The Challenge: USA in the Media

[AntFTW]

 

[Lantern7]

Check out the opening ceremonies when a dumpster is lit on fire!

ETA: Here's a cast list. Fitting we go from three Racers cast down to two. If Challenge USA hits hard, TAR might be doomed. Eh, probably not, but the lack of care for the fans still stings.

Edited July 11, 2023 by Lantern7

[AntFTW]

[AntFTW]

These clips are better than the entirety of Season 1 of USA.

[aghst]

On 5/22/2023 at 10:34 AM, AntFTW said:

 

Looks like they're going to release a lot of episodes in the first week:

Quote

The Challenge: USA season 2 will kick off with a two-part premiere, beginning Thursday, Aug. 10, at 10 p.m. ET/PT and continuing Sunday, Aug. 13, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. New episodes will air twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, for the first three weeks, before moving to just Thursdays on Aug. 31.

https://ew.com/tv/the-challenge-usa-season-2-full-cast-list/#:~:text=The Challenge%3A USA season 2 will kick off with a,CBS and streaming on Paramount%2B.

So two episodes on Aug 10, one on Aug 13 and then 2 episodes a week on Thursday and Sundays for the following two weeks before once a week on Thursday?

 

 

[Maverick]

 I don't get it.  They started all their summer programming late, presumably so they'd have something to air into the fall because of the strikes. But they keep burning everything off.  First Tough As Nails now this.  

[AntFTW]

Edited July 27, 2023 by AntFTW

[shantown]

I am confused why "The Challenge" and "The Challenge: USA" are two different shows if the cast of USA is going to be half veteran challengers anyway? Am I missing something? I thought the USA was going to be like the minor leagues... you make mark physically or dramatically there and you get drafted to The Challenge OG Show. This just seems like Season 39: Multiverse edition.

[aghst]

Do Survivor, BB and TAR get higher ratings than The Challenge on MTV?

You would think the casts on those CBS shows would potentially be bigger draws than the MTV cast.

So if anything, the USA edition potentially could draw more viewers.

[shantown]

5 hours ago, aghst said:

Do Survivor, BB and TAR get higher ratings than The Challenge on MTV?

You would think the casts on those CBS shows would potentially be bigger draws than the MTV cast.

So if anything, the USA edition potentially could draw more viewers.

In my head the global seasons should lead to the World Championship show and the various MTV/CBS reality shows should lead to the original Challenge show. You could have recent winners of the original show compete for the World Championship against the USA, UK, Australia, Argentina, etc. or have some sort of "Challenge: Ultimate Final" season to take the country-based set-up out of it. It made zero sense to me that international competitors were paired up with (majority American) Challengers on the first World Championship season. 

Either way, the first season of USA pretty much "battle of the CBS reality stars" which was fine (though plenty went directly to the original show too) but bringing in the established original show challengers just makes this a direct copy of the original show and I don't understand why they wouldn't just air OG season 39 on CBS. But that is probably why I'm not a network exec, lol.

[AntFTW]

13 hours ago, shantown said:

I am confused why "The Challenge" and "The Challenge: USA" are two different shows if the cast of USA is going to be half veteran challengers anyway? Am I missing something? I thought the USA was going to be like the minor leagues... you make mark physically or dramatically there and you get drafted to The Challenge OG Show. This just seems like Season 39: Multiverse edition.

7 hours ago, shantown said:

In my head the global seasons should lead to the World Championship show and the various MTV/CBS reality shows should lead to the original Challenge show. You could have recent winners of the original show compete for the World Championship against the USA, UK, Australia, Argentina, etc. or have some sort of "Challenge: Ultimate Final" season to take the country-based set-up out of it. It made zero sense to me that international competitors were paired up with (majority American) Challengers on the first World Championship season. 

Either way, the first season of USA pretty much "battle of the CBS reality stars" which was fine (though plenty went directly to the original show too) but bringing in the established original show challengers just makes this a direct copy of the original show and I don't understand why they wouldn't just air OG season 39 on CBS. But that is probably why I'm not a network exec, lol.

For me, once they tied the global seasons up with the World Championship and then included the OG Challengers on that, all of it became an extension of the same thing. In my view, they’ve effectively made the global seasons a part of the OG Challenge.

7 hours ago, shantown said:

Either way, the first season of USA pretty much "battle of the CBS reality stars" which was fine (though plenty went directly to the original show too) but bringing in the established original show challengers just makes this a direct copy of the original show and I don't understand why they wouldn't just air OG season 39 on CBS. But that is probably why I'm not a network exec, lol.

So we’re waiting on a season 39 of the OG show, and a season 4 of All Stars (mostly All Stars for me).

[AntFTW]

A 2.5 minute clip of the beginning of the first episode

Spoiler

 

 

[Lantern7]

1 hour ago, AntFTW said:

A 2.5 minute clip of the beginning of the first episode

  Hide contents

 

 

Apparently, there were no lessons learned from “Perfect Algorithm” beyond “make the gimmick easier to spell.”

Spoiler

Josh gets to pick a team. Surely he won’t fail and fall on his dumb face for the thousandth time. Surely.

Honestly, I’m torn between watching this live or What We Do In The Shadows on Thursday night. Why does this have to air at 10? 🙄

Edited August 8, 2023 by Lantern7

[AntFTW]

Clip of the first daily challenge

Spoiler

 

 

[DEL901]

https://people.com/the-challenge-wes-bergmann-on-retirement-7971841

Interesting retirement interview with Wes.

[luckyroll3]

On 9/22/2023 at 6:19 AM, DEL901 said:

https://people.com/the-challenge-wes-bergmann-on-retirement-7971841

Interesting retirement interview with Wes.

Love Wes being Wes, especially when he's trashing Josh!

[AncientNewbie]

It's social media, but...

Yesterday on IG Wes tried to say the retirement was real and, if you didn't believe him, send $100 to his venmo and he'd return $1000 if he's on S40. He really played up the surprise that so many people bit at what he was writing off as a joke comment. 

I find it funny because AS4 and S39 are both in the can. Whatever they are doing for S40, they've probably already started with location scouting and calling challengers, so it is not all that big a leap with a baby on the way that he won't be available in 6 months for a season. 

S41, on the other hand...

[DEL901]

At least Michele is self-aware…https://ew.com/tv/the-challenge-usa-michele-fitzgerald-exit-interview/

[DEL901]

From an inter Bananas gave here.  https://ew.com/tv/johnny-bananas-house-of-villains-premiere-the-challenge-usa-betrayal/

[AntFTW]

3 hours ago, DEL901 said:

From an inter Bananas gave here.  https://ew.com/tv/johnny-bananas-house-of-villains-premiere-the-challenge-usa-betrayal/

I watched House of Villains last night. It was hilarious!

[AntFTW]

5 hours ago, DEL901 said:

From an inter Bananas gave here.  https://ew.com/tv/johnny-bananas-house-of-villains-premiere-the-challenge-usa-betrayal/

Of course Johnny refers to himself as one of these stars/producers that carry the show. LOL

You know they often give 'behind the scenes' info on the official podcast, and I remember Tori mentioning that Johnny always tries to make sure the cameras are there to catch the drama. When Johnny is about to go start some shit, he'll tell the camera person to follow him; or when a camera person walks into the room and he's talking strategy, he'll restart the conversation just so that it's caught on camera. Johnny really plays to the cameras.

[AntFTW]

A New Challenge Spinoff or USA 3 in the Works