''Hole in the Wall'' was an Australian television
game show
A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or Let's Play, demonstrative and are typically directed b ...
hosted by
Jules Lund
Jules Lund (born 24 April 1979) is an Australian television presenter from Melbourne and founder of TR, BE.
Early life
Lund was born in Melbourne in 1979, where he attended De La Salle College, Malvern. Lund studied Graphic Design, Photography ...
, based on the Japanese game show ''
Brain Wall is a component of the Japanese game show '' The Tunnels' Thanks to Everyone''. Video clips from the show proliferated on video-sharing websites and the concept was eventually adopted by several other countries. It became popularly known to non-Japa ...
''. In the show, contestants are required to fit though holes in a
polystyrene
Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from monomers of the aromatic hydrocarbon styrene. Polystyrene can be solid or foamed. General-purpose polystyrene is clear, hard, and brittle. It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight. It is a ...
wall that moves towards them.
Produced by
FremantleMedia
Fremantle (; formerly FremantleMedia) is a British multinational television production and distribution company based in London. Fremantle takes its name from Fremantle International, acquired by predecessor company All American Television in ...
, the show began airing on the
Nine Network
The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...
from 6 August 2008.
Format
The show follows a similar format as the
British version, and uses the same music package.
Each episode features two teams consisting of three celebrity contestants, with each team competing for a charity. The contestants, fitted with hard hats and spandex, stand on a rectangular strip called the "Play Area" as a polystyrene wall moves towards them. The aim is to assume a position that will best allow their bodies to fit through a shape or a number of shapes cut into the wall. The wall measures by and travels along a straight path that approaches at varying speeds. If contestants fail to fit through the hole, they are pushed back into a deep pool of water behind them.
The game consists of four rounds plus a final round that decides the winner. The first round has three contestants on the strip. A point is awarded to each contestant who fits through the hole. The second round has two contestants. For two points to be awarded, both contestants must fit through the hole.
The third round is variable in the number of players and the scenario played, differing in each episode. For example, scenarios have included facing the wall blindfolded, being forced to rely on the studio audience to guide a contestant, and facing the wall with either a prop or a guest contestant. These guests have included members of the audience and Jules Lund himself. The fourth round sees all three contestants having to face a wall traveling at double speed. Five points are awarded if all contestants fit through the hole, but otherwise no points are scored.
The last round has the team with the most points being given the choice of either facing the wall or forcing the other team to do so. In the event of a tie, a coin toss determines which team has control. The winner is based on the success of the team that is chosen to face the wall. This brings up controversy since all the points accumulated are worth nothing and the winner of the last round wins the whole show.
The winning team at end of the show wins a trophy and
AU$
The Australian dollar ( sign: $; code: AUD) is the currency of Australia, including its external territories: Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island. It is officially used as currency by three independent Pacific Isla ...
10,000 for their chosen charity.
Catchphrase
*"It's time to face the wall!"
Episodes
Production
Casting
The search for a host for ''Hole in the Wall'' was tough for producers, with a late withdrawal of the hosting job meaning another search had to be made in the last weeks before recordings began.
Quite a number of personalities had auditioned for the hosting role, including
Colin Lane,
Jason Dundas
Jason Dundas (born 25 July 1982) is an Australian-born television presenter, actor, producer and director, known for his roles as special correspondent for CBS's '' Entertainment Tonight'', the host of ''The X Factor Australia'' in 2016, host ...
,
Jules Lund
Jules Lund (born 24 April 1979) is an Australian television presenter from Melbourne and founder of TR, BE.
Early life
Lund was born in Melbourne in 1979, where he attended De La Salle College, Malvern. Lund studied Graphic Design, Photography ...
, Shura Taft and
Dan O'Connor.
It was believed that Shura Taft had landed the job when he was in the hosting role for early recordings of the show.
Taft was in fact a stand-in host for early production shoots to trial the shows' format while producers were still finding a suitable host. Lund was eventually named as the host,
several weeks after actual recordings were scheduled to start.
Filming
''Hole in the Wall'' began recording episodes in mid-May 2008, after being delayed from late April 2008 at Melbourne Central City Studios at the
Docklands. The pre-show buzz was highlighted when bigger studio audiences than anticipated turned up at the first shoots and some had to be turned away.
The later episodes' audience numbers were adjusted to cater for the overwhelming demand.
References
External links
Hole in the Wall official websiteHole in the Wall official YouTube site* {{IMDb title, 1288431, Hole in the Wall
Nine Network original programming
2008 Australian television series debuts
2008 Australian television series endings
2000s Australian game shows
English-language television shows
Television series by Fremantle (company)
Television shows set in Melbourne
Australian television series based on Japanese television series