Wipeout returned for its sophomore season last night with high hopes after the ABC series earned the highest premiere rating of any show in last year's summer season.  And why wouldn't it? The show has a lot to offer, including a larger-than-life obstacle course and a whacky host, Jill Wagner, who is credited for roles on the television series Blade, Stargate: Atlantis, Monk and Bones. Though this is Wagner's second year to do Wipeout, the game show marks her first-ever hosting gig.

Last week, we saw the two-episode special of ABC’s Wipeout, which we previously reported has become summer’s highest rated new show.  Wipeout has attracted quite a large number of viewers aged 18 to 49, which is the target of most advertisers, thus making the show very popular amongst ad makers.  The show, which has constantly been compared with Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, boasts of larger-than-life obstacle courses in which 24 new contenders must survive every week to eventually win the title of Wipeout Champion and a grand prize of $50,000.

Last week, ABC treated us to two episodes of fun and games with the hilarious activities that sent contestants falling flat on their faces.

If you think reality series are dead, think again.  This midseason, a fresh batch of shows surprised us with the craziest antics and most foolish ideas, and surprisingly, viewers caught the reality competition bug and stuck toe the tube like moth to the flame.  In fact, the Baltimore Sun reported last month that ABC’s Wipeout has emerged as the highest-rated new program of the summer season, garnering around 10 million viewers per week.  That 10 million is comprised of mostly adults with ages ranging from 18 to 49, which make up the demographic most favored by advertisers.  Another game show to hit it big with the ratings is ABC’s I Survived a Japanese Game Show, which earned around 8 million viewers per week.  So what do these game shows have that attract viewers?

Apparently, the sight of helpless people falling flat on their faces against fake mud is a joy that doesn't go away that easily.  The goofy ABC reality-competition show Wipeout drew in 9.5 million viewers on its second week, just a slight decline from its debut, and second only to NBC's America's Got Talent.  Amazingly, Wipeout also topped the finale of Hell's Kitchen by some 1.8 million viewers.

One of the producers of MXC, a redubbing of a Japanese cult favorite Takeshi's Castle, however, is not jumping for joy.  Wipeout is understandably reaping comparisons with MXC, which, when you think about it really, is a ripoff in itself.

Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, the Japanese game show which aired on SpikeTV from 2003-2007, is the only reason Wipeout exists.  MXC took the Japanese show Takeshi's Castle, which aired in Japan for a few years in the late 80's, and re-dubbed it with American commentators and fictional dialogue for the contestants.  The show featured ridiculous competitions and challenges, often resulting in humorous falls and faceplants.  MXC was a cult hit, the kind of series college students watch at 2am on a Wednesday.  Wipeout debuted tonight on ABC and, while the series doesn't have MXC's kitsch factor (how could it?), it's a harmless little summer series, and one which you won't feel guilty for watching.