With most scripted television shows retiring for the summer, NBC is rolling out a new “reality” series called ‘Siberia’ that they hope mixes the usual competitive spirit of shows like ‘Survivor’ and ‘The Amazing Race’ with a twist. Sure enough, a dozen+ pretty cast members who would probably be just as happy chilling in the Big Brother house have been dropped in the wilderness of Siberia and tempted with a $500,000 cash prize if they can make it through the winter. Unlike the other reality competitions on the air, there are almost no rules here. The contestants can do whatever they want as long as they survive. No one gets “voted off the island.” The only way out is to voluntarily exit the playing field into a safe zone and summon a helicopter to whisk them to safety.
The 13 episode drama series brings together the concept of reality show competition with a found footage touch mixed in with some supernatural elements as things go horribly wrong in the wilderness the contestants are dropped off in. The contestants are housed in an abandoned village where, supposedly, the former inhabitants mysteriously vanished, fires still burning, food still cooking. And toward the end of the first episode, another Blair Witch-esque twist takes the cast by surprise. It appears that being on this show could be lethal!
While the official debut on TV is July 1st (next Monday), the first full episode is now available online. You can watch it below:
What do you think? Is NBC pushing the definition of what constitutes “reality” TV? Or are these guys for real? (Uh, just pssst, NBC isn’t going to let a contestant on a reality show die on camera… just sayin’.) Could this be the guilty pleasure of summer? Comment below with your opinions!
