Total Wipeout has a prime slot in the BBC's Saturday evening viewing. Watching it on Saturday 15th August I was reminded of old game shows from the past. Not game shows such as Celebrity Squares which were basically quiz shows. No Total Wipeout is a good old fashioned game show which involves contestants getting dirty, looking foolish and generally providing the audience with a good laugh at their expense.

The show is hosted by Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame. His dry sarcastic comments accompany the contestants attempts to complete the various obstacle courses on offer. With a regulation glamour girl as co-host the scene is set.

Each episode is usually filmed in somewhere like Argentina. The course is set in and over large swimming pools and at times looks terrifying. Yes, this show is occasionally boring as it has pretty much the same format each week, but the individuals make this show.

The course varies a little each week but basically involves the contestants being punched into muddy water, leaping onto huge rubber balls suspended high above the pools and more.

There are three rounds each week. The fastest contestants from the first round go through. Speed is essential in each round. Gradually contestants are eliminated until we are left with three finalists. The final is gruelling but I prefer to watch the first round. This is what separates the men from the boys and the girls from the women. At the end of this round there will be twelve contestants left.

What tends to happen is the more confident or cocky a contestant is the sooner they fall flat on their face. Now I am not usually one of those people who will laugh till they drop if someone hurts themselves. My Hubby is though. However, I find with Total Wipeout that I simply howl with laughter. How cruel is that, eh?

The contestants slip, slide, fall, stumble and I roar with laughter. In this way this show reminds me of Its A Knockout from the past. That show often saw contestants having falls and tumbles all in the name of entertainment.

The winner receives £10,000 but I would not participate for Ten Million. The heights these people fall at times and the risks they run are ridiculous. I guess some of it may be fun but to me it just looks scary.

So if you fancy some good old fashioned sort of fun, laughing at other peoples misfortunes and injuries, tune into Total Wipeout on BBC1 Saturday nights at around 6 or 7 O'clock. You are guaranteed good old fashioned slapstick and plenty of laughs.