Splatalot! facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Splatalot!
Genre	Children's Game show
Created by	Mark J.W. Bishop Matt Hornburg
Directed by	Rae Upton
Presented by	Jason Agnew and Matt Chin (Canada) Dick and Dom (UK) Kayne Tremills and Scott Tweedie (Australia) Stacey Harkey and Tori Pence (USA)
Composer(s)	Angelo Oddi
Country of origin	Canada United Kingdom Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	52 + 1 special
Production
Executive producer(s)	Alan Bishop (challenge producer) Mark J.W. Bishop Matt Hornburg
Producer(s)	Steve Sloan
Production location(s)	Amaranth, Ontario, Canada
Running time	22 minutes
Production company(s)	Marblemedia
Distributor	Distribution 360
Release
Original network	YTV (Canada) CBBC (United Kingdom) ABC3 (Australia)
Picture format	(1080i HDTV)
Original release	14 March 2011 (2011-03-14) – 29 August 2013 (2013-08-29)
Chronology
Related shows	Wipeout

Splatalot! is a fun physical game show with a medieval theme. It first aired in Canada on YTV on March 14, 2011. The hosts were Jason Agnew and Matt Chin. Later, it came to the United Kingdom on CBBC on June 13, 2011, with Dick and Dom as hosts. In Australia, it started on ABC3 on November 5, 2011, hosted by Kayne Tremills and Scott Tweedie. The show was inspired by Wipeout but made for a younger audience. For the UK and Australian versions, they used the same video footage but added their own local hosts.

Marblemedia produced Splatalot!. It was a big project with YTV, CBBC, and ABC3 working together. The show featured a huge obstacle course. There were three main rounds: Cross the Moat, Ditch the Dungeon (or Escape the Stockade in season one), and Capture the Crown. In each episode, 12 teenage contestants, called Attackers, competed. They faced the obstacles, the clock, and the Defenders. The Defenders were a group of nine medieval-themed gladiators. Their job was to protect the castle from the Attackers. The winner was crowned the King or Queen of Splatalot! This winner then got to choose an Attacker to "punish," often by launching them into the water with a catapult.

Building the Castle: Production Facts

The show was filmed on a large set in Amaranth, Ontario, Canada. This set was built on 2.5 acres of land. Contestants came from Canada, the UK, and Australia. The creators worked with theme park engineers for a year to design the course.

The first season had 26 episodes. It was filmed in September and October 2010. On February 3, 2012, the show was renewed for a second season, also with 26 episodes. This was filmed the following summer.

After the show finished recording, the set was left empty. People sometimes snuck onto the set. In 2018, the set was taken down as part of a new series called "Smashalot!". Reasons for taking it down included high repair costs and local community concerns.

Meet the Attackers

The contestants, called "Attackers," were teenagers aged 12 and up. They came from schools and sports clubs in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. A new group of Attackers appeared in every episode.

Meet the Defenders

Splatalot! had a regular group of Defenders. There were six main characters, and three of them appeared in each round. All six Defenders were in the final round. Each Defender had their own unique personality, color, costume, and special weapon. They worked together to stop the Attackers and make everyone laugh.

In Season 2, some Defenders left, like Knightriss, Shaiden, Ballista, Tinkor, Gildar, and Crocness. However, they came back for the show's run on BYUtv in the USA. Only Kook, Thorne, and Skabb stayed from Season 1. New Defenders like Madeva, Faetal, and Vane joined the team. Gildar only appeared in a special episode to announce he was leaving.

Defenders in Both Seasons

• Thorne (played by Elliott Francis) – He's a British Warrior. Thorne is known as the "bad boy" of the group. He's often in a grumpy mood and rarely happy, unless he's stopping Attackers. He has a mohawk and blue streaks on his face. His main weapon is a spiked mace. In the first round, he likes to use the fog gun. He's also shown to be a "gentleman," helping an Attacker up a wall once. He is the brother of Shaiden from Season 1.
• Kookaburra (played by James Elmer) – This wacky Australian is the team's joker. He has a bird-like look and is often called 'Kook'. His favorite weapon is a slingshot. He's probably the most successful Defender. Sometimes he acts silly, like doing cheerleading chants. He has a crush on Shaiden and is known for tricking Attackers. For example, he might pretend his cannon isn't working, then surprise them when they try to pass.
• Allan "Skabb" Tonelli (played by Wendo Mhogolo) – Skabb is a very strong Australian Aboriginal barbarian. He's the most aggressive Defender and is known as the castle bully. Even though he's tough, he sometimes shows a softer side. His main weapon is a club, but he's dangerous with any weapon. He often scares both Attackers and other Defenders.

Defenders in Season 1

• Gildar (played by RJ Skinner) – A Canadian Viking who loves himself. He's always looking in his mirror and bragging about his muscles and hair, much like Gaston. His weapon is a sledgehammer. He uses it to get rid of "sass" from the Attackers. He even had a DVD called "Extreme Viking Makeover." It was revealed that he and Crocness were married.
• Ballista (played by Samantha Brown) – A clever Canadian huntress. She uses her beauty and charm to trick Attackers. Her weapons are a shield and sword. The Canadian hosts, Matt and Jason, seemed to have a crush on her. She won an award for "Most Valuable Defender." She often feels that the male Defenders show off too much.
• Tinkor (played by Matt Burns) – A Canadian blacksmith. He builds all the Defenders' weapons. He's known for his bad smell and appearance, which everyone in the castle finds unpleasant. His main weapon is a catapult, but he also uses a handheld splatzooka. He and Shaiden have an on-again, off-again relationship. He often hangs out with Kook and Skabb.
• Shaiden (played by Grace Francis) – A British ninja and Thorne's sister. She's known for being sneaky and having a quick temper, especially when someone calls her a "little girl." She often gets annoyed with other Defenders because she feels she's the only one focused on the Attackers. Her weapon is a katana. She sometimes tries to get Kook to make a fool of himself.
• Knightriss (played by Gloria Onitri) – A Black British knight and Madeva's older sister. She often competes with Gildar to be the leader of the Defenders. Her weapon is a jousting lance. She and Thorne were shown to have a relationship, and she also flirted with Skabb.
• Crocness (played by Chenoa Deemal) – A smart Australian Aboriginal swamptress. She wears a crocodile around her neck and has mossy hair. Her weapon is a skull staff. Like Shaiden, she focuses more on stopping the Attackers. She once filled in for Gildar in the final round.

Defenders in Season 2

• Madeva (played by Alexia Khadime) – A fierce Black British Dragonslayer. She became the new leader of the Defenders. Her weapon is a giant claymore. She is Knightriss's sister.
• Vane (played by Eric Johnston) – A lazy, greedy, but skilled Canadian archer. He would rather eat a sandwich than defend the castle. His weapon is a crossbow-style cannon. He wears sunglasses with his name on them.
• Faetal (played by Nicole Power) – A charming Canadian Amazon. She thinks all Attackers are her favorites. Her weapons are a dagger and shield. She is Gildar's cousin.

How to Win: Rounds in Splatalot

The show has three exciting rounds where Attackers try to conquer the castle.

Round 1: Cross the Moat

In the first round, Attackers must get past a series of big obstacles. These include barrels, battle axes, and the "bridge of disaster." The Defenders also try to stop them. The goal is to be one of the six fastest Attackers to move on.

Round 2: Ditch the Dungeon

(This round was called "Escape the Stockade" in Season 1.) Contestants have to climb a long, slippery staircase. The Defenders make it extra hard by using slime balls, a foam gun, and the "Vile Volley." The Defender at the top also uses the "Purple Plague" (a cart of purple balls) and "Balls of Doom." The four fastest Attackers who get past these challenges and grab four flags move to the final round.

Round 3: Capture the Crown

In the last round, the four remaining Attackers race across the obstacle-filled courtyard. Their goal is to reach the tower where the crown waits. All six Defenders from both rounds are there, using different weapons and tools to stop them. Only one Attacker will make it past everyone and grab the crown, winning the episode!

In Season 1, the winner would raise a flag, and the Defenders would clap. The winner would say, "I'm the king/queen of the castle!" In Season 2, the winner got to choose a Defender to "punish," usually by launching them from a catapult. In night rounds, the chosen Defender would be blindfolded on the "Scary-Go-Round" before being launched.

Online Fun: Interactive Splatalot

There was a website, Splatalot.com, that went along with the TV show. It had Flash games and behind-the-scenes videos. You could also read about the Defenders and hosts.

Game Stack

This part of the website had nine online games. They let you play as either an Attacker or a Defender. You could combine your scores to build your own Splatalot! "Coat of Arms."

Tour the Castle

You could see maps, drawings, and photos of the castle and obstacle course.

Behind the Defenders

This section had extra videos of the Defenders. You could also see their stats and read their backstories, just like professional athletes.

Highlight Shaker

This was a tool to create your own video highlight reels. You could add your own commentary and music to clips from the show. New clips were added weekly, and you could share your creations with friends.

Episodes Guide

There were 12 Attackers in Season 1 and 10 in Season 2. Here's a look at the episodes:

Season 1 Episodes

Season 2 Episodes

Special Episode: Celebrity Splatdown

Season 2 started with a special "Celebrity Splatdown" on November 3, 2012. It was an hour-long episode where actors from Life with Boys and Mr. Young competed. They played for charity, trying to win $3,000 for food programs. This special was filmed with a live audience.

Regular Season 2 Episodes

Where Else to Watch Splatalot!

The Canadian version of Splatalot! started airing on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 16, 2012. The British version was shown on Disney XD channels in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. A Dutch TV channel, Z@PP, even filmed their own host segments in 2012. Splatalot! has been seen in over 100 countries!

On March 13, 2018, BYUtv announced they would show the series in the United States. Starting April 2, they aired the first season with new hosts, Stacey Harkey and Tori Pence. On October 8, they began airing the second season with the same new hosts. Both seasons are now available on BYUtv's website, with Harkey and Pence's commentary.

Reruns of the show can also be seen on the Canadian game show channel GameTV, starting in fall 2019 and again in spring 2021.

Smashalot!: The Castle's End

After the second season finished filming in 2012, the show's set was left empty in Amaranth, Ontario. People started sneaking onto the set. A YouTube video exploring the location gained over 600,000 views before Marblemedia asked for it to be removed. The set wasn't taken down because producers hoped to bring the show back. However, due to safety worries, the local mayor asked for 24/7 security.

In late 2017, Marblemedia confirmed they were planning a new family version of the show for summer 2018. But these plans were changed. The set was finally taken down in January 2019. Marblemedia turned this demolition into a YouTube spin-off series called Smashalot!. In this show, former contestants and YouTube stars (including the creator of the original exploration video) destroyed parts of the castle in each episode. The show was hosted by Jason Agnew and Gildar.

Smashalot! Episodes

Images for kids

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  The official logo for Splatalot!

Splatalot! at BBC Programmes

See also

In Spanish: Splatalot! para niños