Fort Boyard (game show)  Fort Boyard is a French game show created by Jacques Antoine that was first broadcast on 7 July 1990 (originally as "Les Clés de Fort Boyard", however shortened to "Fort Boyard" from the second series in 1991). Foreign versions of the show, with varying success, have aired around the world since 1990. Set and filmed on the real fortress of the same name on the west coast of France, the programme appears similar to British game show "The Crystal Maze" which was created as an alternative format by Antoine for Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, after the fortress was unavailable to film in because of its then ongoing refurbishment (during 1989). In both programmes the contestants have to complete challenges to win prize money. However, while "The Crystal Maze" varies the type of games quite considerably, "Fort Boyard" tends to focus mainly on physical and endurance challenges. Although "Fort Boyard" was something of a pioneer in the area of game show fear and adventure, later programmes such as "Fear Factor" have pushed things even further, requiring "Fort Boyard" to react and adapt with new twists and games, including a couple of seasons in which the contestants spent the night in the Fort (this was particularly popular in the French and Russian versions). "Fort Boyard" is the most exported French TV format and the fourth most exported adventure-style game show format in the world after "Wipeout", "Fear Factor" and "Survivor". In 1980, , a co-presenter of Antenne 2's "" (the French version of "Treasure Hunt"), came close to drowning while trying to reach Fort Boyard in rough seas. He remained stuck for 3 hours before being rescued by helicopter. This episode inspired Jacques Antoine (creator of "La Chasse aux Trésors") in the creation of the TV game show "Fort Boyard". The concept of "Fort Boyard" was imagined and outlined in 1986, at a meeting in the company of Antoine to find a game show to succeed "Treasure Hunt". The idea of a team game show, adapted from role-playing games such as "Dungeons & Dragons", taking place in a mysterious tower populated by extraordinary characters, whose goal is to find a treasure, takes shape in the following years. Whilst looking for a set, a production team visited Fort Boyard in April 1987 and this fortification, located between the Île-d'Aix and the île d'Oléron in the Pertuis d'Antioche strait, was bought in November 1988 for one and a half million francs.