The biggest Ship of Fools project to date, The Ark (2003) was the world’s first internet reality gameshow, so far as we know. It was funded by Jerusalem Productions and produced by Specialmoves, the new media agency which produced Church of Fools for us in 2004.

Twelve biblical heroes, controlled on computer by contestants in their own homes and linked up via the internet, battled it out to stay on board our virtual Ark for 40 days and 40 nights. The internet audience voted the characters off one by one, until only the winner remained on board, having escaped the dreaded plank. He then stepped onto Mt Ararat to claim a cash prize of £666.

The Ark was a complex and challenging project which involved contestant auditions and support, game plotting and writing, marketing and the creation of news stories – as well as the animation and technical aspects. It included a website with educational and other resources.

The Ark received widespread media interest from around the world, and was nominated for a BIMA award.