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Rumour: It’s a Knockout -in Kuala Lumpur!

TV Tonight hears whispers that It's a Knockout is due to go into production -but not where anybody expected.

As rumours go it’s one of the more unusual, but TV Tonight hears whispers that FremantleMedia is indeed set to revive longtime TV favourite It’s a Knockout after all.

The show has often been on the rumour mill, most recently as August when TEN was tipped to announce it at its 2012 programming launch.

At the time TEN said it was yet to make a decision on reviving the show, in which teams compete in a series of arena challenges.

There are whispers that the show will produce a short-run of episodes, not in Australia but in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on an international course.

Nine recently produced an Australian version of Wipeout at an obstacle course in Argentina, sending contestants, producers and a presenter to the South American location rather than investing in a local course.

The show originally ran on Australian television from 1985 to 1987 with Billy J. Smith and Fiona MacDonald, however its forerunner was Almost Anything Goes from 1976 to 1978, based on a French production. But it has lived on with TV nostalgics who have long sought its return.

With the Gillard Government unable to send refugees to Malaysia for offshore-processing, who’da thought we’d be sending Aussie teams there for It’s a Knockout first?

Stranger than fiction if it all comes true….

15 Responses

  1. I just hope channel 10 make it much like the original.
    Growing up as a child i was obsessed with Its A Knockout.
    I even remember going to a recording in Dural when i was 6 years old.
    Id still like to see re runs of the original.

  2. I can’t understand why the Jackson’s of this world feel the need to share inside information like this with complete strangers. If you have access to this information you’re either priviledged to be ‘in the know’ or you’ve heard it from someone who is. Either way it’s a pretty low act to leak or post information relating to someone else’s business interests. You rely on the discretion of many people every day to keep your medical records, your financial details, your address, your payslip, the contents of your HR file and so on private. So if complete stranges can protect your information, why can’t you show a business that you clearly have some kind of connection to the same respect?

  3. They’re using the Wipeout Endemol model.

    Malaysia is cheap as chips and location wise would be a better international hub for northern and southern hemispheres.

    @Joel – all about production costs and having one premiere course which would be too expensive for any one broadcaster to build. In terms of costs, I’ve heard in Malaysia they can make an hour of drama for under US30K! There are no industry unions, no minimum standards (maximum working hours etc) etc. What they do have is a shite load of rain (almost daily).

  4. Your rumour is correct. It is for Channel 10…It is a Fremantle Production out of KL and all contestants are from Australia and being flown in to record several episodes. on an existing set…ala Wipeout….much cheaper to produce this way than having to spend big dollars to build a set here in Oz.. Production unit our of Sydney except for Melbourne Executive Producer.

  5. Can someone explain the benefits of having an international course ala wipeout.
    Is it a legal matter – to allow certain aspects be placed into the player contracts?
    Or production costs (especially if creating multiple versions for respective countries)? I’ve always wondered… I had presumed it was a legal thing… how many countries could possibly be making their own version of wipeout

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