Takeshi1
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
It's a shame you can really feel the budget decrease whilst watching. My main issue is actually the pacing - the show has always been fast-paced with a variety of people failing in a variety of places. This series there isn't enough content to fill the hour so the pacing is too slow. The head to head format leading to less fails makes the course seem less significant.
The runs themselves were pretty good for head to head races, the course was very similar to what we used to get in the solo series.
The pro ninja teams were a real mix - the female team is made up of some genuinely top-tier ninjas, whereas the male team has a couple of pros that feel like they could be regular contestants instead. Also the tops they have them wear look very pound shop!
Overall I thought it was fine but I preferred the old format. What I think will really make this drag is there are six heats but only two heats courses, meaning after two episodes we'll have seen all the obstacles until finals start - we all know that repetition is what kills these shows so I hope it's not as big a problem as it seems it may be.
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11/Sep/22, 12:07 pm
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Brekkie
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
With just 10 contestants you're getting just 5 runs per episode. With 50 contestants (reduced to 40 or even 30 in later seasons) it felt like you were getting 20-30 runs an episode plus montages. As we've seen with Wipeout vs Washout it is pace that makes the difference in these shows, and slowing the pace down and showing every run in full will only ever make for a worse show.
The Elite Ninja part felt so pointless. There is just nothing on the line for them - I'd actually prefer it to be noteable former contestants competing against newbies to progress themselves so at least there was a point to it.
I missed the very end as my recording cut off but was it just one man and one woman progressing to the finals?
---
"It's a bit like water boarding. It's got water in it... and I'm bored!"
Charlie Brooker on Total Wipeout
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11/Sep/22, 12:43 pm
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Takeshi1
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
Quote:
Brekkie wrote:
I missed the very end as my recording cut off but was it just one man and one woman progressing to the finals?
Yep, the other three could still advance by furthest fastest though.
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16/Sep/22, 12:12 pm
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Brekkie
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
This format really is tiresome now. Ditching the "no touching the water" rule is stupid - one went in nearly knee deep and got to continue, only for their opponent to then fall in on the next obstacle so someone who'd previously have been disqualified now advances.
The Elite Ninja races are such an anti-climax too - means the show more often than not ends with 5 people failing. Nobody really has a chance against the shows only Champion. Would actually be better for the second round to just be the winners versus the course. With "furthest fastest" in play the Elites actually serve little purpose.
Finally though like so many versions what was once it's asset has become a big problem, especially with so few contestants. It no longer feels like an open competition for people with a decent level of fitness to test themselves against the course but it is stacked full of former contestants, Ninja gym owners and others who dedicate their lives to training. Somewhat feels like a closed professional competition now.
Only slight posititive is I think the separate womens comp does work. I don't like the Elite stage being shorter than the mens and I think come the finals it should be one combined comp, but the head to head races showcase the female contestants much better and the standard seems higher than previously.
---
"It's a bit like water boarding. It's got water in it... and I'm bored!"
Charlie Brooker on Total Wipeout
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25/Sep/22, 1:35 pm
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Brekkie
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
This is getting annoying now. Dropping the no feet in the water rule is as frustrating as the skipping forward in the Wipeout Zone, whilst half the contestants have far more credentials than the "elite" ninjas.
---
"It's a bit like water boarding. It's got water in it... and I'm bored!"
Charlie Brooker on Total Wipeout
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2/Oct/22, 2:50 pm
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Brekkie
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
7 out of the 8 episodes will be heats this series, with just 8 men and 8 women in the one episode grand final.
---
"It's a bit like water boarding. It's got water in it... and I'm bored!"
Charlie Brooker on Total Wipeout
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19/Oct/22, 3:48 pm
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Brekkie
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
No surprise the final was a joke too. The 8 competitors did a 9 obstacle course (6 for the women, because it's still 1950) in pairs with no time limit. Weren't head to head but an even bigger farce. The fastest 2 times across the 4 heats just went straight on to face Mount Midoriyama.
I thought the final at least would follow a three round structure with them having to complete each stage to get to Mount Midoriyama. This structure though means you can get through the entire series without completing a round and still face the final round.
No time limit on the rope climb either - just head to head races. Also cut from 22m to 13m for the women and 15m for the men.
Edited by Brekkie, 30/Oct/22, 2:44 pm
---
"It's a bit like water boarding. It's got water in it... and I'm bored!"
Charlie Brooker on Total Wipeout
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30/Oct/22, 2:11 pm
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Takeshi1
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
Yeah definitely an underwhelming end to the season - and that's coming from someone who knew the format beforehand! Overall it wasn't awful but it wasn't good either. Genuinely the best round was the first one in the heats (specifically the course with flying squirrel & ring chaser), and it's not like that was a fair game either. That's the issue with these ninja Vs ninja shows, you just don't get a fair format.
The final episode being worse than the heats though is quite something. The only time that's happened before on NWUK was season 2, where 9/15 got taken out by obstacle 3. The format wasn't really broken before so changing it up like this was never going to go well. Can't help but think half the reason for this was cost savings - they filmed in 5 days as opposed to the usual 2 weeks! Would have definitely preferred the solo format but I guess having some ninja action is better than none at all.
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31/Oct/22, 7:16 pm
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Brekkie
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
I wonder how much they paid the "Elite Ninjas" - the were a complete waste of time.
I'm not completely against changes - I think the heats could have worked well with head to head races as they did (but retaining the no touching the water rule) and then for the second run just have it be each person against the course, scrapping the Elite Ninja. If they remain head to head just have the contestants.
Then use the final format of the early series of a three part course, with it all being about Ninja vs Course, not each other - although head to head for the first round is passable.
One thing I didn't like this series was how despite there being fewer women competing (4 per episode compared to 6 men) that in both cases only 8 qualified for the final, which seemed particularly harsh on the men - especially as some who got through by beating their Elite Ninja may not have completed the course, unlike some of the "Fastest Furthest".
---
"It's a bit like water boarding. It's got water in it... and I'm bored!"
Charlie Brooker on Total Wipeout
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4/Nov/22, 9:17 pm
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Takeshi1
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Re: Ninja Warrior UK
You see for me this comes down to getting the format wrong. Ultimately they should have continued with a round 1-style contestant vs contestant race for all the rounds in a knockout bracket format, or not done head to head racing at all! I think it works best as a spin-off show, like they did in Germany with All Stars - and that works really well because it separates out the two formats and keeps things simple.
Making one round racing and the rest normal format wouldn't work - it backfired awfully for Australia and is an unpopular part of the format in France. The only time you can get away with one singular round being head-to-head in an otherwise solo format is if it's some kind of bonus round with no eliminations (eg. for cash or a place in the final).
Edited by Takeshi1, 7/Nov/22, 4:25 pm
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7/Nov/22, 4:20 pm
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