Jungle Run

Jungle Run.

Jungle Run was a children's game show that aired on CITV from 1999 to 2006. Set in a jungle, contestants must complete tasks to collect monkeys that earn them time in the final round, whilst having to deal with the mischievous monkey characters that would try to sabotage their gameplay.

I want to look at how the gameplay works in Jungle Run as I think it will help with the technicalities of the gameplay in Mission Control. I also want to look at how the show is timed to get a better idea of how much time the scripting should take.
As an example, I am using an episode of Jungle Run from series 8.

Running Order

In order to better understand the programme and the rhythm to which it runs, I made a running order of the show and the duration of each section so that it's broken down and easier to take in each segment.
From this, I was able to learn the lengths of sections such as the graphics and 'transition sequences'- montages of the group members running from game to game in order to build tension and accentuate urgency.
I found it interesting how short the score graphic was, as it seems longer when viewing. This showed me how the different parts of the show translate to the viewer duration-wise, as even a graphic of 3 seconds would be long enough for the viewer to take in.
As well as being able to see the patterns in the show, this also revealed to me the areas that were flexible (varying duration). The game explanation and score count sections all varied in length, which shows to me that they were able to use this time to meet the duration of the show without having to cut down the games (especially as they are timed and with countdown timer graphic, the impression of the games happening live increases the tension).
It's good to see how this flexible time is built into other shows as I know this is going to be important for our shows, since the times for the games can vary so much. It will mean that our presenter will need to be really really good at improvising in order to make up time if they're playing the games too quickly, but this is also why we need to have plenty of time to rehearse many times.

Casting

Casting for programmes like this is very important, as the presenter has to take on a lot of different roles all at once. They firstly need to be a friend of the contestants- the contestants need to be able to talk to them freely and share their excitement between them. They also need to look after the contestants and be aware of health and safety. Although this is still a shared role among all the crew, it's important for them to be vigilant of not only their surroundings but the contestants' as well.

They also need to keep the audience excited and engaged. They need to be able to communicate to the audience and get them to cheer along and get excited about what's on stage. 

Finally, they need to be able to deliver their script. They need to be able to remember all of these details, whilst under pressure of delivering the programme clearly to the audience. For all of this, we need a very strong actor/presenter who is able to take on the pressure of the role. 

In Jungle Run, they had a few different presenters, through the years, all who had worked on children's programmes before and who knew how to keep them engaged. 

He had graduated from Plymouth University with a teaching degree, and then won the opportunity to be a children's TV presenter for six weeks which led him to stay with the BBC for three years. (source)

With this experience it meant that he had the skills to work with the children and keep them engaged with the show, but also had the skills to keep the audience back home entertained.

Ideally, for Mission Control, we would find someone who has worked with children previously and also had experience on stage in front of an audience. Pantomime would be good experience to have as that would involve keeping the young audience interested, and they would also have the theatrical experience to fit into their role as an astronaut. 

Scripting

The scripting in Jungle Run is limited due to the varying aspects of the programme. The parts where the presenter is scripted is usually when he is describing the games as this is when the objective needs to be clear and understandable to the audience so that they know how the games work. Other moments when the presenter is talking is usually when he's encouraging the contestants saying things like "you need to think quickly" and reminding them of what to do next in the game. 

This shows me that in order to script the show, there will be a lot of improvisation, but this shouldn't be too difficult for the presenter as all they'll need to do is encourage gameplay and communication among the players and be communicating to OBIC from time to time, asking how long they have left on the clock. It will be more difficult for them when they need to learn the lines in order to explain the games, but this should still be fairly simple. Looking at the scripting in Jungle Run will help me to understand the tone of voice to use towards children of that age, as well.

Visuals

Cambodian Temple Ta Prohm

Jungle Run has a certain visual style that is recognisable to the viewer. This is created with mise-en-scene. 

Firstly, the setting within which Jungle Run takes place is a rocky Jungle, with temples (somewhat like the jungles of Cambodia). The set is made to look like a deserted area of a jungle that was once inhabited. There is an area with a plane wreck, and many large statues. This gives the viewer the impression that there is a sense of danger as they seem alone in this space.

'temple' on Jungle Run

Along with the set, the decor of the jungle includes props that are made to blend in with the surroundings. They are usually made to look like sandstone to fit in with the surroundings, and it helps them to flow with the plot line of the show which is that there's a Jungle King that is after them.

Lighting in Jungle Run is often dramatic with dark shadows to add to the effect of there being a hidden danger in the area. There is also bright highlights usually on the sides of faces as this gives the effect that there's sunlight coming from above.

The highlights on the side of Michael's face gives the effect of sunlight coming from above them. There is a warmer toned light coming from the left and a cooler tone from the right. 

This is similar lighting to the previous image, but I also found the lighting in the background interesting as it adds depth and detail to the background, but also makes the space feel small by highlighting how close everything is.

There is blue and green dappled lighting in the background of this shot which is to mimic the effect of light reflecting off the water in this round. It also adds depth to the shot as it contrasts with the colours of the monkeys, who are lit in a warmer light.

Costume and makeup used in Jungle run also adds to the effect of them being on an exploration of the area, as they're dressed with camo bags, gloves, and helmets. They also have 'dirt' makeup on their faces to make them look as though they've been exploring for a while.

Michael is also wearing khaki-coloured clothing which is reminiscent of what actual explorers wear to places that they might come across wildlife (the neutral-toned colours are less aggravating to wild animals). 

Why CITV?

This episode of the show aired on CITV in 2004. In that year, CITV were showing mostly character-driven programmes such as My Parents Are Aliens (source). Jungle Run fit in with the channel as it was unique to other shows that were showing around the same time, but it still had the draw of having characters within the show, from the presenter and the 2 monkeys. The monkeys also had their own narrative.