Balls of Steel (TV series)

Format

There were a total of 12 acts. In each episode, six acts competed with one of them being the winner from the previous episode. At the end of each episode the studio audience had to decide which act had the biggest 'Balls of Steel' by voting on a keypad.

Transmissions

Main article: List of Balls of Steel episodes

''Balls of Steel'' internationally

UK version broadcasts

It aired on The Comedy Channel in Australia in 2011 and 2013 and in the past, has also been shown on the Nine Network. In Latin America, it is broadcast on Sony Entertainment Television, in New Zealand on C4, in Germany on RTL II, in Denmark on TV 2 Zulu, in Portugal on SIC Radical, Norway on TV2 Zebra, in Sweden on Kanal 5, in Poland on TVN, in the Netherlands on RTL 5, and in Russia on 2x2.

Local versions

An Australian version of the show, Balls of Steel Australia was put into production for Australian subscription television channel The Comedy Channel.

Controversy

Before its first broadcast, Balls of Steel received publicity during the London premiere of the film War of the Worlds when actor Tom Cruise was squirted with a water pistol disguised as a microphone as a part of Olivia Lee's Prank TV segment. Four people involved were arrested but were later released on bail. However, Cruise did not press charges, with his publicist saying, "These guys aren't worth the time or energy".

Others who were squirted with a water pistol included Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Sweden. Sveriges Television, where the Swedish version Ballar av stål was going to air, decided to cancel the show after massive criticism.

The show has also had its fair share of complaints from viewers. Some complaints were directed at the Annoying Devil for his roller coaster stunt where he threw buckets of "vomit" at the passengers. Balls of Steel responded to OFCOM saying that the vomit used by the Annoying Devil was fake and a disclaimer was added when the episode was repeated. A further complaint to OFCOM was not upheld when the show explained that the "victims" in Neg Dupree's Big Stranger Rodeo Urban Sports segment had been "set up". Barrie Hall, who played the Annoying Devil in series two and three, said in an interview that "just about everyone we 'get' has been set up by friends!"

References

References

1. "Balls of Steel Australia on THE COMEDY CHANNEL. Available on Foxtel". Thecomedychannel.com.au.
2. "Cruise will not report the water splash". NRK.
3. "Tom Cruise Won't Press Charges in Prank". People.
4. (23 May 2007). "Security Service reports TV crew for Reinfeldt attack – The Local". Thelocal.se.
5. "Nyheter - DN.SE". [[Dagens Nyheter]].
6. "Ofcom | Broadcast Bulletin Issue number 49 - 05|12|05". Stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk.
7. "Ofcom | Broadcast Bulletin Issue number 49 - 05|12|05". Stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk.
8. "Unbelievab-Al!". Chronicle Live.