'Fear Factor' will return to NBC lineup five years after it was canceled, could air as soon as fall
NBC is rebooting one of its classic reality shows.
"Fear Factor" -- the show which had contestants doing crazy stunts, like bobbing for objects in a vat of cow blood and ingesting super-hot habanero peppers -- will return to the network's lineup, possibly as soon as this fall.
The idea to bring the competition show back came about after NBC saw its repeats pull in major ratings for the Chiller channel, says head of alternative programming Paul Telgdy.
"No one has come close to doing what they've done on that show," Telegdy tells Entertainment Weekly. "You go back and they've stood the test of time. It always had this incredible spectacle to it. The stunt and camera technologies have evolved since then, we're going to be able to make it even bigger. We're going to make it more visually arresting."
"Fear Factor" was one of the first shows of its kind when it premiered in 2001. Its gross-out schtick clearly stuck out on the network's lineup, which at the time included award-winning shows like "The West Wing" and "Friends."
Now, adds Telegdy, "the ecology has changed, the top shows are reality TV. For consumers, it will be a fond reunion."
No host has been named yet. Former "NewsRadio" comedian Joe Rogan helmed "Fear Factor" for the entire six season it was on the air.
