Australian Spartan

Australian Spartan is an Australian sports entertainment and reality competition television series. An adaptation of the American format Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge, it is hosted by Edwina Bartholomew and Hamish McLachlan with Wendell Sailor as sideline reporter. The series follows teams of contestants obstacle racing through courses based on spartan races. The first season premiered on the Seven Network on 25 February 2018.

Australian Spartan
Genre
Presented by
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes10
Production
Production companies
Release
Original network
Original release25 February 2018 (2018-02-25) –
4 December 2019 (2019-12-04)
Related
Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge

Background and production

The format was first rumoured in August 2017, following the recent surprise success of Nine Network series Australian Ninja Warrior, which is of a similar genre. The Seven Network wanted to capitalise on the popularity of fitness-themed programming, and sought a related format.[1][2] A casting notice for Australian Spartan was announced the following month[3] with Seven confirming it was the broadcaster weeks later, with Matchbox Pictures and Eureka Productions producing the program.[4]

Edwina Bartholomew and Hamish McLachlan were announced as co-hosts in November 2017[5] with Wendell Sailor joining the hosting team the following month.[6] The series is filmed in Brisbane[7] with funding from the Government of Queensland's Screen Queensland.[8] Two seasons of the show were filmed prior to the first season's broadcast.[9]

The original American format Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge airs in Australia on subscription television channel FOX8.[4]

Broadcast

The series was expected to air in the second quarter of 2018, after the Seven Network's broadcast of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[10] However, the show's debut was brought forward to 25 February 2018 to precede the Seven Network's coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony.[11] After two episodes being aired, the show was bumped from the Sunday primetime slot, returning during the Easter non-ratings period.[12]

Because of the first season's mediocre ratings, the already shot second season was shelved for more than a year before it was announced that it would premiere on 6 November 2019 at 7:30pm on Seven’s multichannel, 7mate.[13]

Format

The show begins with sixty teams consisting of three competitors each, with 20 teams each competing in three initial heats. The top 5 teams from each of the heats (who have completed the course or have progressed the farthest if they had not) then repeat the same course in the semi-final, resulting in a top 10 who take on each other in an extended course. The top 2 teams then compete head to head for the grand prize on a special, shortened course.

Obstacles

The main course is divided into two zones, a dry zone and a wet zone. Both feature water; in the dry zone any competitor who touches the water results in their team instantly ending their run, while the wet zone features obstacles that are within or flooded by water. Some obstacles also involve time limits.

Viewership

Season 1
No. Title Air dateTimeslot Overnight ratingsConsolidated ratingsTotal
viewers		 Ref(s)
ViewersRankViewersRank
1 Heat 1 25 February 2018Sunday 7:00pm 816,000532,0005848,000 [14][15]
2 Heat 2 4 March 2018Sunday 7:00pm 524,0001021,00010545,000 [16][17]
3 Heat 3 25 March 2018Sunday 7:00pm 462,000910,00012472,000 [18][19]
4 Semi-final 26 March 2018Monday 7:30pm 401,000———401,000 [20]
5 Final 2 April 2018Monday 7:30pm 447,0001621,00015468,000 [21][22]

References
  1. Carmody, Broede (3 August 2017). "Seven Network poised to capitalise on Nine's Australian Ninja Warrior success". The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  2. Knox, David (3 August 2017). "Rumour: Seven mulling Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge?". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  3. Knox, David (2 September 2017). "Auditions: Australian Spartan". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  4. Knox, David (29 September 2017). "Seven confirms Australian Spartan". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  5. "Seven Unveils Hosts For 2018's Australian Spartan". B&T. 5 November 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  6. Carmody, Broede (11 December 2017). "Rugby legend Wendell Sailor joins Seven's Australian Spartan". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  7. Symonds, Kristy (12 October 2017). "Channel 7's Australian Spartan to be filmed in Queensland". The Courier-Mail. News Corp. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  8. "Brisbane rises to the challenge with Australian Spartan". Screen Queensland. 20 December 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  9. Knox, David (3 April 2018). "Sydney trio wins Australian Spartan". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  10. Knox, David (28 October 2017). "Seven 2018: programming grid". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  11. Knox, David (19 February 2018). "Airdate: Australian Spartan". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  12. Knox, David (5 March 2018). "Gone: Australian Spartan". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 5 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  13. Perry, Kevin; Ryan, Aaron (27 October 2019). "Second Season of AUSTRALIAN SPARTAN Finally Gets A Premiere Date". TV Blackbox. Archived from the original on 27 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  14. Knox, David (26 February 2018). "Sunday 25 February 2018". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  15. Knox, David (10 March 2018). "Timeshifted: Sunday 25 February 2018". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  16. Knox, David (5 March 2018). "Sunday 4 March 2018". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 5 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  17. Knox, David (14 March 2018). "Timeshifted: Sunday 4 March 2018". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  18. Knox, David (26 March 2018). "Sunday 25 March 2018". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  19. Knox, David (8 April 2018). "Timeshifted: Sunday 25 March 2018". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  20. Knox, David (27 March 2018). "Young Sheldon launches to 1.05m viewers". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  21. Knox, David (3 April 2018). "Monday 2 April 2018". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  22. Knox, David (14 April 2018). "Timeshifted: Monday 2 April 2018". TV Tonight. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
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