If you didn’t think survival series Alone could get any tougher, Alone: The Beast is out to change your mind.
Usually, you don’t mess with success, and the format of Alone is about as successful as it gets. There’s been versions made around the globe, all sticking close to the same basic idea. (You can dive into seven wild seasons of , plus , and at SBS On Demand).
Alone is traditionally all about survival. Contestants are dropped into the wilderness all on their own with just a few tools and items to help them survive for as long as they can stand it. It’s as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one; when things go wrong, they’re on their own.
Alone: The Beast turns that on its head. For starters, the people struggling to survive in this version of Alone aren’t going it alone. They’re sent into the wild in teams of three, with the idea that they’ll work together to survive. As anyone who’s watched a reality series knows, peaceful co-operation is not the only possible outcome when three complete strangers are put together in an extremely stressful situation.
Across the six episodes of season one there are two main settings. For those struggling in the Arctic, they have to deal with the cold – and sometimes snow – while trying to make fire and keep themselves fed (though those set down near water can at least try to fish). Those left in the swamps of Louisiana face different challenges, including rain, predators and an environment where even drinking the water can be deadly.
This time, contestants have to work together to survive in the wild. Source: History / Leftfield Pictures
At least the contestants have their own highly developed skills to fall back on. In the first episode, big game hunter and mother of three Lindsay is one of the trio set down in the Arctic circle trying to survive, alongside Joe (wilderness skills) and Zane (owner of an outfitting business specialising in big game hunting). These three have skills and attitudes about survival that largely complement each other; as we see later on in the series, not all the contestants are so fortunate.
While two extra contestants have been added to the original ‘each contestant is alone’ premise, everything else has been taken away. The approach to survival in Alone: The Beast is simple: no weapons, no tools, just the clothes they came in with. They don’t even get a sharp stick – and without tools, how are they even going to sharpen a stick? With no shelter, no weapons, and no way to light a fire, this could be a very short series.
Adding to the sense that things could go badly wrong here is the fact that each episode focuses on a different trio of contestants (including Ben, the brother of Alone season 6 winner Jordan). Their task is to survive in their wilderness location for 30 days, with the time limit making each episode more of an endurance challenge. It’s one thing to try and last as long as humanly possible in the wild with no finish line. When you know you only have to hold on a few more days to “win”, you’re more willing to push on even when everything has gone wrong.
The contestants do get one thing to keep them alive: a single animal that’s been killed beforehand – hence “The Beast”. In theory, that’s plenty to get them started, especially as it’s not like they’re being given a rabbit or a squirrel (we’re talking larger animals like moose, feral hogs, or in one case, a musk ox). But again, our trio have no tools or equipment, so it’s not like they’re going to be turning the skin into a handy rug overnight.
The contestants have to rely on their own survival skills for shelter and fire. Source: History / Leftfield Pictures
Ben, front, and Nate need to work together if they hope to survive for 30 days. Source: History / Leftfield Pictures
It also quickly becomes obvious that having a big animal carcass with you in the wild can be something of a problem. If you can’t cook it, you can’t eat it. If you can’t figure out how to preserve it, it’s going to go bad quickly, and preserving an entire alligator is a big job even for professionals with professional equipment. There are a lot of other animals out in the wild who are very interested in a big chunk of meat that’s just lying around, and they’re not all that worried about some weaponless humans in their way.
It’s the need to co-operate that really drives Alone: The Beast. Each team is going to have to work together if they’re going to survive for 30 days in the wild. But as fans of the regular series know, the kind of people who are attracted to living rough in the wild aren’t always the kind of people who play well with others. In this series, if these rugged individuals can’t figure out how to work together, they’ll be going home alone.
Alone: The Beast premieres with the full season available from Tuesday April 5. Double episodes will also air weekly at 8.30pm Tuesday nights on SBS VICELAND from the same day. Stream the series now:
READ MORE
The enduring appeal of ‘Alone’
