Fear Factor

Host: Joe Rogan

Premise: Six contestants, three men and three women, play a game that's a cross between "Beat the Clock" and "That's Incredible".

The six contestants are presented one stunt to perform per day, for three days. The first and last stunt typically involve strength, speed, endurance and dexterity, while the second one involves eating something nasty or being covered in insects, bugs, or other nasty stuff.

The contestants who complete Stunt One, or the ones who do it fastest or best, move on to the second day. Those who complete that one, or score the most points, or best time, move on to the final stunt. The person who does the best on the final stunt wins $50,000.

During Season One, if only one person completed a stunt, that person won $10,000 and everyone came back for Stunt Two.

Starting with Season Two, if only one person completed the first or second stunt, that person won $25,000 right away. The remaining players are invited back to play for the remaining $25,000. If no one completes a stunt, everyone comes back to play for the same $25,000.

If no one completes the final stunt at all, no one wins the money, and there is no winner for that week.

If the stunt is a competition between three or more players, and everyone but two are eliminated, the remaining two players compete for an extra $1,000; making the potential jackpot $51,000.

Tournament of Champions After thirteen episodes of the second season, the twelve regular winners and the Playboy Playmates special winner were invited back for another three stunts, and a shot at $100,000. The rules were nearly the same, but the eight men competed separately from the five women until two men and two women were left for the finals. The one player who won the final stunt won $100,000 more; the others got nothing. Celebrity champions do not compete in the tournament.

In 2003, the Tournament of Champions changed format slightly. The 24 winners (players who didn't complete the second stunt but were invited back for stunt three and won the $25,000 were considered the "winner") returned for $100,000 as before. They were grouped into two semi-final heats of 12 each. (The team that won the Couples Edition chose one person to represent them). For the first heat, the six people who won the stunt moved on to round two. The three people who won stunt three moved on to the final stunt. The two people with the fastest time in the third stunt moved on to the finals, and as a bonus prize won a 2004 Mazda RX8 no matter what (ARP: $25,700). In the second heat, the men competed against the men, and women against the women. The two people who won the third stunt won the car and a ticket to the finals.

The four finalists compete for the $100,000 in three stunts, just like normal. The slowest person in each of the first two stunts was eliminated, and the person who got the best distance in the final stunt won the $100,000 cash prize.

Vegas, Baby, Vegas!
Seasons three and four had one episode set in Las Vegas. The contestants would compete in three stunts as normal, but the winner would have to bet $25,000 of the winnings on a single hand of blackjack in the casino.

Season four had the players return to Sin City for a two-part episode. A bonus stunt was added, where the players competed for a Mazda RX-8, just like in the tournament last year. The $50,000 winner participated in a bonus stunt to win up to $50,000 more, and bet half of the total winnings on the hand of blackjack, just as before.