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Finance/Discovery Channel - Kellie Nightlinger and Erroll James Snyder in Discovery Channel's new reality show, "Naked and Afraid". |
Discovery Channel
is baring it all for its new survival series.
Several other
reality survival series have already tested participants’ ability to hunt and
create shelter. Discovery chose to up the ante, dropping cast members into
remote, wild locations–completely nude. The show is sure to test the limits of
what the public will accept from reality shows.
“Naked and Afraid”
will feature two complete strangers, one man and one woman, for 21 days as they
attempt to survive and navigate their way to a predetermined extraction point,
one to 10 miles from their drop-off location. Each episode features a different
couple in a different location and will premiere June 23.
As part of the
show, the survivalists’ are allowed one personal item of their choosing. They
are also given a “rudimentary map” and Go Pro cameras, “which were rolling at
all times,” according to Denise Contis, an executive producer on the show.
While navigating
the terrain of the Maldives, Panama and Boreo may have been a first time
experience for the participants, all of whom classify themselves as
“survivalists,” nudity is no longer uncharted water for the network.
“Naked Castaway,”
which premiered in April, featured explorer Ed Stafford as he survived for 60
days sans food, clothing or tools on a deserted Fijian island.
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“We wanted
scenarios that are so real they are unreal,” said Contis, referring to the
premise of “Naked and Afraid.”
The cable network,
which has produced such documentaries as “Planet Earth” and “Africa” and built
their non-fiction programming with “Shark Week,” has increasingly turned from
documentaries to the unscripted reality genre to attract new viewers.
“We are telling a
magnetic story with compelling characters and a vicarious exploration,” said
Contis. “’Naked and Afraid’ touches all or a lot of the key components to our
programming.”
In addition to the
survivalists’ camera footage, a four-person crew tracked and shot the couple at
all times. Once a day everyday, producers would collect the memory cards from
the participants’ cameras and check the batteries.
The crew got
involved on more than one occasion, when people were depleted or in an
emergency situation. But Contis said she does not believe that interfered with
the overall show. “There is no manipulation, no element of scripted reality,”
she said.
When asked about
the potential dangers for the participants, Contis said, “I don’t know that
they were very clearly in danger. They were placed in this location, where and
how they survived and if they traveled at all, that was up to them.”
Executive producer
Steven Rankin was bitten by a Fer-de-lance snake during filming and nearly lost
his foot in Costa Rica. He later tweeted a gruesome photo of his injury.
Contis also denied
that Discovery was aiming for any shock value. “It’s the ultimate survival
show. Neither of them have clothes and by the time they are on the ground it is
a complete non-issue.”
From a production
standpoint, Contis also said that the show was not shot any differently due to
the participants’ nudity, and that certain areas would be blurred out for
broadcast.
The show went
through a 10-month pre-production development period, where locations were
scouted and the participants were chosen.
Discovery Channel,
part of Discovery Communications, is distributed to 100 million homes in the
U.S. and over 180 countries.