| Celebrity Deathmatch | |
|---|---|
| Format | Sports Entertainment, Claymation |
| Created by | Eric Fogel[1] |
| Written by | Matt Harrigan (1998-2002) Tally Barr (2006-2007) Gavin Carpenter (2006-2007) |
| Directed by | Eric Fogel (1998-2002) Andrew Horne (2006-2007) |
| Starring | Maurice Schlafer (1998-2002) Len Maxwell (1998-2002) Mills Lane (1998-2002) Chris Edgerly (2006-2007) Masasa Moyo (2006-2007) Jim Thornton (2006-2007) |
| Composer(s) | Alan Elliot (2006-2007) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 93 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Abby Terkuhle (1998-2002) Richard Doctorow (2006-2007) For MTV2 (2006-2007): Carol Eng Justin Rosenblatt For The Comedy Network (2006-2007): Ed Robinson For Cuppa Coffee Studio (2006-2007): Adam Shaheen |
| Producer(s) | John Worth Lynn Jr. Morghan Fortier (2006-2007) |
| Running time | 21 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
MTV Animation (1998-2002) MTV2 Series Development (2006-2007) |
| Distributor | MTV Networks |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | MTV (1998-2002) MTV2 (2006-2007) |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Dolby Surround |
| Original run | May 14, 1998 – October 20, 2002 June 10, 2006 – March 30, 2007 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Celebrity Deathmatch is a claymation television show that depicts celebrities against each other in a wrestling ring, almost always ending in the loser's gruesome death. It was known for its excessive amount of blood used in every match and exaggerated physical injuries (e.g., one person cuts off a participant's foot, living through decapitations, impalement, etc.).[2] [3]
The series was created by Eric Fogel; with the pilots airing on MTV on January 1 & 25 1998. The initial series ran from May 14, 1998 to October 20, 2002, and lasted for a 75-episode run. There was one special that did not contribute to the final episode total, entitled "Celebrity Deathmatch Hits Germany", which aired on June 21, 2001. Professional wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin gave voice to his animated form as the guest commentator. Early in 2003, a film based on the series was announced by MTV to be in the making, but the project was canceled by the end of that year.
In 2005, MTV2 announced the revival of the show as part of their "Sic 'Em Friday" programming block. Originally set to return in November 2005, the premiere was pushed back to June 10, 2006 as part of a new "Sic'emation" block with two other animated shows, Where My Dogs At and The Adventures of Chico and Guapo. The show's fifth season was produced by Cuppa Coffee Studios and the premiere drew over 2.5 million viewers, becoming MTV2's highest rated season premiere ever.
Contents |
Celebrity Deathmatch started on MTV's Cartoon Sushi as a short that featured convicted murderer Charles Manson and shock rocker Marilyn Manson fighting to the death. Deathmatch was brought back in 1998 for MTV's Super Bowl XXXII halftime special. Just three months later, Celebrity Deathmatch had entered MTV's main lineup. The show was popular enough for show creator Eric Fogel to be named one of the most creative people in the TV industry by Entertainment Weekly.
During the next four seasons, Celebrity Deathmatch became more popular in other countries and gained viewers from all over the world, but four seasons and 75 episodes later in 2002, MTV decided to cancel the show.[5]
New episodes of the show, which began production in 2005, were produced by Cuppa Coffee Studio as opposed to MTV's now-defunct animation department. The show featured an all-new voice cast and a new look. Johnny, Nick, and Mills Lane returned, albeit with new voices. Mills Lane, who used to be played by himself, was played by Chris Edgerly due to the real Mills Lane's 2002 stroke. Debbie Matenopoulos was replaced by Tally Wong. Eric Fogel chose not to get very involved with the new seasons due to his involvement on his show Starveillance for the E! network. The show was directed by Jack Fletcher and Dave "Canadian" Thomas. During the 2006 season, fans were able to vote on MTV2.com for future matches by choosing one of three matches and by sending a write-in request.
The show was called insensitive when George Taylor, the father of Compton rapper Game (real name Jayceon Taylor), told Playahata.com in late March 2007 that he was not happy with Celebrity Deathmatch showing his son being killed by bullets, especially as Taylor had previously lost a son in such a fashion.[6]