NBC’s reality television show “Fear Factor” is being turned into a “Fear Factor Live” attraction, slated to open at Universal Studios Hollywood in early June, marking the first time a reality show has been turned into a theme park attraction.
The attraction is also one of the first synergies from a deal completed last May that formed NBC Universal by combining the assets of NBC, part of General Electric Co., with those of Vivendi Universal. NBC Universal is 80 percent owned by General Electric and 20 percent owned by Vivendi.
Much like in the reality show, the willing participants, who have to audition for a spot, will compete against each other in a series of contests designed to see who has the least amount of fear. The attraction bills itself as “taking guests out of their comfort zones and placing them in unfamiliar territory as it preys on basic human fears.”
Accordingly, it will feature contestants withstanding electric shocks, swimming past slithering eels in a giant water tank, consuming chocolate-covered insects and being swarmed by emperor scorpions. Each “Fear Factor Live” performance will involve the participation of up to 18 guests with as many as 144 guests participating on a daily basis.
John Murdy, creative director for Universal Studios Hollywood, maintains that the attraction is one more in a long line of Universal Studios attractions being created out of television shows and films.
“Universal Studios regularly introduces new attractions based on popular movie and television productions. As a theme park designed to offer our guests a behind-the-scenes look at the many aspects of the Hollywood entertainment industry, ‘Fear Factor Live’ is a natural fit,” Murdy said. “It will showcase the complexities of the reality television show on which it is based and immerse our guests in the process, from audition to participation.”
John Robinett, senior vice-president of Los Angeles-based Economics Research Associates, an entertainment leisure and consulting firm, believes that the potential for converting reality shows into theme park attractions is relatively limited.
“Quite a few of the reality shows will be tough to turn into an attraction. Fear Factor is one that you can. It will depend on the nature of forthcoming reality shows and how convertible they are,” Robinett said.
While a “Bachelor” reality theme show attraction is unlikely anytime soon, Murdy hints that the company is considering other reality options.
“We are continually exploring ways in which to integrate various movie and television productions into the theme park,” Murdy said.
Robinett gives credit to NBC Universal for rapidly capitalizing on natural synergies between the two companies.
“There’s always this hope that when you combine a media company with a theme park, there will be some synergies. This is an early example of the deal between NBC and Universal,” Robinett said. “Sometimes the expectation for the synergies is higher than the synergy themselves. It’s a good sign that they have turned it around so quickly.”
