G4 has ordered a spinoff
of its cult favorite Japanese import Ninja Warrior. The series, American
Ninja Warrior, will chronicle the search to find10 American competitors to
send to Japan
and tackle the original series' obstacle course. The challenger who completes
all four stages the fastest will be crowned the American Ninja Warrior.
G4 has tapped veteran reality producer Craig Piligian (American Chopper,
Dirty Jobs, The Ultimate Fighter) to helm the series, which will premiere
in fall 2009.
Ninja Warrior, with its over the top obstacles and English subtitles,
became the cornerstone of the network's "Duty Free TV" global
programming block, which features series that appeal to young guys from all
over the world. Since 2007 it has also held tryouts in the form of the
"American Ninja Challenge" to send the best American athletes to Japan to
compete in the competition. The new series effectively expands on that concept.
The show has been on the air in Japan
since 1997, which gave G4 a large library to work with right from the start.
Ninja Warrior's popularity has directly led to shows such as ABC's Wipeout,
which feature a similar concept of contestants running through an over the top
obstacle course.
