Survival of the Fittest (Franchise)

**Survival of the Fittest** is a reality TV competition show, produced by ITV & broadcast on ITV2 and from the people behind popular love-based reality show; Love Island. The show invites several young adult boys and girls to a South-African based lodge, where they will be divided into two teams based on their gender and pitted against each other in challenges. The first season premiered on ITV2, February 11th,2018.

## Background

### Production

The show, then dubbed "the winter Love Island" was confirmed to be in production on August 24th,2014, first showing off a short trailer/promo for the show. It was stated that ; "Survival Of The Fittest will be based in the South African savanna and will see a group of young single men and women take part in physical and mental challenges against each other. So, kinda Love Island, but with an interesting spin.

What heats it up a little is the opportunities the contestants will have to go on dates with their rival team-mates, designed to test loyalties and group strength. Much like our fave summer-long ITV2 show, the winners will score a cash prize at the end, and viewers have the power to decide who stays and goes along the way."

Laura Whitmore (Strictly, I'm a Celeb: Extra Camp), was announced as the hostess of the show in December of the same year, alongside well-known comedian; Brennan Reece who would provide the voice-over narration for the show.

### Casting

Applications/auditions for the show began in September and required auditionees to audition for the show through the use of the application website; etribez and required all applicants to be of 18 years or older before auditioning.

The line-up for the show's first season would later be revealed on February 5th,2018, before the season's premiere on February 11th. an initial cast of 12 lodgers with six for each gender were revealed, with later additions coming in as replacements to each of the eliminated lodgers.

## Format

The format of SOTF, divides the girls and boys into two different teams, who would then go up against each other in various challenges for three weeks. There would be two different types of challenges; being elimination (these being known as Team Challenges) and reward, where one gender would be able to win either immunity from elimination or a reward. Lodgers are required to stay at the lodge during their down-time and are left to their own devices.

After winning a Team Challenge, one team will gain immunity from elimination and the members of the opposing team will be put up for elimination and the bottom three lodgers on the losing team would therefore be decided by the public, who would vote through the use of the show's app. The winning team would then have to choose who out of the bottom three lodgers would get the boot and therefore leave the lodge. Teams would usually go away to discuss this matter in private, before returning to announce the results. After elimination have taken place, a replacement lodger would arrive at the lodge. This process would continue up until the final week where there'd be no more replacements.

Rewards won through reward challenges, would often be rewarded to the two members of the specific team that won and they'd be able to decide whether or not to take "Dates" or "Mates" with them on either a day-out of the lodge or on a romantic night-out.

In the final week, as mentioned above there would be no more replacements for eliminated lodgers and the result would be completely down to the public vote as a whole. In the end there would be eight lodgers in the final, with four members for each team and the winning team would be decided through which team managed to finish the final challenge in the quickest time. This team would then win the show, however there would be a public vote to decide which member of the winning team was the fittest and would therefore win the cash prize. The winner would have the choice to either share the prize with their date or split it up between their team-members.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/survival-of-the-fittest-tv-show