Syfy’s newest foray into reality TV features an unusual culture clash: the contestants are divided into two teams, with one team living in a futuristic house of luxury (deemed “The Future”) and the other living caveman-style on a diet of carrots and bread (“The Past”). The two teams are separated by a glass wall where they can watch each other go about their day between challenges. Not surprisingly, this brings out an ugly side in some contestants as the haves gloat over the have-nots, watching them like they are zoo animals locked in a habitat. There is no rhyme or reason to why one team ended up in the future and the other team in the past for the start of the show but this seems to set up an inherently unfair advantage for the future team (Chronos) over the past team (Epoch). For the challenges, the teams are brought to “the present” where they compete for the right to pick which lifestyle they would like. Win or lose, one member per team competes in an elimination round. Viewers vote to select which team can decide who to send in, as well as who receives a reward or punishment (being determined by contestants’ popularity).
The first two episodes had me thinking about what makes for a successful, enjoyable Survivor-style reality competition and what mistakes should be steered clear of. For me, there are a few key components that determine the success of any given show or season: stakes, cast, host, and challenges.
Stakes
Survivor is a prime example of high-stakes. Throughout the show’s run, twelve contestants have been evacuated due to illness or injury (whether they opted to leave, or, more commonly, the show decided they had to leave for safety reasons). Countless others were injured but not so seriously that they could not remain in the game. Plenty of contestants have quit because they could not handle the mental strain of playing. No one questions whether or not Survivor is a potentially dangerous game and this sells a show about survival.
In the case of Opposite Worlds, the first challenge yielded two injuries. One, a broken leg, forced a player out of the game. Contestants climbed to the top of a platform where they could pick up sticks to give each other electric shocks and attempted to knock their opponent off the platform. But where Survivor’s injuries feel like a natural consequence of being in a physical game, the broken leg in Opposite Worlds felt more like poor safety planning. Typically, a challenge like this is done over water in Survivor, so that there is less risk of landing badly. (When that is not the case, there is a lot more cushioning than it looked like this had–a few times it actually looked like a contestant was close to landing off that mat.) Stakes are important, but those stakes should come from the high level of competition, not a poor effort to keep the contestants safe. Who wants to lose a player in the first round, before we even get the chance to know him?
Cast
To a degree, this category is largely out of the hands of the show. They attempt to cast interesting, diverse people who will create drama, but you never know how they will react until they are on set. Survivor has had great seasons–no one will forget the introduction of Russell Hantz–and terrible seasons, mostly due to who was cast. This is the reason that All Star seasons are typically so dynamic. The cast is selected from the most talented and entertaining pool of past contestants. You’re all but guaranteed a good show. MTV’s The Challenge has an advantage here, since the pool of contestants are always from past shows and they know they can always count on people like CT, Paula, and Wes to bring both high levels of competition and high levels of drama. (My friends say this is a show I should be embarrassed to admit to watching, but I say there’s no shame. The show has been running for 25 seasons for a reason–people are watching.)
A new show like Opposite Worlds, does not have this luxury of a guaranteed performance. Unfortunately, the cast has, in the first two episodes, proved to be almost completely unmemorable. Jeffry is the only memorable competitor, primarily because he is not particularly nice and is the only one who seems to truly be scheming and playing the game. Everyone else is just one big happy family. The only other tensions that seem to exist is that people on Epoch are upset with Jesse for injuring their teammate by making an illegal play. (Watching the show, I think it was an accident, not done maliciously, so it does not make him stick out much.) The cast is otherwise simply too agreeable. I don’t think it is entirely the cast’s fault though. The show does not spend much time with them, instead spending it on letting the host, Luke Tipple, explain what is going on and competing at the challenge itself. This may be the show’s fatal flaw–it prevents the audience from getting invested in the contestants’ futures.
NEXT: Hosts, Challenges, and The Problem
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