Why Celebrity Deathmatch creator Eric Fogel believes his show is ‘timeless’
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Why Celebrity Deathmatch creator Eric Fogel believes his show is ‘timeless’
Celebrity Deathmatch premiered nearly three decades ago on MTV after persistent pitching. Eric Fogel believes the concept is still ripe for a comeback. “Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg would be a very fertile environment for a celebrity deathmatch. And, you know, MrBeast and Logan Paul would be insane,” Fogel said. The first match, Marilyn Manson versus Charles Manson, aired as a short on Cartoon Sushi, testing whether the tech could handle a bigger format. It took nearly a year of pushing MTV executives before the green light came through. The Spice Girls versus Hanson – a halftime special – launched the series into MTV history, with just three weeks to pull it off. It wrapped in 2002, with a short revival from 2006 to 2007.
“As a kid, I always had a love for stop-motion animation. I was just sort of taken by those Ray Harryhausen films and some of the claymation that you would see on TV at the time,” Fogel told People Magazine in an interview.
Mixing his love for pro wrestling with pop culture takedowns, he knew he had something different. It took nearly a year of pushing MTV executives before the green light came through. “After about a year of annoying him, he said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’” Fogel recalled.
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The early chaos and breakout success of Celebrity Deathmatch
The first match, Marilyn Manson versus Charles Manson, aired as a short on Cartoon Sushi, testing whether the tech could handle a bigger format. “It was really just taking over a conference room at MTV Animation. We set up some janky lighting and free chip digital video cameras. We were figuring it out as we went,” Fogel told People Magazine.
Things changed when MTV asked them to create a Super Bowl alternative. With just three weeks to pull it off, they crammed eight characters – The Spice Girls versus Hanson – into a halftime special. “We were in that conference room for three weeks straight, morning, noon, and night, getting that thing finished,” Fogel said. That halftime show launched the series into MTV history.
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Why Fogel thinks Celebrity Deathmatch would thrive now
After wrapping in 2002 (and a short-lived revival in 2006–07), Fogel believes the concept is as relevant as ever. “That’s the beauty of the show – it’s timeless,” he said.
“Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel hate each other. Will Smith and Chris Rock probably still hate each other? Taylor Swift and Kanye West is still a match I’d like to visit in the ring, he added.
With social media fueling celebrity drama in real time, the show could hit even harder. “Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg would be a very fertile environment for a celebrity deathmatch. And, you know, MrBeast and Logan Paul would be insane. It’s just unlimited,” Fogel added.
FAQs
Who created Celebrity Deathmatch?
Eric Fogel created the show.
When did Celebrity Deathmatch first air?
It began in the late 1990s on MTV.
Which celebrities were featured on the show?
Stars like Marilyn Manson, Spice Girls and Hanson appeared on the show.
Why did the show end?
It wrapped in 2002, with a short revival from 2006 to 2007.
Could Celebrity Deathmatch return?
Fogel believes the concept is still ripe for a comeback.