Vic’s parking spot?
Feel free to add more.
Don’t get eliminated!
God help me I actually like this show. It’s so dumb … but it’s SO FUNNY!!!
The only trivia I know is 1:
The Captain N. Tenniel (sp?)
Guy LeDouche
Kenny Blankenship
Vic Romano
Ken’s “hobbies” are bidding on ebay for pizza and chicks. Vic’s childhood hobby was glass menagerie collecting. Poor Mr. Sparkle, his glass unicorn…
I remember one MXC game of “Saddle Sores” wherein the winner crossing the finish line fell backwards in her horse “racer” and out of the suit. Kenny and Vic said the horse had given birth to an ugly, two-legged foal. I laughed so hard I almost choked.
I tried googling for transcriptions of the show but couldn’t find anything (i.e. the scripts of the American overdubs).
For you youngish dopers, there was a smarmy singing duo in the 70’s called “The Captain and Tennille”.
I’d like to see an American version of that show. Take 100 Americans, put them in a field outside of Denver or something, and put them through all the challenges that the MXC contestants go through.
Cost would be minimal: those sets are made of wood, paper and plastic, right?
BTW, a recent TV Guide article said that in the Japanese game show, contestants are awarded “prizes” like toaster ovens, cameras, etc. and that the prize-awarding part of the show has been edited out of the American version.
HeyHomie
Much as I’d like to see it, there’s no way in hell that show could be done in the U.S. We’re waaaaay to litigious. People even sued over Scare Tactics.
The worst hit I’ve seen on this show involved a Tarzan-like swing over water and into a velcro wall. Some poor woman fell short of the wall and landed smack on her head.
Bah. Have 'em sign a release and you can do just about anything to them. Fear Factor, anyone?
“You can’t use the Taco Bell Instant Reply to look at women!”
Or something like that. Reply misuse happens sometimes.