''Distraction'' is a

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...

that aired on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

in the United Kingdom from 31 October 2003 to 11 June 2004. Presented by

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience dir ...

Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is a British-Irish comedian, presenter, writer, and actor. He is known for his deadpan delivery of controversial one-liners and distinctive laugh, for which he has been both praised and criti ...

, the show involved contestants answering questions while being distracted in various bizarre, painful and humiliating ways. Carr was aided by "distractors", who as the name suggests, attempted to distract the contestants painfully or emotionally. Examples include losing contestants,

nudists Naturism is a lifestyle of practising non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms a ...

, creepy

carny Carny, also spelled carnie, is an informal term used in North America for a traveling carnival employee, and the language they use, particularly when the employee operates a game ("joint"), food stand ("grab", "popper" or "floss wagon"), or ride ...

guys,

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing proc ...

piercing Body piercing, which is a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn, or where an implant could be inserted. The word ''piercing'' can refer to ...

experts,

wrestlers Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat spo ...

midgets Midget (from ''midge'', a tiny biting insect) is a term for a person of unusually short stature that is considered by some to be pejorative due to its etymology. While not a medical term like "dwarfism", a medical condition with a number of ...

Roller Derby Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States. Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (j ...

girls, professional athletes,

paintball Paintball is a competitive team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called paintballs that break upon impact. Paintballs are usually shot using low-energy ...

players, and a large bouncer-type male nicknamed "Tiny". Occasionally, a number of female assistants helped with some of the distractions; depending on the stunt being played, they could be referred to as "Jimmy's interns", "farmer girls", "schoolgirls" or "ammo ladies." A quiz book, featuring most of the distractions seen on the show, was released by

Carlton Books Welbeck Publishing Group, formerly Carlton Publishing Group, is a London-based independent book publisher of fiction, narrative and illustrated non-fiction, as well as gift and children's books. Established in 2019 by Executive Directors Mark Sm ...

in late 2004.

Gameplay

Four contestants, usually two women and two men, compete through three rounds in each episode. Before the first round, they learn about each other's embarrassing moments, unique hobbies, strange talents, or previous unflattering occupations through questions asked by Carr. Throughout the game, Carr asks relatively simple questions that the contestants must answer while enduring various uncomfortable, painful, and/or unsettling distractions. These distractions may be inflicted throughout the round, activated by a contestant in order to answer, or as the result of a right/wrong answer. At the end of each round, the contestant with the lowest score is eliminated from the game and leaves with nothing. Typical distractions include: * Having to urinate in a specially designed toilet in order to buzz-in * Placing something disgusting in one's own mouth, such as a

snail A snail is, in loose terms, a shelled gastropod. The name is most often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. However, the common name ''snail'' is also used for most of the members of the molluscan class G ...

or a raw lamb testicle, after each correct answer * Being shot with a

gun for each wrong answer, or whenever the opponent answers correctly, while wearing no protective equipment except a crash helmet and face shield * Being continuously body-slammed onto a thick cushioned mat by professional wrestlers * Being shocked with an electric dog collar upon buzzing-in * Being placed in an upside-down position and tickled on the soles of one's bare feet (UK, Italy and India only) * (Round 1 only) A self-inflicted distraction such as attaching clothespins to one's own face, with bonus points awarded to the most successful contestant at the end of the round The last remaining contestant wins the game, advances to the fourth and final round, and wins either a car, a set of prizes, or a cash bonus. However, they must answer several further questions to prevent the cash or prizes from being damaged or destroyed. If the prize is a car, each missed question results in a part of it being damaged by an audience member or one of the losing contestants (smashing the windscreen, dumping paint on the seats, etc.). When a group of prizes is at stake, each miss results in one of them being destroyed, such as by being blown up or hit with a wrecking ball. In the case of a cash prize, the winner must answer questions quickly enough to prevent its destruction (such as notes being burned in a line of toasters or coins thrown into a full cement mixer), or must throw some of it onto a fire for each incorrect answer. At the end of the round, the contestant takes home the car, prizes, or cash regardless of condition.

Transmissions

International versions

External links

''Distraction'' program description @ Fremantlemedia (via Internet Archive)

''Distraction'' Official (U.S.) website (via Internet Archive)

''Behafraa'' Official (Israelian) website

''Distraction'' Official (Italian) website (via Internet Archive)
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Distraction (Game Show) 2003 British television series debuts 2004 British television series endings 2000s British game shows Channel 4 game shows Television series by Fremantle (company) Comedy Central game shows