History of Fear Factor in Timeline

Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare game show, originally airing on NBC from 2001 to 2006 and hosted by Joe Rogan. Adapted by Endemol USA from the Dutch series Now or Neverland, the show challenges contestants to complete a series of physically and mentally grueling stunts. These stunts often involve overcoming fears, handling animals or insects, enduring heights or confined spaces, and consuming unusual items. Contestants compete for a cash prize.

1995: NewsRadio Airing

From 1995, Joe Rogan was known for his role on the sitcom NewsRadio.

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1999: NewsRadio Airing

Until 1999, Joe Rogan was known for his role on the sitcom NewsRadio.

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2001: First Aired on NBC

In 2001, Fear Factor, an American stunt/dare game show, first aired on NBC. It was hosted by Joe Rogan and adapted from the Dutch series Now or Neverland.

2001: Initial Success

In the summer of 2001, Fear Factor was initially a hit for NBC, building strong ratings.

2003: Decline in Popularity

After the series' fourth season (2003), the popularity and ratings began to decline.

September 27, 2004: "Best Friends" Edition Prize Unclaimed

On September 27, 2004, in a Fear Factor "Best Friends" edition, the $50,000 prize went unclaimed because none of the remaining teams were able to complete the final stunt. The last remaining contestants walked away with two Mazda vehicles for winning a previous stunt.

December 30, 2004: Lawsuit filed against NBC over 'blended rats' episode

On December 30, 2004, Austin Aitken sued NBC for US$2.5 million, claiming he became ill and injured after watching an episode with blended rats. He alleged the stunt caused his blood pressure to rise, leading to dizziness, vomiting, and a subsequent injury.

2004: Decline in Popularity

After the series' fourth season (2004), the popularity and ratings began to decline.

2004: Syndication

In 2004, Fear Factor became the first network reality show to be syndicated, airing on Fox, The WB, UPN affiliates, and FX.

2004: Tournament of Champions Seasons 2-3

In 2004, Tournament of Champions Seasons 2-3 features Mazda RX-8 for each finalist.

May 2006: Official Cancellation by NBC

In May 2006, Fear Factor was officially cancelled by NBC after six seasons.

June 13, 2006: Remaining Episodes Aired

On June 13, 2006, NBC began airing the remainder of Fear Factor's sixth season after the show was officially cancelled in May.

September 12, 2006: Last Episode Aired

The last episode of Fear Factor aired on September 12, 2006, after being cancelled in May 2006.

2006: Left Local Syndication

As of fall 2006, Fear Factor had left local syndication due to lack of sales of NBCUniversal.

2006: Aired on NBC

In 2006, Fear Factor aired on NBC, hosted by Joe Rogan.

February 2008: NBC Programming

As of February 2008, December 12, 2011 two premiere episodes makes the premiere the highest rated non-sports programming to air on NBC at 8:00 p.m.

2009: Box Set Release Planned

In early 2009, a box set release containing the entire series on DVD was planned.

March 2010: Box Set Project Put on Hold

In March 2010, the planned box set release of Fear Factor on DVD was put on hold for an unknown reason.

June 5, 2010: Box Set Project Cancelled

On June 5, 2010, it was announced that the DVD box set project for Fear Factor was cancelled due to low sales of the first season DVD.

2010: Miss USA Delegates on Minute to Win It

In 2010, Miss USA delegates were involved in the game show Minute to Win It.

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May 31, 2011: Comcast Announces Revival

In a May 31, 2011 report, Comcast informed Entertainment Weekly that Fear Factor would be revived for a seventh season.

December 12, 2011: Series Revival Airing

On December 12, 2011, the Fear Factor series revival began airing, with the two premiere episodes viewed by 8.7 million and 8.5 million viewers, respectively.

2011: Brief Revival by NBC

In 2011, NBC briefly revived Fear Factor for a nine-episode run.

January 30, 2012: "Hee Haw! Hee Haw!" Episode Pulled

On January 30, 2012, NBC pulled the Fear Factor episode entitled "Hee Haw! Hee Haw!", which featured a stunt where contestants drink the urine and semen of a donkey, after pictures of the stunt appeared online.

January 31, 2012: Contestants warned against discussing unaired Fear Factor episode

On January 31, 2012, twin sisters Claire and Brynne Odioso, contestants on an unaired Fear Factor episode featuring donkey semen and urine consumption, appeared on The Cowhead Show on WHPT. Fear Factor producers then warned the Odioso sisters against further discussion of the program due to confidentiality agreements.

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May 13, 2012: Official Cancellation by NBC

On May 13, 2012, NBC announced that Fear Factor was officially cancelled.

June 2012: "Hee Haw! Hee Haw!" Episode Aired on Danish TV

In June 2012, video footage of the "Hee Haw! Hee Haw!" stunt, where contestants drink the urine and semen of a donkey, appeared online after the episode aired on Danish TV.

July 2014: Stunt Clips Posted on YouTube

In July 2014, Fear Factor posted short clips of all three stunts from the "Hee Haw! Hee Haw!" episode on their YouTube channel.

2015: Rogan Interview with Art Bell

According to a 2015 interview with Art Bell, Joe Rogan expected Fear Factor to be cancelled after a few episodes due to objections to some of the content and further stated that he took the job mainly to obtain observations and anecdotes for his stand-up comedy career.