Production on an upcoming NBC competition series has been halted indefinitely after around 40 members of the team working on the programme fell ill with what has been described as “awful explosive diarrhea”.
According to a press release for the show, Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide was due to premiere on 8th August, and takes inspiration from the popular outdoor 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”.
But in a report by The Wrap, it was forced to shut down “indefinitely” after “up to 40 crew members fell violently ill.” A person close to production said the crew was “collapsing and being forced to run into port-o-potties” due to illness.
People magazine confirmed that at least one crew member tested positive for giardia, a parasite that can cause these symptoms. It’s unclear how many others have been tested.
The show’s hosts Bobby Moynihan and Ron Funches are, according to a spokesperson for the network who spoke to The Wrap, doing fine so far.
Funches himself tweeted implying that the shutdown was a surprise to him, saying he never “dreamed that big.”
I love that they used a picture that makes me look proud.
— Funch (@RonFunches) June 13, 2021
Did I have owner of “explosive diarrhea” water park on my vision board?
No.
I never dreamed that big. pic.twitter.com/UHjdA4dIRH
I feel like no one in my family even knew I was in comedy until someone got diarrhea at my water park.
— Funch (@RonFunches) June 12, 2021
The show, filming in Simi Valley, California, shut down officially on June 2. A representative for Universal Television Alternative Studios, the company producing the show for NBC, told People they are “in the process of determining next steps in order to complete production.”
“The health and safety of everyone on our set is our number one priority,” the representative said, “so out of an abundance of caution we have made the decision to stop production of Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide at the current location.”
According to a press release from May, the show “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.” It was set to premiere August 8th, and no postponed date has been released.
Twitter immediately saw the funny side, with many users losing their s**t:
But when I have explosive diarrhea I call it “The Ultimate Slip ‘n’ Slide” so this headline just feels kinda redundant to me
— Alex Kuno (@alexkuno) June 12, 2021
— Matunos 💉💉 (@matunos) June 12, 2021
That must have been a crappy day on the set. pic.twitter.com/g5vWkDXr3x
— Richard Gustason (@RichGustason) June 12, 2021
My fave headline so far this year.
— DeeAnna (@DeeAnnaTopaz) June 12, 2021
filming might be halted but it sounds like there's plenty of production https://t.co/xFpFSCR2xY
— Amy (@amyis_trying) June 12, 2021
Some say the most beautiful phrase in the English language is “Explosive diarrhea outbreak on the Ultimate Slip ‘n’ slide” https://t.co/QhA7dg7aOt
— Mike Trapp (@MikeWTrapp) June 12, 2021
