ABC is turning one of sport’s most recognisable figures into the world’s hardest hide-and-seek challenge, announcing a new reality competition in which contestants must hide 7ft 1in Shaquille O’Neal in plain sight across Dallas, Texas.
The series, titled Can You Hide… Shaq?, was announced on Tuesday 10 November and will be hosted by comedian Nicole Byer. Eight contestants will split into two teams and try to disguise, distract and deceive their way to victory, earning prize money for a “Shaq-pot” that one winner will ultimately claim.
“I’m not exactly easy to miss”
O’Neal, a Hall of Fame NBA legend who now co-stars on Inside the NBA on ESPN, summed up the problem himself in a statement: “I’m 7-foot-1. I’m not exactly easy to miss.” The contestants will have to hide him at well-known Dallas locations including the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Reunion Tower and the ISD Athletic Center, according to Variety.
The format works like this: contestants first split into two teams, each with a set mission and a time clock. The team that completes its mission with the fewest spottings earns immunity for one team member in the next round, who then becomes team captain. The teams must work together toward the greater mission of earning prize money for the Shaq-pot. The exact amount in the pot has not been disclosed.
Four episodes in two weeks
The series is an ESPN Original, produced by Fulwell Entertainment and O’Neal’s own Jersey Legends Productions in partnership with ESPN. It premieres with two episodes on Thursday 3 December from 9 to 11 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and the ESPN app, with two more episodes on 10 December. Episodes will stream on Hulu the following day.
The show is a four-episode event rather than a full season, and the premise has already drawn comparisons to Survivor — with the added problem that the person being hidden is one of the tallest and most famous athletes on the planet.
Whether audiences embrace the format remains to be seen, but the premise alone — hiding a man who stands 7ft 1in — has already made it one of December’s most talked-about television events.
