THIS WEEK'S EPISODE OF ABC'S "WIPEOUT" UNLEASHES A NEW OBSTACLE NAMED BY VIEWERS, THE WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE, ALONG WITH THE RETURN OF TOTAL CARNAGE AND THE WIPEOUT PLAYSET

"Wheel of Misfortune" -- "'Wipeout'�if you build it...they will fall," says host John Henson. This week "Wipeout" unleashes a new obstacle, named by viewers the Wheel of Misfortune, which is sure to leave players down on their luck. Contestants, vying for the $50,000 grand prize include two high school students, Chaz Hands and Tapping Tony, who compete against a Competitive Dad and a Dinner Detective. Players also take on the stunt that sends them flying head over heels -- as Total Carnage makes its triumphant return along with the Wipeout Playset -- before the final three players face off on the all-new Summer Wipeout Zone, featuring the seven story Towering Flume of Doom. Hosted by John Anderson (ESPN's "SportsCenter"), John Henson (E! Entertainment's "Talk Soup") and co-hosted by Jill Wagner, "Wipeout" airs THURSDAY, JULY 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

Each week, 24 new exciting contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes go head to head through four rounds of demanding but hilarious obstacle courses to win the title of "Wipeout Champion" and the $50,000 grand prize. In the end, only one contestant will win, while everyone else will Wipeout!

"Wipeout" executive producers are Matt Kunitz ("101 Ways to Leave a Game Show" "Fear Factor") and Scott Larsen. Shye Sutherland, Kevin Wehrenberg, Trice Barto and J. Rupert Thompson are co-executive producers. The series is produced by Endemol USA. David Goldberg is the chairman of Endemol North America.

About Endemol USA

Endemol USA is a leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted genres for network and cable television. The company produces the mega hits "Deal or No Deal," "Wipeout," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Big Brother." Endemol USA is a division of the Endemol Group, a prominent international content developer, producer and distributor of television and online programming. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, has subsidiaries and joint ventures in 25 countries, including the major European markets, the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. Endemol is owned by a consortium consisting of Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, Mediaset Group and Cyrte Group. For more information, please visit www.endemolusa.tv. Endemol is a privately held company.

"Wipeout" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.