NBC’s ‘Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide’ is getting flushed.
via People:
The game show, hosted by Bobby Moynihan and Ron Funches, has been pulled from the network’s schedule, PEOPLE can confirm.
Originally, Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide was slated to premiere on Aug. 8 following the Olympic Summer Games’ closing ceremony, before moving to a regular airing on Monday nights.
But on Friday, a network spokesperson told PEOPLE the show will not be ready to premiere out of the Tokyo Closing Ceremonies.
News of this debut delay comes after production on Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide was halted indefinitely on June 2, when a crew member on the show’s set in Simi Valley, California, tested positive for giardia — a microscopic parasite that, when swallowed, causes diarrheal disease.
At the time, only a week of scheduled production was left on the series.
Giardia can be found “on surfaces or in soil, food, or water that has been contaminated with feces from infected people or animals,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To determine the problem, water on set was tested by a third-party environmental lab in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and Ventura County Public Health.
Though samples from a well, pond, slide pool, water truck and restroom sinks all tested negative for giardia, results of additional testing came back on June 10 showing giardia in the set’s surrounding area.
“The health and safety of everyone on our set is our number one priority, so out of an abundance of caution we have made the decision to stop production of Ultimate Slip ‘N Slide at the current location,” a representative for Universal Television Alternative Studios, who is producing the show for NBC, said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time. “We are in the process of determining next steps in order to complete production.”
While it is not known how many people have been affected by the parasite, The Wrap previously reported that “up to 40 crew members fell violently ill” and the set experienced an outbreak of “awful explosive diarrhea” — with some people “collapsing” and “being forced to run into port-o-potties.”
At the time, a network spokesperson told the outlet that Moynihan, 44, and Funches, 38, were healthy and fine.
As of Friday, there are no plans for a new premiere date, a source told Deadline, who first reported the news.
