A.I. du Pont grad tries to keep dry on reality show
June 26, 2008



Delawarean-turned-Californian Dana Jamison says she will be featured on the July 22 episode of "Wipeout" on ABC. The reality show, from the producers of "Fear Factor" and "Deal or No Deal," features what she called "24 contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes go[ing] head-to-head through grueling and physically demanding but wildly hilarious obstacles" to win $50,000. Jamison, a Hockessin resident and product of A.I. du Pont High School, has put college on hold to pursue her dream of becoming an actress.

"This is going to be challenging, but oh what fun [I'm a model by trade, but an athletic, outgoing tomboy in reality]," she wrote in an e-mail. Her stint on reality TV began with more than 14 hours of competing, watching and waiting on May 31.

The first obstacle required her to run down a steep slide, leap onto blown-up cushions on water and bounce atop balls. "The best way to describe it was like jumping on rocks across a stream, but instead, they are little bouncy balls that float on top of a 4-foot pool of thick mud."

Next, "I had to run on a narrow ledge with a wall alongside that had holes randomly placed where 80-pound boxing gloves came out and tried to punch me off the ledge into -- again -- thick mud."

She called this obstacle the toughest: Running up an inclined board, leaping onto a giant bouncy ball and navigating over two more balls. "If you bounced off, which happens to almost everyone, you get thrown into a huge pool of water, where you have to swim and climb up a ladder to the next obstacle." But there was more: climbing stairs up to a very high platform, leaping onto another ball and swinging over to the final platform.

In the last obstacle of the day, she was placed on a 20-foot-high wobbly pillar in the middle of a pool. A machine would spin around, and it had at the end of its arm a ring that was smaller than a hula hoop. She had to jump through the hoop and land safely back on her perch, which she said was only a little bigger than a steering wheel. "The longer I stayed on, the faster and higher the hoop got."

What happened after that will be revealed on the show.

Posted: Wed., Aug. 6, 2008, 11:45am PT

ABC renews 'Wipeout'
Hit gameshow gets second season

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDERMore Articles:

ABC's "Wipeout" has caught a second-season wave.
Pickup is no surprise: The bruising obstacle course competish reps one of the summer's few bright spots among new reality shows.

Alphabet web execs have been keen on setting up "Wipeout" as a summer franchise, much in the same vein as CBS' "Big Brother," Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" and NBC's "America's Got Talent."

"People have embraced it," ABC Entertainment prexy Steve McPherson said earlier this summer. "It's escapism. Certainly in a time with a lot of bad news out there, I think people are having fun with it. I've never had a show that more people in the business want to participate in, wanting to go out to the set and try to do it."

After its first six airings, "Wipeout" has averaged a 3.8 rating and 12 share among adults 18-49 and 10.2 million viewers overall.

Endemol USA is behind "Wipeout," which centers on 24 contestants as they make their way through four rounds of a grueling obstacle course. The eventual winner is crowned "Wipeout Champion" and awarded $50,000.

Matt Kunitz exec produces "Wipeout," which is hosted by John Henson and John Anderson. Jill Wagner serves as co-host.