or


[08/18/05 - 12:00 AM]
Comedy Central Orders Second Season of Hit Game Show "Distraction"

[via press release from Comedy Central]

COMEDY CENTRAL Orders Second Season Of Hit Game Show "Distraction"

New Season To Consist Of 14 Episodes And Will Premiere 1Q 2006 British Comedian Jimmy Carr Back To Serve As Host

NEW YORK, August 18, 2005 -- COMEDY CENTRAL has ordered a second season of the network's hit game show, "Distraction," it was announced today by Lauren Corrao, executive vice president, original programming and development. The second season order is for 14 episodes and it will premiere in 1Q 2006.

Produced by FremantleMedia North America ("American Idol," "How Clean Is Your House?") and hosted by British comedian Jimmy Carr, this outrageous, laugh-out-loud game show revolves around Carr's sharp, dry wit and his brash dealings with contestants. Based on FremantleMedia's British show of the same name, "Distraction" demands the ultimate in physical and mental endurance from its contestants. The show pitches four rivals in a battle of wits to answer general knowledge questions while being "distracted" by a series of challenges, aimed at throwing them off course.

"We're excited to bring 'Distraction' back for a second season of nudists, masochists and narcissists," said Corrao. "The focus of the contestants is truly amazing to watch and they'll need every ounce of it as they put themselves through the challenges the writers and producers have cooked up for the new season."

?We are very proud of the outstanding response to the first season of ?Distraction,?? said Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of FremantleMedia North America. ?We look forward to building on our success with COMEDY CENTRAL as we head into another season.?

New distractions for the second season include: Tattoo -- tattoo artists administer fresh tattoos while contestants try to concentrate on answering questions; Nudist on Turntables -- wearing nothing but index cards with answers written on them, nudists rotate on a turntable as contestants are asked questions that correlate to the answers on the cards and must take the cards/answers off the nudists with their teeth; Electrocution -- contestants receive an electric shock every time they blink as they attempt to answer questions; Geese Peck -- contestants must answer questions while lying down in a pen, covered with feed, as geese eat off their bodies; and Catapult -- a small catapult throws a bevy of items such as eggs, pies and flour into the contestants' faces each time they buzz in to answer a question.

First season "distractions" that will make an encore include: Clothes Pins, contestants must attach as many clothespins on their face as possible during a speed round of questions; Wrestlers, huge wrestlers body slam and throw contestants around while they are asked and answer a variety of questions; and Hot Shots, contestants down a shot of hot sauce before they can answer each question.

Carr, the current host of "Distraction" in the UK, is a frequent performer at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival and the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. He has also appeared on such shows as ?The Tonight Show with Jay Leno? and ?Late Night With Conan O'Brien.?

"Distraction" is executive produced by Michael Dugan, whose credits include COMEDY CENTRAL's ?Trigger Happy TV," the game show ?Smush? for USA Network and ?Apt. 2F? for MTV. Zoe Friedman and Scott Landsman serve as executives in charge of production for COMEDY CENTRAL.

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is on the leading edge of global broadcast production, developing some of television's most innovative and watched new programming. Based in Santa Monica and with offices in New York, FMNA has produced such genre-bending shows as the musical/reality phenomenon "American Idol" (Fox), which received five Emmy nominations in 2003, and the hotly debated reality series "The Swan" (Fox). The company recently completed a 12 episode series of the comedy game show ?Distraction?, for Comedy Central. Other credits include "The Price Is Right" (CBS), the longest-running game show in television history, the daily syndicated game show ?Family Feud? and the breakout hit lifestyle show "How Clean Is Your House?" (Lifetime).

COMEDY CENTRAL, the only all-comedy network, currently is seen in more than 87 million homes nationwide. COMEDY CENTRAL is owned by Comedy Partners, a wholly-owned division of MTV Networks. COMEDY CENTRAL is a registered trademark of Comedy Partners. COMEDY CENTRAL's Internet address is http://www.comedycentral.com.





  [august 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)
· DISTRACTION (COMEDY CENTRAL)
· FAMILY FEUD (SYNDICATION)
· HOW CLEAN IS YOUR HOUSE? (LIFETIME)
· SWAN, THE (FOX)
· TRIGGER HAPPY TV (COMEDY CENTRAL)





[10/24/25 - 07:14 AM]
FOX Sports Readies for Major League Baseball's 121st World Series Presented by Capital One
Action leads off Friday, October 24, between the National League and current reigning World champion Los Angeles Dodgers and American League champion Toronto Blue Jays from Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, on FOX, FOX Deportes, the FOX Sports App and FOX One.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Love Is Blind" Season 9: The Reunion - Official Trailer - Netflix
Denver singles shake up their search for "the one" and step into the pods, braving twists, turns and love triangles to find their soulmate sight unseen.

[10/24/25 - 07:01 AM]
Experience the Family, the Fun, and the Fantastic! Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" Lands Exclusively on Disney+ November 5
Continuing the celebration of Marvel's First Family, the announcement was made live from SpaceCon 2025 in San Antonio, where The Fantastic Four: First Steps Immersive Pop-Up Experience invites attendees to step inside the iconic Baxter Building.

[10/24/25 - 06:00 AM]
The CW Network and Xfinity Celebrate 11 Years of the NASCAR Xfinity Series by Presenting the Third Stage of the Championship Race Commercial-Free
Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, November 1, the commercial-free stage presented by Xfinity was created to thank the loyal race fans who have supported the NASCAR Xfinity Series for more than a decade - helping the series grow through their unwavering enthusiasm, increased viewership, and continued trackside attendance.

[10/23/25 - 05:01 PM]
Video: "As You Stood By" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When two women plot to end an abusive marriage through murder, an unexpected visitor arrives - threatening to shatter everything they've carefully planned.

[10/23/25 - 02:33 PM]
Largest Audience for "NBA Tip-Off" Doubleheader Since 2010 as NBA Returned to NBC and Debuted on Peacock
Tuesday night's audience across NBC and Peacock peaked at 7.1 million viewers from 10:45-11 p.m. ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to a one-point win over the Houston Rockets in double overtime.

[10/23/25 - 02:28 PM]
The 305 Just Got Hotter: "Love & Hip Hop: Miami" Moves to BET Season 7 Premieres Tuesday, November 4 at 8 PM ET/PT
The upcoming seventh season dives deeper than ever into Miami's thriving entertainment scene, following a cast of stars who are rebuilding, rebranding, and redefining success in real time.

[10/23/25 - 01:30 PM]
Critically Acclaimed Noir Thriller, "Dark Winds," to Return to AMC and AMC+ Sunday, February 15
The series' gripping fourth season focuses on the search for a missing Navajo girl, which takes Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito from the safety of Navajo Nation to the gritty terrain of 1970s Los Angeles in a race against the clock to save her from an obsessive killer with ties to organized crime.

[10/23/25 - 12:01 PM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror Film "A Demon's Revenge"
In the film, following the bloodshed in Belize, Peaches, played by Jhoné Lucas, delves deeper into Caribbean folklore and the terrifying truth that lurks beneath.

[10/23/25 - 12:00 PM]
FOX Entertainment Acquires Equity Stake in Chain, Forging Strategic Partnership with Experiential Food Phenomenon Co-Founded by B.J. Novak
Included in the investment is a first look development deal through Chain Media.

[10/23/25 - 11:28 AM]
"High Potential" Rises to Season High as Show Nears Fall Finale
ABC's popular drama rose to a multiplatform season high in Total Viewers (12.50 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.31 rating) after seven days of viewing on ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.

[10/23/25 - 11:13 AM]
USA Network Renews "The Rainmaker" for Second Season
Across the first nine premiere episodes of the season, "The Rainmaker" has averaged 1.3 million total viewers.

[10/23/25 - 11:06 AM]
Global Box Office Sensation "Wicked" Arrives Nov. 19 on NBC
The NBC telecast of "Wicked" leads up to the November 21 premiere of "Wicked: For Good," the epic finale to the global cultural phenomenon.

[10/23/25 - 11:01 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Releases Official Trailer for New Documentary "My Nightmare Stalker: The Eva LaRue Story"
The powerful two-part documentary premieres Thursday, November 13, exclusively on Paramount+.

[10/23/25 - 11:00 AM]
What's New on HBO Max This November
New original series include "I Love LA" and "The Seduction"; as well as documentaries "Alex vs ARod," "One to One: John & Yoko," and "Thoughts & Prayers."