Game Show '17 Meters' Taped at MMC Studio 36

This current season of the prime-time show was recorded at MMC Studio 36, on behalf of Endemol Germany.

17 Meters is a thrilling game show with a hilarious twist. Players compete to win a big cash prize by answering general knowledge questions after pushing the buzzer. But knowing the answer and getting to the buzzer are two different issues, because player and buzzer are separated by 17 meters of uniquely entertaining physical obstacles.

In this second season of 17 Meters, the presenters, Joko Winterscheidt and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, participate in the competition as team leaders. Each competes alongside his team of four. The unusual studio games require not only cleverness, but also fitness, skillfulness, and particularly strong nerves.

The players are given hints to help them answer a quiz question. As soon as one player believes that he (or she) knows the answer, he runs the 17-meter long obstacle course. The player presses the buzzer at the end of the obstacle course, and scores, if the answer he gives is correct. In the finale, the leading team competes for a jackpot of 100,000 Euros.

At the end of the first episode of the 17 Meters new season, team Klaas (the "American Gladiators") won. The team of four students: Jens (age 27), Heidi (21), Markus (29), and Josef (31), all from Mainz, took first place in the final challenge and won 20,000 Euros.

The Production
Mark Achterberg directed the HD-production, for which a total of 12 cameras were used.

These cameras included four Grass Valley (GVG) LDK 8000 cameras and a GVG LDK 8300 Super SloMo camera (equipped with Canon EFP 60x to 72x lenses) on Vinten Quattro pedestals, two GVG LDK 8000s on a crane and a Hot Head camera mount (each with a Canon 11x lens), a GVG LDK 8000 elite wireless handheld camera with a Canon 11x lens, and one LDK 8000 elite wireless Steadicam with a Canon ENG 14x lens.

For special camera settings, a Toshiba IK-HD1 "lipstick" camera and two of GoPro’s HD Hero cameras were used.

The playbacks were carried out via four channels on a GVG Summit Server. For the highlight editing and the super slo-mo playbacks, an EVS XT2 was used. For the recording, seven Sony XDCam VTRs were available.

On behalf of MMC, project manager Susanne Knapp supervised the production. MMC’s production engineer, Herbert Fittinghoff, handled the technical management.

For the second season of 17 Meters, the game show was not only changed in the way that Joko Winterscheidt and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf must now hustle and support their teams. The show has also been redesigned. Compared to the first season, the set has been expanded and a public audience grandstand now encircles the playing area, in order to foster even more drama and realism.