It aired for only six episodes in the U.S. (on Fox) in late 2003 before being pulled in the wake of protests from Asian-American groups. It later aired briefly on Comedy Central, and in March 2006, it will return to U.S. cable television on the channel G4. In the U.K., "Banzai" aired on Channel 4; it also aired in Canada on Citytv.
But -- even if you despise the bad Asian accents used on the voice-overs (the cause of many of the protests) -- there's no denying that "Banzai" is a perfect television show to be converted to a DVD game.
The show encourages viewers to bet on a variety of wacky stunts: How long, for example, will "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer allow his hand to be shaken by Mr. Shake Hands Man, a phony celebrity interviewer? Or who will retrieve a stick thrown into a pool first, a dog or actor Todd Bridges from "Diff'rent Strokes"?
The game, scheduled to be released in July 2006, takes the same approach. Players use plastic sushi to bet on the outcome of the stunts.
Banzai comes with a DVD, 4 player bowls, 1 community bowl, 20 lettered cards (for betting on the multiple-choice questions), 100 plastic sushi pieces, 4 pairs of chopsticks, 4 headbands, and the game rules.
Recommended for 2 to 4 players or teams, ages 16 and up, Banzai (subtitled "The DVD Betting Game") is scheduled to be available in fall 2006. It should sell for about $30.
