We sh*t you not, NBC had to stop production of its upcoming game show “Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide” indefinitely after a member of the crew tested positive for giardia – which is a microscopic parasite that, if swallowed, will cause diarrheal disease.
The shutdown happened on June 2nd when the producers of the show realized the member’s positive test of the disease.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Ventura County Public Health worked with a third-party environmental lab to test the water on set. Samples from various watering receptacles like a….slide pool, restroom sinks and the such all tested negative for the disease, but results from other tests came back showing giardia on surfaces around the set.
It is known that giardia can be found “on surfaces or in soil, food, or water that has been contaminated with feces (poop) from infected people or animals.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also confirmed that “giardia spreads easily and can spread from person to person or through contaminated water, food, surfaces, or objects. The most common way people get sick is by swallowing contaminated drinking water or recreational water (for example, lakes, rivers, or pools).”
As of this writing, it is unknown how many people have fallen ill with this fecal parasite.
The reality competition series will be hosted by Bobby Moynihan and Ron Funches, and is set for an August 8th premiere. NBC’s official logline for the series reads: “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.” You can apply to be part of the show here.
Well, let’s just hope that this halt doesn’t stop this from hitting NBC’s number one show slot and put it in the number two spot.
