Full Metal Challenge was a television series made by RDF Media for Channel 4 in the UK and the Learning Channel in the USA. Hosted by series creator Cathy Rogers and Henry Rollins, the show was very similar to Rogers' last show, Scrapheap Challenge. It was filmed in the United Kingdom with a budget of approx £6.5 million on location at the disused Richborough Power Station just outside Sandwich in Kent.
Premise
Twenty-seven teams from around the world compete in the challenge. Each team consists of 3 people. The teams were all given 1 month and $3000 USD (exchanged to their country's respective currency) to build a vehicle that "could withstand anything." Teams did not know ahead of time exactly what the events would be and how they would work. Periodically during the build, a technical advisor would visit the teams to make sure the vehicles would pass safety regulations and to make sure they stayed legal for the tournament. They were also required to be no heavier than 3 tons and/or wider than 8 feet (for the hall of mirrors). Cars ended up being loud, noisy, big, and destructive (qualities relished by the show's co-host, Henry Rollins).
In each show, 3 machines competed. In the first round, there were 9 heats, each of which involved one machine from the United Kingdom, one from North America, and one from another country (Chile, India, Australia, China, Iceland, Germany, Russia, South Africa and New Zealand). The team that won a challenge got 3 points, placed 2nd got 2, and 3rd placed got 1, with a failure to finish worth 0 points and a tie worth half a point. After the 3rd challenge, the machine with the lowest score was "incinerated" and the top 2 progressed to the Sumo round.
The sole winners were The Aquaholics from the United Kingdom, runners up The Snowdiggers from Canada (the only Canadian team in North America section) with Chile's Desert Pumas in 3rd place.
Tournament Play
The vehicles competed in a series of events, with each episode showing the competition between 3 vehicles. After the events, the teams each received points based on their performance, usually 3 for 1st place, 2 for 2nd place, 1 for 3rd place, though contestants could score 0 points for not completing a course, or share points if they got the same score). After all the events were complete, the team with the lowest score had to watch their car blow up, though it was feigned for effect. The two winning teams faced off in a sumo wrestling match. The winner of Sumo advanced to the next round of the tournament.
Events
Preliminary
Each episode featured three of the following events. Teams were awarded 3 points for first place, 2 for second, 1 for third and none for failing to finish an event. In the event of a tie, the points for the two places are averaged and divided equally (i.e. a tie for second results in 1.5 points per team).
10 Pin
Cars start at the end of a soap slicked path with 10 pins at the other end, each weighing 150 lbs. Each team is given 2 trials to knock down as many pins as possible. Pins knocked over in the first trial are removed from play for the second trial. Each match of the first round features this game first.
Pitball
In this game, all three teams start in the center of a crater-like dirt pit. Positioned facing away from the center, a giant wireframe soccer ball with flaming core is rolled into the center of the pit and before coming to rest, a signal sounding the beginning of the game sounds. The first team to push the ball out of the pit wins the game. Afterwards, the game is reset for the remaining two teams to settle second and third. If a car goes over the lip of the pit in the process of scoring a goal, a foul is called and the cars are put back into starting position. For the final, posts were added marking a goal and in order for the goal to count, teams had to push the ball in any one of the 3 goals.
Hall of Mirrors
Teams begin on the outside of a giant hexagon maze with reflective walls and attempt to drive to the center marked by the FMC logo. Once green flagged, they must find the quickest route out of the maze entirely. First team to clear the maze wins. Finding a clear path can prove difficult as some walls are allowed to rotate, changing the layout of the maze. Teams are allowed to watch a monitor with an overhead look at the maze and can communicate directions to the driving teammate.