Extra Challenge
Encyclopedia
Extra Challenge was a one-of-a-kind Filipino reality show that has blazed a trail in Philippine television. The show has attracted a wide following after it presented episodes where strange yet amusing predicaments befall on participants. It is shown in the Philippines
by GMA Network
every weekday
evenings. The show is a top-rater in its time slot and it started the era of reality-television in the Philippines.
The show was patterned after American
reality-based series, such as Survivor
, Amazing Race, and Fear Factor
. Extra Challenge, however, offers a distinctly Filipino
style to entice and entertain local viewers. Also, majority of the contestants featured in the show are celebrities
. It rarely casts unknown individuals, contrasting the standard of their American counterpart. Another difference is that sometimes the hosts themselves initiate or participate on the challenges.
Extra Challenge aired its last episode on May 26, 2006.
Extra Challenge was re-aired on QTV 11 (later Q-11, Q, and now, GMA News TV
) as "Extra Challenge Reloaded" last August 2006.
, but its ratings suffered during the rise of the television series Meteor Garden
. It was refurbished as a reality show, and has made remarkable progress in the ratings.
The revamped show was aptly called Extra Challenge, offering reality television
in a "Pinoy Reality TV" format, which took participants to the edge of personal endurance amid never-before-experienced challenges and presented spur-of-the-moment and spontaneous scenes.
in the lifestyle tele-magazine show Extra Extra. Karen Davila, after she transferred to ABS-CBN
, was replaced by beauty queen (1st runner-up, Miss Universe
1999) turned TV host Miriam Quiambao
in 2000. Extra Extra still continued its tele-magazine format but when the "chinovelas" (Chinese TV series) topped TV ratings in the Philippines, the format became reality-based. The name was then changed to Extra Challenge.
In 2004, when Quiambao decided to marry her Italian
fiance and give up hosting, Extra Challenge came up with an episode to search for her replacement. The episode Ang Kapalit (The Replacement) featured five contestants — model Phoemela Barranda, TV host Reema Chanco, comedian Ethel Booba
, and beauty queens Joanna Penalosa and Josephine Canonizado — that competed among themselves in a series of challenges to be the new host. Phoemela Barranda won the contest but Ethel Booba was picked by millions of texters and won the "Viewer's Choice" award. After the episode, both Barranda and Booba hosted the show as the replacements of Quiambao. Booba is known for being a comic relief
in the show during serious challenges. In 2006, Quiambao returned to Extra Challenge during the few last episodes of the show.
Later that year, MTV Philippines VJ Mariel Rodriguez
replaced Barranda, co-hosting for one season. After Rodriguez left the show, Paolo Bediones
and Ethel Booba
continue to host Extra Challenge up to its last episode.
Several guest hosts appeared in the show when the main hosts were unavailable. Among them are the following: Pops Fernandez
, Jolina Magdangal
, BJ "Tolits" Forbes
, Nikki Gil
, K Brosas
, Ate Gay, Teri Onor and Angel Locsin
challenge of Ethel Booba, Willie Revillame
, Andrew E.
, Francine Prieto
and Michelle Bayle in Bali
, Indonesia
, Extra Challenge garnered 47.1% rating according to AGB - the highest rating yet for the show.
The second highest rating for the show was the "Road Trip to Sagada episode" in August 2004, garnering 43% rating according to AGB. In this episode, the show challenged the contestants to travel from Manila
to Sagada using a 1973 Volkswagen
combi van. This particular episode of Extra Challenge won 3rd place in the 38th US International Film and Video Festival Entertainment Category.
The P2M challenge, the celebration of Extra Challenge’s second anniversary, was aired on September 2005. Paolo and Ethel took the celebrity challengers to race from Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao on an adventure similar to the Amazing Race. The celebrities faced challenges along the way and compete for the 2,000,000 million peso
s jackpot prize.
In November 2005, American Idol's
Jasmine Trias
participated in the Promdi episode of Extra Challenge, which she competed against MTV
Asia VJ Donita Rose
and former Miss World
2nd Princess Ruffa Gutierrez
.
community following their "Mga Pasaway sa Dubai" episode, wherein they allegedly disgraced the virtues of Islam
. According to the Islamic organization, Billah Islah, the show offended Muslims because the challengers, Ara Mina
, Aubrey Miles
, and Rufa Mae Quinto
, who are non-Muslims recited the Al-Fatiha
, the first chapter in the Qur'an
, while being in a Land Cruiser
and not wearing proper Muslim attire.
For this instance, Philippines' MTRCB (Movie and Television Classification Board) has issued the program a stern warning to screen its episodes very carefully before airing it. The incident also caused some of them who rallied to burn the names of the women contestants involved in that certain challenge done at Dubai
.
After hearing the complaint, Extra Challenge wrote an apology to the Office on Muslim Affairs Undersecretary Datu
Zamzamin Ampatuan
. They also clarified that their tour operator requested permission to the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing for using the Qu'ran verse in the challenge.
Extra Challenge also issued a public apology, which read:
Despite the apology, MTRCB issued a one-day suspension for the show and it is unclear whether the Muslim organization had accepted the apology.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
by GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
every weekday
Weekday
Weekday may either refer to only a day of the week which is part of the workweek thus not part of the weekend or to any of the days of the week.-Weekday as a day of the workweek:In most countries the days of the workweek are:# Monday# Tuesday# Wednesday...
evenings. The show is a top-rater in its time slot and it started the era of reality-television in the Philippines.
The show was patterned after American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reality-based series, such as Survivor
Survivor (TV series)
Survivor is a reality television game show format produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a system of progressive elimination, allowing the contestants to vote off other tribe...
, Amazing Race, and Fear Factor
Fear Factor
Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a...
. Extra Challenge, however, offers a distinctly Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
style to entice and entertain local viewers. Also, majority of the contestants featured in the show are celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
. It rarely casts unknown individuals, contrasting the standard of their American counterpart. Another difference is that sometimes the hosts themselves initiate or participate on the challenges.
Extra Challenge aired its last episode on May 26, 2006.
Extra Challenge was re-aired on QTV 11 (later Q-11, Q, and now, GMA News TV
GMA News TV
GMA News TV is a news and lifestyle-oriented channel in the Philippines. It is owned and operated by GMA Network Inc. through the supervision GMA News and Public Affairs...
) as "Extra Challenge Reloaded" last August 2006.
History
Extra Challenge began as the lifestyle show Extra Extra to compete the ABS-CBN's Balitang KBalitang K
Balitang K is a defunct news and current affairs magazine show in the Philippines, hosted by Korina Sanchez. It aired weekdays on ABS-CBN from 1996 to 2001. This was her show after Magandang Umaga Po ended....
, but its ratings suffered during the rise of the television series Meteor Garden
Meteor Garden
Meteor Garden is a 2001 Taiwanese drama starring Barbie Hsu, Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu. It is based on Japanese shōjo manga series, , written by Yoko Kamio...
. It was refurbished as a reality show, and has made remarkable progress in the ratings.
The revamped show was aptly called Extra Challenge, offering reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
in a "Pinoy Reality TV" format, which took participants to the edge of personal endurance amid never-before-experienced challenges and presented spur-of-the-moment and spontaneous scenes.
Hosts
Paolo Bediones was in the show since it started. He was first co-hosted by journalist Karen DavilaKaren Davila
Karen Davila or Kristin Karen Davila in real life is an award-winning broadcast journalist, one of the most-admired TV news personality, Filipina TV Host and News Anchor from ABS-CBN. She is one of the news anchor of Bandila and Headstart with Karen Davila on ANC...
in the lifestyle tele-magazine show Extra Extra. Karen Davila, after she transferred to ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
, was replaced by beauty queen (1st runner-up, Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
1999) turned TV host Miriam Quiambao
Miriam Quiambao
Miriam Redito Quiambao is a television personality, TV/Film Actress and a former beauty queen from the Philippines.Born in Quezon City to Magdalena Redito of Oas, Albay and Medgardo Quiambao of Bacacay, Albay on May 20, 1975, she is the first of two children...
in 2000. Extra Extra still continued its tele-magazine format but when the "chinovelas" (Chinese TV series) topped TV ratings in the Philippines, the format became reality-based. The name was then changed to Extra Challenge.
In 2004, when Quiambao decided to marry her Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
fiance and give up hosting, Extra Challenge came up with an episode to search for her replacement. The episode Ang Kapalit (The Replacement) featured five contestants — model Phoemela Barranda, TV host Reema Chanco, comedian Ethel Booba
Ethel Booba
Ethel Gabison, also known by her stage name Ethel Booba, is a Filipino TV personality and comedienne. She has also worked in the recording industry.She is a former talent of GMA Network and was one of the hosts of Extra Challenge...
, and beauty queens Joanna Penalosa and Josephine Canonizado — that competed among themselves in a series of challenges to be the new host. Phoemela Barranda won the contest but Ethel Booba was picked by millions of texters and won the "Viewer's Choice" award. After the episode, both Barranda and Booba hosted the show as the replacements of Quiambao. Booba is known for being a comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
in the show during serious challenges. In 2006, Quiambao returned to Extra Challenge during the few last episodes of the show.
Later that year, MTV Philippines VJ Mariel Rodriguez
Mariel Rodríguez
Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla is a Filipino commercial model, endorser, TV host, former MTV VJ and actress. She first started as an MTV VJ. Currently, she co-hosts the noontime variety show Happy Yipee Yehey!...
replaced Barranda, co-hosting for one season. After Rodriguez left the show, Paolo Bediones
Paolo Bediones
Paolo Bediones is a Filipino commercial model, television host, journalist, newscaster, and radio announcer.Bediones started his career as a commercial model, and later transitioned to television show hosting. He is best known for hosting GMA Network's Extra Challenge and Survivor Philippines...
and Ethel Booba
Ethel Booba
Ethel Gabison, also known by her stage name Ethel Booba, is a Filipino TV personality and comedienne. She has also worked in the recording industry.She is a former talent of GMA Network and was one of the hosts of Extra Challenge...
continue to host Extra Challenge up to its last episode.
Several guest hosts appeared in the show when the main hosts were unavailable. Among them are the following: Pops Fernandez
Pops Fernández
Maria Cielito Lukban Fernandez , also known as Pops Fernandez, is a Filipino singer and actress. She is dubbed the "Concert Queen."-Career:...
, Jolina Magdangal
Jolina Magdangal
-Filmography:Pasan ko ang Daigdig-Television:-Studio albums:-Compilation albums:-2007:* FAMAS Awards - Golden Artist Awardee* PMPC Star Awards for TV - Favorite Female Host Starstruck: The Next Level* UNICEF Ambassadres of Goodwill...
, BJ "Tolits" Forbes
Bj Forbes
Bernard Joseph Forbes in Morong, Rizal, Philippines) also known as BJ "Tolits" Forbes, is a Filipino child actor. He first appeared on TV as a contestant in That’s My Boy; however, he didn't win.-Career:...
, Nikki Gil
Nikki Gil
Monica Pauline "Nikki" Gil is a Filipino singer, actress, host, model and myx VJ.-Biography:Monica Pauline Gil was born in Manila to Dino and Julie Gil. She is of Filipino, Spanish and German descent...
, K Brosas
K Brosas
K Brosas , sometimes credited as Kaye Brosas, is a Filipina actress, comedienne, singer and television host. She was a band member of 'Gladys and The Boxers' and was lead singer when the group performed as 'K and The Boxers'...
, Ate Gay, Teri Onor and Angel Locsin
Angel Locsin
Angel Locsin is a Filipina television and film actress and commercial model. Aside from this, she is also a film producer and fashion designer....
Notable challenges
In September 2004, during the bungee jumpingBungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
challenge of Ethel Booba, Willie Revillame
Willie Revillame
Willie Revillame is a television host, actor, and a recording artist in the Philippines.-Career:He is the host of TV5's primetime variety show Wil Time Bigtime...
, Andrew E.
Andrew E.
Andrew Espiritu , better known as Andrew E., is a popular Filipino Rap Artist, Record Producer, Dongalo Wreckords CEO, Fedex WSC Director, Dongalo Clothing President, and Movie actor. He is best known throughout the Philippines for 1990 debut hit single Humanap Ka Ng Panget...
, Francine Prieto
Francine Prieto
Francine Prieto born Anna Marie Falcon is a former award-winning child star, a fashion model and movie actress from the Philippines. She is of Filipino and Norwegian descent.-Education:Francine studied B.S...
and Michelle Bayle in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Extra Challenge garnered 47.1% rating according to AGB - the highest rating yet for the show.
The second highest rating for the show was the "Road Trip to Sagada episode" in August 2004, garnering 43% rating according to AGB. In this episode, the show challenged the contestants to travel from Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to Sagada using a 1973 Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
combi van. This particular episode of Extra Challenge won 3rd place in the 38th US International Film and Video Festival Entertainment Category.
The P2M challenge, the celebration of Extra Challenge’s second anniversary, was aired on September 2005. Paolo and Ethel took the celebrity challengers to race from Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao on an adventure similar to the Amazing Race. The celebrities faced challenges along the way and compete for the 2,000,000 million peso
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
s jackpot prize.
In November 2005, American Idol's
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
Jasmine Trias
Jasmine Trias
Jasmine Trias is an American singer-entertainer who was the third place finalist on the third season of American Idol, due in part to tremendous call-in support from California, New York, and her native state of Hawaii. She has released one album to date, Jasmine Trias...
participated in the Promdi episode of Extra Challenge, which she competed against MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Asia VJ Donita Rose
Donita Rose
Donita Rose-Villarama, , also known as Donita Rose, Donita, is a Filipina actress, TV Host and former MTV Asia VJ.-Biography:...
and former Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
2nd Princess Ruffa Gutierrez
Ruffa Gutiérrez
-External links:**...
.
Criticisms
In June 2005, the program was criticized and condemned by a Filipino MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
community following their "Mga Pasaway sa Dubai" episode, wherein they allegedly disgraced the virtues of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. According to the Islamic organization, Billah Islah, the show offended Muslims because the challengers, Ara Mina
Ara Mina
Hazel Pascual Reyes , better known by her screen name, Ara Mina, is a Filipina actress, fashion model and singer. She won the Golden Screen Award in 2004 for Best Actress in a drama in the Philippines....
, Aubrey Miles
Aubrey Miles
Aubrey Miles is a Filipina television host, singer and actress.-Early life and education:Miles was born in Caloocan, Philippines, to Victorino Sandel and Maria Perla Santos. At 16, Miles, the third among four children, was already appearing in GMA sitcoms like Beh Bote Nga and German Moreno's Best...
, and Rufa Mae Quinto
Rufa Mae Quinto
Rufa Mae Quinto is a Filipino actress, comedienne, and television host.Quinto has won four PMPC Star Awards and is one of the most bankable stars in the industry with top grosser films like Apat, Dapat- Dapat, Apat, Pasukob, Desperadas, Manay Po 2, I.T.A.L.Y. & Desperadas 2...
, who are non-Muslims recited the Al-Fatiha
Al-Fatiha
Sura Al-Fatiha , is the first chapter of the Qur'an. Its seven verses are a prayer for Allah's guidance, and stress His Lordship and Mercy...
, the first chapter in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, while being in a Land Cruiser
Toyota Land Cruiser
The is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota Motor Corporation. It is not related to the Studebaker Land Cruiser car produced in the US from 1934-1954....
and not wearing proper Muslim attire.
For this instance, Philippines' MTRCB (Movie and Television Classification Board) has issued the program a stern warning to screen its episodes very carefully before airing it. The incident also caused some of them who rallied to burn the names of the women contestants involved in that certain challenge done at Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
.
After hearing the complaint, Extra Challenge wrote an apology to the Office on Muslim Affairs Undersecretary Datu
Datu
Datu is the title for tribal chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs in the Visayas and Mindanao Regions of the Philippines. Together with Lakan , Apo in Central and Northern Luzon, Sultan and Rajah, they are titles used for native royalty, and are still currently used in the Philippines...
Zamzamin Ampatuan
Zamzamin Ampatuan
Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan is a career bureaucrat in the Philippines. He is a descendant of Shariff Ampatuan, grandson of Syedona Mustafa, a sufi missionary, which propagated moderate Islam in the Upper Cotabato Valley of Southern Philippines...
. They also clarified that their tour operator requested permission to the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing for using the Qu'ran verse in the challenge.
Extra Challenge also issued a public apology, which read:
- in TagalogTagalog languageTagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
: Kami po sa Extra Challenge ay humihingi ng paumanhin sa mga kababayan nating Muslim tungkol sa episode na ipinalabas kagabi... Hindi po namin intensiyon na gamitin sa maling paraan ang nasabing dasal. Higit sa lahat nirerespeto po namin ang kultura at relihiyon ng ating mga kapusong Muslim.
- translated in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: We at Extra Challenge apologize to all of our fellow Muslim countrymen for the episode aired last night... It was not our intention to use the said prayer in a wrong way. Furthermore, we respect the culture and religion of our fellow Muslims.
Despite the apology, MTRCB issued a one-day suspension for the show and it is unclear whether the Muslim organization had accepted the apology.
See also
- Survivor PhilippinesSurvivor PhilippinesThe first season of Survivor Philippines premiered on September 15, 2008, and ended its run on December 12 of the same year. Auditions for this season were held in six Philippine cities in May 2008. From these auditions, 18 contestants were selected to participate on the show in June 2008...
- List of Philippine television shows
- List of shows previously aired by GMA Network