Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge
Genre	Children's adventure game show
Presented by	Laura Hamilton Geno Segers Andy Akinwolere
Theme music composer	Paul Farrer
Country of origin	United States (Series 1–2) United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	5
No. of episodes	50 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Nigel Pickard Ged Allen Pierre Godde
Producer(s)	Steve Pinhay
Production location(s)	Fort Boyard, France
Running time	20 minutes per episode (approx.) (Series 1–2) 1 hour per episode (approx.) (including adverts) (Series 3–5)
Production company(s)	Adventure Line Productions The Foundation
Distributor	Zodiak Media
Release
Original network	Disney XD (USA) CITV (UK)
Picture format	(UK)
Original release	17 October 2011 – 23 March 2012 (USA) 1 January 2012 – 17 December 2014 (UK)

Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge is a super exciting game show for kids! It's from both Britain and America, and it's based on a famous French show called Fort Boyard. You could watch it on CITV in the UK and Disney XD in the USA.

The first two seasons were made with Disney XD. They aired in the United States from October 2011 to March 2012. In the United Kingdom, the show started on New Year's Day 2012 and finished in December 2014 after five awesome seasons.

In the show, six "fearless" teams of teenagers compete. They battle it out to win the "Ultimate Challenge" and become the "Ultimate Conquerors Of The Fort"! This show is a new and updated version of the original Fort Boyard that was on TV in the UK from 1998 to 2003.

The first two seasons were hosted by Geno Segers and Laura Hamilton. In May 2012, the show got renewed for a third season. That's when Andy Akinwolere joined as a new co-host, taking over from Geno Segers. Laura Hamilton and Andy Akinwolere both came back to host seasons 4 and 5.

Season three started on December 8, 2012, and was shown at the same time on the ITV network. Season four began on October 20, 2013, and the fifth (and final) season started on October 15, 2014. The show was also shown all over the world (except France and the Nordic countries) on the Disney network.

How the Game Works

Six different teams compete in a big tournament. In each episode, two teams go head-to-head. They want to see who is the strongest and toughest team! The challenges test how tough you are, how brave you are (facing your fears), and how speedy you can be.

Every season, each team plays three times. The two teams that collect the most gold coins get to come back for the final round of the tournament at the end of the season.

In every challenge, teams try to win a key. These keys help them in the final part of the game, which is in the Treasure Chamber. If a team gets three keys (or five keys in seasons 3, 4, and 5) or more, they get the most time in the Treasure Chamber (three minutes). But if they get fewer keys, they get less time. If a team wins a 4th key (or 6th key or more from season 3), they get an extra 150 bonus coins for each extra key! These bonus coins are added to their final score.

Exciting Challenges

Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge uses many of the same games as the original French show. They just have different names, and sometimes they're changed a little to fit the show. For example, in the Boiler Room challenge, the player isn't handcuffed. Instead, they have to move a chain with a key through a maze to the exit before time runs out.

Most solo challenges are timed by a water clock (called a clepsydre). This clock is usually set for 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, or 2 minutes 30 seconds. Some games, like Tightrope and most duels, need a secret code to open the box with the key. This code is often outside the room or near the other team members. Games where both teams compete are called "duels" and are not timed by the water clock.

Regular Challenges List

For more detailed information, see Phase One and Phase Two sections of the main Fort Boyard article.

Here are some of the challenges, listed by when they first appeared:

Council Duels

Before teams go to the Treasure Chamber, there's one last challenge. It's a special duel that isn't timed. It happens in the Council "hallway" on the second floor of the fort. Both teams compete in this duel.

These challenges usually test your skill and speed. For example, you might have to build a tower with shaped blocks. Or use chopsticks to write "Boyard" on a pole. Or even hammer nails into wood! The whole team takes part in this duel. The team that wins gets the very last key of the day.

Here are some of the Council games played so far:

The Treasure Chamber

The Treasure Chamber is the most exciting part of every episode of Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge. This is where all the gold is kept! In seasons 4 and 5, the fort's tigers even guard the gold!

How the Treasure Chamber Works (Series 1 and 2)

Before entering, each team gets a scroll. This scroll shows a map of a giant alphabet chessboard. The words "Fort Boyard" are also written on it. Teams must find four special colored plates. These plates are hidden in different spots in the chamber. They might be in a treasure chest, a barrel, or under ropes.

Once a team finds and places their four plates correctly, the team captain puts their hand on a tiger's head near the entrance. If everything is right, a key is released! This key opens their chest full of coins. When the chest opens, coins fall into a fountain below. Team members must quickly collect as many coins as they can. They put them into a clear box near the entrance.

When there are 20 seconds left of the 3 minutes, a bell rings (rung by Laura Hamilton). The gate of the Treasure Chamber starts to close. All eight candidates must get out before it shuts completely!

Afterward, it's time to weigh the coins. Two people from each team take turns putting their coin container on the scales. This shows how many points their team scored. At the end of the show, the teams' scores are updated based on their results.

Keys and Time in the Treasure Chamber (Series 1 and 2)

How the Treasure Chamber Works (Series 3 to 5)

Some things changed in the Treasure Chamber for these seasons. The time rules and the layout were different. For example, the special crests were not hidden anymore.

Keys and Time in the Treasure Chamber (Series 3 to 5)

Filming Location

Fort Boyard from the air

Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge is filmed at the amazing Fort Boyard fortress. This fort is located off the west coast of France.

The fort itself was updated in 1988–89 to become a huge outdoor TV studio! It has its own doctor, places to eat, and even a special center for animals. The fort has 10 portable TV cameras, a camera crane for shots from above, and an underwater camera. There are also many smaller cameras that film specific games and challenges around the fort.

Filming for the first two seasons happened from July 9–15, 2011. A third season was filmed from July 7–14, 2012. The fourth season was filmed from June 18–25, 2013, and the fifth from June 22–27, 2014.

Meet the Teams

In seasons 1 and 2, there were 24 participants (48 in total). They were between 13 and 19 years old. They were split into 6 teams (12 teams in total) of 4 members. Each team had two British and two American members.

However, in season 3 (2012), all the contestants were British and were between 14 and 18 years old. In Season 4, they were 12 to 18-year-olds. Also, each team has a captain to lead them.

For season 5 in 2014, the team colors and animal names changed! New team names were introduced: (Grey) Rhinos, (Orange) Tigers, (Green) Crocodiles, (Black) Tarantulas, (Yellow) Eagles, and (Purple) Cobras.

In the first two seasons, teams had three boys and one girl. From the third season onwards, each team had two boys and two girls.

Each team has a special color and an animal symbol:

Episode Winners

Here's a quick look at which teams won each season:

Series 1

• Conquerors of The Fort: Yellow Scorpions

Series 2

• Conquerors of The Fort: Silver Dragons

Series 3

• Conquerors Of The Fort: Green Jaguars

Series 4

• Conquerors Of The Fort: Green Jaguars

Series 5

• Conquerors Of The Fort: Black Tarantulas