CRASH

COURSE

By Mallory Brown

In July 2009, a new reality TV-show bumped, flipped, spun and crashed into Belle Isle, MI.  Literally!  The show, appropriately named Crash Course, is anticipated to be a new hit series this fall on ABC.  This action-filled, speed competition places every day drivers in the ultimate road challenge.  Dodging chaotic obstacles and battling outrageous tasks, contestants put their driving skills to the test

Crash Course was filmed as a six-episode series.  Each hour-long episode features five two-partner teams.  These relatives, friends, couples and co-workers compete against each other through a series of intense driving challenges to eliminate three of the original teams.  The final two partners battle through the “crash course,” described by ABC representatives as “the ultimate gravity and logic-defying driving test.”  What is the pay off for surviving the extreme event?  A grand prize of $50,000!

In order to create a dramatic setting, the show turned a 450,000 sq foot concrete paddock on Detroit’s Belle Isle into a giant maze of oversized props and obstacles.  Drivers maneuvered through giant bowling pins and weather related hazards.  They performed stunts ranging from backward drag racing while towing a boat to the extreme “roof slide” where contestants drive up a ramp, flip their car, and slide as far as possible on the car’s roof.

Sound dangerous?   Cameraman Wally Szczubialka reassures that safety was the number one priority.  Vehicles were customized to withstand all conditions, while contestants were strapped into five-point safety harnesses, and stunt coordinators and technicians were on set at all times.   So with safety concerns eased, the element of danger brought excitement to the set.  “Explosions and piro-techniques.  It was something different for Detroit.  Every day was a new stunt,” Szczubialka recalls.

In addition to the thrills provided by navigating the course, contestants must also survive each other.  For some, this may prove to be more difficult than flips and fire.  Teammates put their relationship to the test as they attempt to balance aggressive driving skills with patience and understanding.  When adrenaline, nerves, and determination combine, partners discover how they truly handle “driving under pressure.”  According to ABC, it becomes the ride of a lifetime!

Orlando Jones (from Mad TV) and Dan Cortese (from MTV Sports) host the show.  With a comedic twist, Jones and Cortese comment on the driving skills or obvious lack thereof but also focus heavily on the often dramatic contestant relationships.

The executive producers of Crash Course are Kent Weed and Arthur Smith of A. Smith & Co. Productions (Hell’s Kitchen and I Survived a Japanese Game Show) and Rick Hurvitz and Bruce Beresford-Redman of Mind Crime.  The production was drawn to Detroit by Michigan’s lucrative film incentives.  Plus, there seemed no where better to film the ultimate automobile competition than the automobile capital of the world.

Producers were delighted with their experience in Michigan.  They purchased the 30 automobiles used in Crash Course from Detroit dealers and customized them through Detroit companies.  Over half of their 150 person crew was hired from Michigan, making them one of the top employers for local crew.  To top it off, the show hopes to be back in Michigan for additional seasons!

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