Alone (TV series)

Alone
Genre	Reality Survival
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	24
Production
Executive producer(s)	Russ McCarroll Zachary Behr Gretchen Palek Shawn Witt David George Brent Montgomery
Running time	45 minutes
Production company(s)	Leftfield Pictures
Distributor	History Channel
Release
Original network	History
Original release	June 18, 2015 (2015-06-18) – present
External links
Website

Alone is an American reality television series on History, from executive producers Russ McCarroll and Zachary Behr for History and Gretchen Palek, Shawn Witt, David George, and Brent Montgomery of Leftfield Pictures. The series is filmed in northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, following the self-documented day-to-day lives of 10 individuals as they attempt to survive in the wilderness for as long as possible. The participants are isolated from each other and all human contact, and the one who remains on the island the longest wins a grand prize of $500,000. The series premiered on June 18, 2015.

On August 19, 2015, 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 spring of 2016 in Patagonia, and is scheduled to premiere on December 8.^[2]

Format

Ten contestants are dropped off in remote areas of Northern Vancouver Island, far enough apart that they will not come in contact with each other.^[3] Contestants each select 10 items of survival gear from a pre-approved list of 50, and are issued a kit of standard equipment, clothing, and first aid/emergency supplies.^[4] 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 hunt for food, build shelters, and fend off predators while enduring extreme isolation and psychological distress. 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. The last remaining contestant wins a $500,000 cash prize.^[3] Contestants are warned that the show might last for up to a year.^[5]

Reception

The series received positive reviews and earned a respectable 2.5 million total viewers, placing in the top three new nonfictional cable series of 2015.^[6]

Series overview

Season 1

The first season premiered on August 10, 2015. It was won by Alan Kay, who lost over 60 pounds during the course of the season. His staple foods were limpets and seaweed. He also consumed mussels, crab, fish, and slugs.^[7] Lucas Miller enjoyed his time on the show and was selected based on his work as a wilderness therapist. His most difficult experience with the show was making honest confessions to the camera.^[8] Sam Larson described his time on the show as "playing in the woods". He set a goal for himself to last 50 days. After he reached his goal a large storm hit the island. He described the storm as larger than he had yet seen and decided to leave the island. Larson said that the loneliness and solitude took the most time to adjust to and that his preparation for the show mostly consisted of mental preparation.^[9]

Location

The first season was shot in Quatsino Territory, located near Port Hardy, British Columbia.

Quatsino

Location of Quatsino in British Columbia

Quatsino is a small hamlet of 91 people located on Quatsino Sound in Northern Vancouver Island, Canada only accessible by boat or float plane. Its nearest neighbour is Coal Harbour, to the east, about 20 minutes away by boat, and Port Alice, to the south, about 40 minutes away by boat. The largest town in the region, Port Hardy, is located about an hour northeast by boat and vehicle.

Episodes

Contestants

Contestants are supplied with a satellite phone to choose when to "tap out", contacting a rescue team and ending their participation.

Season 2

Season 2 began on April 21, 2016.^[3] The season had 13 one hour episodes.^[27]

Location

The second season was also set on Vancouver Island, back in Quatsino Territory, located near Port Hardy, British Columbia.

Quatsino

Location of Quatsino in British Columbia

Episodes

Contestants

Contestants are supplied with a satellite phone to choose when to "tap out", contacting a rescue team and ending their participation.

References