NBC has halted production on forthcoming summer reality series Ultimate Slip-N-Slide after an outbreak of “awful explosive diarrhea” among the crew members. The game show — based on Wham-O’s classic backyard waterslide — will feature the hosting talents Bobby Moynihan and Ron Funches (who are reportedly fine). NBC intends to premiere the show after the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
The production was based at a remote ranch in Simi Valley, California, reports What I’m Hearing and The Wrap. Sources told the later outlet that people collapsed on set and were “forced to run into port-o-potties.” On June 2, at least one person tested positive for giardia, a tiny parasite that causes giardiasis, a diarrheal disease. The germ is found on “surfaces or in soil, food, or water that has been contaminated with feces (poop) from infected people or animals,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Universal Television Alternative Studios, which is producing Slip-N-Slide, said multiple people reported symptoms of giardia.
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Production was halted after the positive test so the water used on the elaborate set could be tested by the Los Angeles County and Ventura County Health Departments, and a third-party environmental lab. The water in the well, pond, slide pool, water truck, and restroom sinks tested negative, but water tested in the area tested positive for giardia, Universal said.
“The health and safety of everyone on our set is our number one priority, so out of an abundance of caution we have made the decision to stop production of Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide at the current location,” a studio rep told former Hollywood Reporter editor Matt Belloni for What I’m Hearing. “We are in the process of determining next steps in order to complete production.”
The outbreak happened seven weeks into shooting the 10-episode season, but NBC still has five days left to film. One insider told The Wrap that some crew members are apprehensive about returning. They blamed the production for not making sure fresh and clean water was used. NBC is planning to air the first episode on Sunday, Aug. 8 at 10:30 p.m. ET, following the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony, but it could be tough to make that deadline if filming cannot resume soon. After the premiere episode, the remaining nine shows will air Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.
Ultimate Slip-N-Slide is billed as a “fresh take” on the outdoor Wham-O game. “This wet-and-wild new series takes the spirit of the classic backyard slide and transforms it into a real-life water park full of gigantic slippery rides with the chance to take home a big cash prize,” the show’s logline reads. Hopefully, everything will be fresh by the time filming resumes.
