In the credits, there are three “host producers” listed alongside four “comedy producers.” I wonder if they’re responsible for “jokes” like drawing a penis between two of the big red balls. I mean, good for them for showing up and getting their checks, but bad for us. Or funny.Ĭongratulations, Wipeout: You’ve made Nicole Byer and John Cena boring. At least, that’s what it seems like they’re doing, because nothing they say-while standing in front of a green screen-seems sincere. And John Cena did an excellent job hosting American Grit, and certainly has demonstrated comedic skills elsewhere.īut for some reason Wipeout has decided to have these two talents read shitty, scripted jokes off a teleprompter.

Her skills as an improviser allow her to respond to whatever is happening in the moment, so casting her for Wipeout was an inspired choice. Nicole Byer has repeatedly demonstrated-on her show Nailed It (for which she really needs an Emmy), as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and elsewhere-that she is excellent at hosting and judging reality show competitions. John Cena and Nicole Byer hosting Wipeout, during the one part of the show where they actually seem to be reacting to what’s happening in front of them. Why are Nicole Byer and John Cena so dull on Wipeout? Instead of individuals, there are now teams of two, though instead of doubling, the prize has been cut in half from $50,000 for an individual winner to $25,000 for a pair.Īlas, all of this combined to be significantly worse than ABC’s version of Wipeout, even though its original producers have returned. Instead of four rounds, there are now three, with a long obstacle course replacing the middle two rounds. The most immediately apparent change is that the course’s familiar red and blue has been replaced by bright colors, though the iconic giant red balls remain.

I was a fan of ABC’s Wipeout, and have rather enjoyed all of its successors. When I settled in to watch the episode provided to TV critics, I was expecting to laugh along with Nicole Byer and John Cena as people bounced off of heavily-padded obstacles. That’s just one of the blunders of this reboot of a classic format (TBS, Thursdays at 9), but it’s a major one. I’m referring to how Wipeout has actually managed to make Nicole Byer and John Cena appear both stodgy and inert. Not the bending people’s bodies into unimaginable positions as they bounce off of obstacles before splashing into a pool of water.

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