Editing Fear Factor (section)

===Original series (2001–2006)===
As NBC's answer to the [[Columbia Broadcasting Service|CBS]] television series ''[[Survivor (American TV series)|Survivor]],'' the show was initially a hit for the network in the summer of 2001 and built strong ratings and popularity in the following seasons. [[Joe Rogan]], then known for his role on the sitcom ''[[NewsRadio]]'' (1995–1999) and as a commentator for [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]], was hired as the host. According to a 2015 interview with [[Art Bell]], Rogan expected ''Fear Factor'' to be cancelled after a few episodes due to objections to some of the content and further stated that he took the job mainly to obtain observations and anecdotes for his stand-up comedy career.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Midnight In The Desert with Art Bell Joined by Guest Joe Rogan: 1st Hour|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cDKRXkgTBg |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/2cDKRXkgTBg |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|website=[[YouTube]]| date=September 21, 2015 |access-date=September 3, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The series had a runaway success during the first few seasons, but after the series' fourth season (2003–2004), the popularity and ratings began to decline. By the time the series was in its sixth season, the ratings were in steep decline as a result of content concerns and a growing loss of viewer interest, coupled with the series facing tough competition with other TV shows in the same time slot. As a result, the series was only averaging a 2.6 in the ratings.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_2914.asp |title=Media Life Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060218012406/http://medialifemagazine.com/artman/publish/article_2914.asp |archive-date=February 18, 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbc.com/Fear_Factor/ |title=Fear Factor – NBC Official Site |publisher=Nbc.com |access-date=January 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018081056/http://www.nbc.com/Fear_Factor/ |archive-date=October 18, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Later that year, ''Fear Factor'' faced tough competition with the TV ratings champion, [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]'s talent series ''[[American Idol]]'' on Tuesday nights and the ratings declined even further and continued to trend further downward during this period. Despite much publicity concerning an improved format and better stunts for season six, the series' ratings continued to drop and consequently, [[NBC]] put the struggling program on hiatus for the remainder of the season to make room for the sitcom ''[[Joey (TV series)|Joey]],'' the ''[[Friends]]'' [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] that was itself removed from the NBC lineup a few weeks later. After a continuous and steep drop in the series' ratings, it was officially cancelled by NBC in May 2006 after six seasons (''Joey'' was cancelled in April) and the network began airing the remainder of the season on June 13, 2006, with the remaining episodes to be aired throughout the summer, with its last episode airing on September 12, 2006. Over its six seasons, ''Fear Factor'' earned NBC a reported $600 million in advertising revenue. Currently only the first season has been released on DVD; in early 2009 a box set release containing the entire series on DVD was planned. The project was put on hold for an unknown reason in March 2010. On June 5, 2010, it was announced that the project was cancelled because of the low sales of the first season DVD.