For years fans have wondered if they would ever get a celebrity edition of Survivor. Unlike other reality shows, it’s not a format that necessarily lends itself to a special version.
Well, it seems like CBS has decided to take everything but the drama from its reality juggernaut, and create the new series, Beyond The Edge.
Premiering Wednesday, March 16 at 9 p.m. ET, the series finds nine celebrities “trading their worlds of luxury to live in the dangerous jungles of Panama, where they face off in epic adventures and endure the most brutal conditions, as they push themselves to go far beyond their comfort zone,” per a press release provided to The Root.
The cast includes NBA champion Metta World Peace, Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis, NFL legend/former coach Mike Singletary and TV personality Eboni K. Williams, joined by country singers Lauren Alaina and Craig Morgan, Full House star Jodie Sweetin, model Paulina Porizkova and former The Bachelor Colton Underwood. Boxing and MMA announcer Mauro Ranallo serves as host.
These types of shows always use the term “celebrity” very loosely, but this might be the most C-list group we’ve ever seen. A few weeks back CBS announced the cast of Celebrity Big Brother, and this lineup makes them look like superstars.
Beyond the Edge doesn’t have any eliminations or judges, so we don’t even get any of the backstabbing or drama that has popularized reality television. The participants earn money for their charities for each day they last in Panama and the challenges they win. If they decide they can’t continue, they ring a bell to leave the show. At the end of the competition, the two celebrities who’ve raised the most money, have a head-to-head challenge to see who will be the top earner.
“Beyond The Edge is the most extreme celebrity format ever attempted,” executive producer Greg Goldman said in a statement. “The day before we started principal photography, all of the producers looked at each other with the sinking feeling that this celebrity cast might see where they were living for up to two weeks—the harsh jungles of Panama—and just bolt. To the contrary, we were amazed by how these icons pushed themselves to their breaking points, showing incredible mental fortitude and physical tenacity. And all for an incredible cause: to raise money for charities that are near and dear to their hearts.”
Here’s the complete cast list and their charities:
- Lauren Alaina, Charity: The Next Door
- Ray Lewis, Charity: John Hopkins Children’s Center
- Craig Morgan, Charity: Operation Finally Home
- Metta World Peace, Charity: The Artest University
- Paulina Porizkova, Charity: ACLU Foundation
- Mike Singletary, Charity: Changing Our Perspective
- Jodie Sweetin, Charity: Girls Inc.
- Colton Underwood, Charity: Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation
- Eboni K. Williams, Charity: Safe Horizons
Beyond the Edge premieres Wednesday, March 16 at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.