Alone (TV series)

Alone is an American survival competition series on History. It follows the self-documented daily struggles of 10 individuals (seven paired teams in season 4) as they survive alone in the wilderness for as long as possible using a limited amount of survival equipment. With the exception of medical check-ins, the participants are isolated from each other and all other humans. They may "tap out" at any time, or be removed due to failing a medical check-in. The contestant who remains the longest wins a grand prize of $500,000 (USD) (increasing to $1 million in season 7). The seasons have been filmed across a range of remote locations, usually on Indigenous-controlled lands, including northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Nahuel Huapi National Park in Argentina, Patagonia, Northern Mongolia, Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories, and Chilko Lake in interior British Columbia.

Alone
Genre
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons10
No. of episodes116 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Russ McCarroll
  • Zachary Behr
  • Gretchen Palek
  • Shawn Witt
  • Zachary Green
  • Ryan Pender
  • Dan Bree
  • Rafael Monserrate
  • David George
  • Kiran Malhotra
  • Brent Montgomery
Running time60–90 minutes
Production companiesLeftfield Pictures
Release
Original networkHistory
Original releaseJune 18, 2015 (2015-06-18) –
present

The series premiered on June 18, 2015. On August 19, before the finale of season 1, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a second season, which would begin production in the fall of 2015 on Vancouver Island, Canada.[1] Season 2 premiered on April 21, 2016. Season 3 was filmed in the second quarter of 2016 in Patagonia, Argentina, and premiered on December 8.[2] One day before the season 3 premiere, History announced that casting had begun for season 4. Season 4 was set in Northern Vancouver Island with a team dynamic and premiered on June 8, 2017. Season 5 was set in Northern Mongolia and allowed losers from previous seasons to return and compete. It premiered on June 14, 2018. Season 6 premiered on June 6, 2019[3] and featured ten all-new contestants between the ages of 31 and 55. It was set just south of the Arctic Circle on a lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada.

The seventh season premiered on June 11, 2020. Participants attempted to survive for 100 days in the Arctic in order to win a $1 million prize. Season 9 sent contestants to the northeast of Canada in Labrador. A tenth season premiered on June 8, 2023.[4] Spin-offs and international versions of the series have also since been made.

Format and rules

General rules in all seasons

Contestants are dropped off in a remote wilderness area, far enough apart to ensure that they will not come in contact with one another.[5] The process begins in mid- to late autumn; this adds time pressure to the survival experience as the approaching winter causes temperatures to drop and food to become scarce. Although terrains may differ in each contestant's location, the drop-off zones are assessed in advance to ensure a similar distribution of local resources is available to each contestant.

Contestants each select 10 items of survival gear from a pre-approved list of 40, and are issued a kit of standard equipment, clothing and first aid/emergency supplies.[6] They are also given a set of cameras to document their daily experiences and emotions. Attempting to live in the wild for as long as possible, the contestants must find food, build shelters, and endure deep isolation, physical deprivation and psychological stress.

Contestants who wish to withdraw from the competition for any reason (referred to as "tapping out") may signal a rescue crew using a provided satellite telephone. In addition, medical professionals conduct periodic health checks on the contestants and may, at their discretion, disqualify and evacuate anyone they feel is unable to continue participating safely. The last remaining contestant wins a $500,000 (USD) cash prize.[5] Contestants are warned that the show might last for up to a year.[7]

Pairs format (Season 4)

Season 4 was also filmed in Northern Vancouver Island but included a team dynamic. Fourteen contestants, consisting of seven family-member pairs, were individually dropped off in remote areas of Northern Vancouver Island. The two members of each team chose 10 items of survival gear to be equally divided between them. The team chose one member to be taken to a campsite; the other began approximately 10 mi (16.09 km) away and was required to hike to the site, using only a compass and bearing to find the way. If either member tapped out or was medically evacuated, his/her partner was disqualified as well. The last remaining team won the $500,000 (USD) prize.

Season 5

Season 5 contestants were selected from non-winning contestants from Seasons 1 through 4. The rules were otherwise similar to Seasons 1 through 3.

Season 7

For Season 7, the contestants attempted to survive for 100 days in order to win a grand prize of $1 million. In an "Alone: Tales from the Arctic" segment at the end of each episode, host Colby Donaldson spoke post-season to the contestants featured in that episode about what occurred, accompanied by "never before seen footage."

Season 8

Season 8 was filmed in fall 2020 on the shores of Chilko Lake, British Columbia, a high-altitude glacial-fed lake on the dry eastern side of the Coast Mountains. The season reverts to the original format of the show, with the last person standing (regardless of time frame) declared the winner and awarded $500,000 (USD).[8]

Season 9

Season 9 was filmed in fall 2021 and set in the harsh weather conditions of Northeastern Labrador. The season featured two new digital content series: "The Ride Back", which focused on the emotions of the participants ahead of tapping out, and "Shelter From the Storm", an in-depth look at the ingenious shelters the participants build. Also, for the first time, the participants have to deal with a prey-stalking predator, the polar bear.[9]

Series overview
See also: List of Alone episodes
SeasonSubtitleLocationEpisodesOriginally airedDays LastedWinner(s)
First airedLast aired
1—Port Hardy, British Columbia11June 18, 2015 (2015-06-18)August 20, 2015 (2015-08-20)56Alan Kay
2—15April 21, 2016 (2016-04-21)July 14, 2016 (2016-07-14)66David McIntyre
3—Patagonia, Argentina12December 8, 2016 (2016-12-08)February 9, 2017 (2017-02-09)87Zachary Fowler
4Lost & FoundQuatsino, British Columbia12June 15, 2017 (2017-06-15)August 17, 2017 (2017-08-17)75Jim and Ted Baird
5RedemptionSelenge Province, Mongolia12June 14, 2018 (2018-06-14)August 16, 2018 (2018-08-16)60Sam Larson
6The ArcticGreat Slave Lake, Northwest Territories11June 6, 2019 (2019-06-06)August 22, 2019 (2019-08-22)77Jordan Jonas
7Million Dollar Challenge11June 11, 2020 (2020-06-11)August 20, 2020 (2020-08-20)100Roland Welker
8Grizzly MountainChilko Lake, British Columbia11June 3, 2021 (2021-06-03)August 19, 2021 (2021-08-19)74Clay Hayes
9—Nunatsiavut, Labrador11May 26, 2022 (2022-05-26)August 4, 2022 (2022-08-04)78Juan Pablo Quiñonez
10—Reindeer Lake, Saskatchewan11June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)August 17, 2023 (2023-08-17)66Alan Tenta
Specials——8April 14, 2016 (2016-04-14)June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08)——

Reception

The series received positive reviews in its first season and outstanding reviews for its third season, and earned 2.5 million total viewers, placing it in the top three new nonfictional cable series of 2015.[10]

Spin-offs

The first spin-off series of Alone is called Alone: The Beast, which premiered on January 30, 2020 and is broken up into 6 episodes. In this series, three people (per episode) attempt to survive in the wild for 30 days, with no tools or supplies except for their own clothing and a freshly killed animal. The first three episodes take place somewhere in the North American Arctic Circle, and each trio is provided either a 1,000-pound bull moose or musk ox. The last three episodes take place in the swamps of Louisiana, where they are given an alligator and wild boar, respectively. There are no prizes given for the winners other than honor/bragging rights.

In 2022, two new spin-off series were ordered. Alone: Frozen drops six former contestants on Labrador's east coast in the dead of winter, where they must survive for a set 50 days. The person or people who lasted that long split a cash prize of $500,000 (USD).[11] Alone: The Skills Challenge, brings back three former contestants who put their bushcraft skills to the test in head-to-head building competitions. Contestants are provided basic tools and can only use the natural resources around them. Both shows aired at the beginning of August after Season 9.[12]

Overseas Versions

In January 2017, a Danish version of the series premiered with the title Alone in the Wilderness (Danish: Alene i vildmarken) on DR3. It featured ten contestants and was filmed in northern Norway in the fall of 2016. Participants chose 12 items from a list of 18.[13] The winner of the Danish version gains nothing but the honor. Since 2017, six more seasons of Alone in the Wilderness have been produced.

In fall 2017, a Norwegian version aired with 10 contestants spread around a lake with fish. It was located near the tree line, so the collection of small birch trees left few land resources for contestants.

In February 2021, a Swedish version of the series premiered with the title Alone in the Wilderness (Swedish: Ensam i vildmarken). It featured eight contestants and was filmed in northern Norway.

In early 2022, an Australian version was announced by SBS following the success of the American version on the network and its streaming counterpart SBS On Demand. Titled Alone Australia, the series is produced by ITV Studios Australia and premiered on March 29, 2023. The series took place in a remote area of Tasmania's West Coast.[14] The American version of the show also airs on Pay-TV channel A&E via Foxtel.[15] An Alone pop-up channel began broadcasting on Foxtel on February 24, 2023 and ceased broadcasting on March 20, 2023.[16]

In August 2022, a British version was announced by Channel 4. The series is produced by The Garden[17] and premiered on August 6, 2023.

See also

References
  1. Patrick Hipes (August 19, 2015). "History's 'Alone' Survivalist Series Renewed For Season 2". Deadline. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  2. "History Channel scheduled Alone season 3 premiere date". Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  3. "Shows A-Z - alone on history". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  4. HISTORY [@HISTORY] (April 28, 2023). "10 participants. 10 items. 0 gimmicks. All for the 10th season of Alone. Don't miss #AloneOnHistory when it premieres Thursday, June 8 at 9/8c, only on The HISTORY Channel. t.co/7w5P6ZILy0" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023 – via Twitter.
  5. "Alone Full Episodes, Video & More". history.com. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  6. Xavier, Elise (July 10, 2015). "History's "Alone" Survival Gear Lists - Season 1 (Known Rules Included)". More Than Just Surviving. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  7. "History Channel Looks for "Alone" Contestants Season 2 - LiveOutdoors". LiveOutdoors. September 22, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  8. "Breaking News - The History(R) Channel's Hit Survival Series "Alone" Returns for Season Eight on Thursday June 3 at 9:30PM ET/PT". Thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  9. Murray, Rebecca (April 21, 2022). "Alone Season 9 Contestants to Face the Toughest Conditions to Date". ShowbizJunkies. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  10. Lisa de Moraes (April 15, 2015). "History Leaves 10 Survivalists 'Alone' For Summer". Deadline.com. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
  11. Elliott, Megan (July 24, 2022). "'Alone: Frozen': These 6 Contestants Will Return for the New Spinoff". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  12. Howell, Josie (August 4, 2022). "How to watch the newest 'Alone' spinoff series 'Alone: The Skills Challenge'". al. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  13. "Dr3 er alene i vildmarken". Dr.dk. Retrieved January 8, 2017
  14. Cain, Sian (March 28, 2023). "'It was horrible. It was glorious': Alone – the most gruelling show on TV – comes to Australia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  15. "Alone". Foxtel.
  16. Perry, Kevin (January 26, 2023). "FOX FUNNY, NAT GEO and NAT GEO WILD channels to be removed from FOXTEL and FETCH platforms". TV Blackbox. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  17. "The Garden brings Alone to Channel 4". Channel 4. August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
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