Turn on the television in America and you’ll likely see some of the stupidest shows ever concocted. It seems that reality-themed shows are extremely popular at the moment — unfortunately — but we are not the only country in the world that watches terrible, or just downright strange game shows. Here are 15 examples of the weirdest foreign game shows we could find; some of them are so awful that they’re fantastic.
Takeshi’s Castle (Japan)
This classic Japanese game show aired from 1986 to 1989 and featured not only Beat Takeshi himself, but hordes of talentless contestants faced with hilarious obstacles. Although Takeshi’s Castle only aired for a couple years, it became a cult hit and many countries created their own spin-offs. The American spin-off, Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (MXC) became wildly popular, adding hilarious dubbing of the original footage.
Distraction (England)
Distraction was a show that aired originally in the United Kingdom. The gameplay involved contestants answering questions while being distracted in various painful — or even humiliating — ways. We couldn’t stop laughing at this episode in which the buzzers were placed in the middle of cacti.
El Gran Juego de la Oca (Spain)
Translated to The Great Game of the Goose, this crazy game show was basically a giant game board with 63 pieces. The contestant rolls a number and goes to a space on the board, each with some random stunt that must be completed. Our favorite: Space 57 required the contestant to keep his heart rate down while watching a stripper. That video was unavailable, so you get to watch some lady get her feet licked by a goat instead. Just as good, right?
The Intercept (Russia)
The Intercept was like a real life version of the video game — namely Grand Theft Auto — except a bit too real. The contestant has 35 minutes to steal a car and escape from the police. If successful, the car is his prize, but there was a twist. It wasn’t just fun and games, as contestants really did get arrested if caught, and the majority lost the game.
Gaki no Tsukai (Japan)
Gaki no Tsukai has a regular cast of hilarious comedians, and they’re quite fond of torture. In the video above, the challenge was to say a tongue twister without mistake, or suffer the consequence — a hit to the groin. What strikes (and impresses) us most is that they actually have a device that they made to perform this singular task.
Brain Wall (Japan)
Originally part of a bigger show that included all kinds of activities — making humans into bowling balls and whatever else the show’s producers could imagine — Brain Wall has to be one of the best. Also known as Human Tetris, the segment is pretty straightforward — the contestants have to figure out a way to fit through the oddly cut shapes in moving foam walls. The outcome is hilarious if they don’t make it, often breaking the walls in half.
Non Dimenticate Lo Spazzolino da Denti (Italy)
Originally aired in Britain as Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush, this Italian spin-off is quite interesting. Contestants were chosen from the audience, and all had to be prepared for a possible vacation, immediately after the program if they won. Part of the show included a strip quiz segment, in which contestants had to strip with each incorrect answer.
Dadagiri (India)
Dadagiri was marketed in India as “TV’s meanest game show,” and definitely lived up to its name. Contestants competed for a large cash prize, but in order to win they had to survive three bullies. The bullies forced them to eat nasty things, or otherwise humiliate or hurt themselves, amongst other things. The game show is also part of a pretty awesome meme, in which one of the bullies slapped a contestant across the face as part of the act. He didn’t respond so well — and neither did the host and crew.
Bol Baby Bol (India)
Bol Baby Bol is similar to the American game show Don’t Forget the Lyrics! but ups the cheese factor by at least tenfold. It features contestants that are quizzed on the lyrics of popular Bollywood songs, who are awarded cash prizes for succeeding.
Gordo Freak Show (Brazil)
At first we thought we’d found some kind of fetish video on YouTube, but it turns out that this was actually a game show in Brazil called the Gordo Freak Show. The host would torture contestants in various ways, and these two girls got the tickly end of the stick. The winning girl stayed inside of her circle area.
Bitoy’s SHOwwwTIME (Philippines)
Bitoy’s SHOwwwTIME is a relatively new talent game show airing in the Philippines. Talent game show, huh? Can’t be too weird, right? Well, this guy managed to make it really weird. All the contestants are dressed in strange costumes and have silly nicknames — and yes, the host is dressed as a character from Avatar.
Tutti Frutti (Germany)
Based on the Italian game show Colpo Grosso, Tutti Frutti was quite the popular game show in its day. It was the first erotic game show in German television, in which contestants earned points to invest into removing clothing from a stripper.
Fort Boyard (France)
French game show Fort Boyard has definitely inspired some of today’s game shows, like Fear Factor. The show features physical and endurance tasks mostly, but it varied per country spin-off. It might not seem that strange to those who are used to Survivor and the sort, but a game show on a floating fortress? That’s cool, even if a bit overdone. The little people that act as assistants throughout the show are a big plus, too.
You Bet Your Ass (Canada)
Canadian game show You Bet Your Ass ran on their Comedy Network for a couple years. The show sported a casino motif, and contestants were required to answer questions relating to pop-culture to earn points. Sound pretty normal, right? Not when you find out that the rounds are named things like “Piece of Ass,” “Ass On the Line,” and “Up Your Ass.” It all sounds a bit …obsessive.
Fart Powder (Japan)
Alright, so we really couldn’t find the name of the Japanese game show this segment belongs to, so we simply nicknamed it Fart Powder. It’s awesome. Basically, contestants receive a baby powder enema — yes, really — and compete against each other to see who can blow the powder the farthest. Now that’s entertainment.