NBC’s expensive new game show, Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide, will no longer debut following the 2021 Summer Olympics, as had previously been planned.The series has been delayed while the network figures out how to retool it after an outbreak of explosive diarrhea brought production of the series to a halt. NBC ordered a 10-episode debut season for Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide, with high hopes for the potential of programming a competition show after the Olympics. Featuring two people per team, contestants compete in multiple games throughout each episode include Cornhole, Body Bowling, Bocce Fall, Human Pong, and more. The last two teams will compete in the titular “Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide” to see which duo will come out victorious.
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Production on Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide paused in early June, after a crew member tested positive for giardia, a parasitical intestinal infection, and dozens of others reported intestinal issues. In total about 40 members of the crew developed symptoms, and the show had to cease production when there were reportedly people passing out on set and sprinting to port-a-potties.
“The health and safety of everyone on our set is our number one priority, so out of an abundance of caution we have made the decision to stop production of Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide at the current location,” NBC said in a statement at the time. “We are in the process of determining next steps in order to complete production.”
Per TheWrap, 65% of the show’s crew was ultimately impacted, and the dirt around the giant, titular Slip ‘N Slide tested positive for giardia, meaning that it would be impossible to complete the season without almost certainly creating another outbreak. The trade indicates that there will be two potential models for finishing the season presented to NBC brass next week. NBCUniversal has apparently already dismissed the idea of rebuilding or relocating the massive, $6 million set to another location for the end of season one, but potential future seasons will be shot elsewhere.
Of course, the title of the series conjures some disturbing mental imagery when you combine “explosive diarrhea” with “Slip ‘N Slide,” which has not helped the show’s image any with fans who had not yet seen a frame of footage. Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide is to be hosted by Bobby Moynihan and Ron Funches, the latter of whom had some comments on the situation.
“I feel like no one in my family even knew I was in comedy until someone got diarrhea at my water park,” Funches tweeted, later joking, “Did I have owner of ‘explosive diarrhea’ water park on my vision board? No. I never dreamed that big.”
