Brain Wall

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Screenshot of Japanese's version of Human Tetris
Screenshot of Japanese's version of Human Tetris

Brain Wall (Japanese : 脳壁) is a component of the Japanese gameshow series Minasan no Okage desita (とんねるずのみなさんのおかげでした - Thanks everybody was TONNERUZU) that originated in Japan on the channel Fuji TV and first broadcast on 27 July 2006. As the show proliferated on video-sharing websites and the concept eventually adopted by several countries, it became popularly known to non-Japanese speakers as simply Human Tetris (or Hole in the Wall) for its involvement of the physical body and close resemblance to the rules of the Tetris game.

Contents

[edit] Game Rules

Contestants are to wear hard hats and spandex and stand on the "Play Area". A Styrofoam wall consisting of openings originally shapes of Tetris blocks is revealed and moves towards the contestants. They have to make use of their wits in seconds to assume the position that will allow them to fit through the opening(s). Later episodes involved the use of more complicated shapes, such as words, gymnastic positions, and popular culture. Contestants usually have to twist and bend their bodies with agility and dexterity to fit though the hole in the wall.

  • If contestants fail to fit through the hole, they get pushed into a pool of water behind them and no points are awarded.
  • Contestants play in teams and only win points if they were able to fit though the wall. Points are awarded if the contestant(s) in the round are able to successfully cross the Styrofoam wall completely, except for the below :
    • No points are awarded if any of the contestant(s) falls into the water due to any reason, even if he/she/they successfully pass through the wall. (There are instances where the wall is cleared but contestants find themselves trapped over the water)
    • No points are awarded if the contestants crash through the Styrofoam wall and parts of it fall apart.[1]

The first component of the game involves a solo contestant, while the other involve a groups of two people or more.

[edit] International versions

The rights of producing the show has been purchased and owned by FremantleMedia and has since been produced in over 20 countries including Australia, Russia, and Indonesia.

[edit] Argentinian version

The name of the show in Argentina is El muro infernal (English: The Infernal Wall). The gameshow is broadcast on Telefe.[2]

[edit] American version

On the Ellen DeGeneres Show, host Ellen introduced the game and challenged several contestants to guess the outcome of a clip in a game called "Thru The Wall Or Take A Fall." On a later episode, Ellen's audience members played a version of the game on the set.

In May 2008, Fox ordered 13 hours of an adaptation called Hole in the Wall from FremantleMedia North America.[3] North American executives claimed that the reason the North American pilot was ordered was due to the recent popularity of the show on YouTube.[4][5]

[edit] Australian version

The Australian version of the show is known as Hole in the Wall, where it is set to air on the Nine Network in 2008.[6]

The concept was also adopted as part of a one-off challenge in the 2007 season of the popular reality television show Big Brother Australia.

[edit] Hong Kong version

The game was also played on the variety show Super Trio Supreme on Television Broadcasts Limited.[7]

[edit] Danish version

The Danish version is known as Hul i hovedet (English: Hole In The Head).

[edit] Malaysian Version

The Malaysian version is known as "Bolos" (English: Through) The gameshow broadcasts on ASTRO RIA

[edit] Mexican Version

The Mexican version is known as "Aguas Con El Muro!" (English: Careful with the wall!) The gameshow it broadcast on TV Azteca

[edit] French Version

There also is a similar game aired on the French channel TF1, entitled "Le Mur Infernal" (English: The Infernal Wall) presented by Laurence Boccolini

[edit] Russian Version

The Russian version is called "Stenka ob Stenku" (English: Wall Against Wall)

[edit] Israeli Version

The Israeli version is called "Rosh Bakir" (English: Head in the wall)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Fox to remake "Hole in the Wall"
  2. ^ La Gaceta: "Marley sale a recuperar el protagonismo con un juego", retrieved on 05 March 2008 (Spanish)
  3. ^ Fox's 'Wall' taking shape
  4. ^ Fox plans to remake Japanese game show Hole in the Wall
  5. ^ YouTube - Human Tetris II
  6. ^ Dyer, Glenn. "Media briefs and TV ratings", Crikey, October 16, 2007. 
  7. ^ Supreme fun, Seto Kit Yan, The Star (Malaysia), 14 March 2008

[edit] External Links