Scrapheap Challenge events. Examples of challenges included making a jet car, a bridging machine, a car-crusher, and a machine to fling a British Leyland Mini as far as possible. Assistant producer Eve Kay had the idea for the show after watching a scene in the movie "Apollo 13", where NASA engineers had only a short period of time to construct a carbon dioxide filter out of parts available on the space capsule. The show also draws its inspiration from the 1980s TV series "The Great Egg Race". The UK show was originally presented by Robert Llewellyn, joined in series 2-4 by producer
Challenge coin film director Jon Favreau notes that he had "Iron Man 2" challenge coins made to distribute to United States Air Force personnel as a gesture of thanks for their cooperation while the production (and its predecessor, "Iron Man") filmed on location at Edwards Air Force Base. Bill Prady, executive producer of "The Big Bang Theory", recently gave the "Big Bang Theory" "executive producer's challenge coin" to the crew of the last space shuttle. On the "Rockets" episode of "Lock N' Load with R. Lee Ermey", R. Lee (Gunny) Ermey presents a challenge coin to 2nd Lt. Carr as a reward