CAUTION: This Post Contains Potential Spoilers, Please Read with Caution Below. But No Worries, It's Only Small & Minor Ones with Just Cast Info. To Prevent Trolls from Spoiling Things Below, Comments In This Post Have Been Turned Off.
BY DC CUEVA
It is now September and usually, those in the world of television look forward to this month more than any of the twelve months that make up one particular calendar year. It is that this is traditionally when all of the networks launch new programming for this new fall season, but things have changed thanks to the COVID pandemic that halted TV production back in the spring and has backtracked this year's autumn slate by just a few months.The slate of programming we're usually accustomed to as far as our primary beat here at DCBLOG of covering MTV Reality has been altered a bit: usually we'd be knee deep in covering its take on reality dating, but instead of covering Are You The One? and Ex On The Beach it's A Double Shot at Love that's taking center stage this summer (and we'll have the Pulse of the current episode coming up in a day or so) as well as Season 2 of Love Island USA taking place also in Las Vegas. The same situation goes for what brought us into MTV's biggest global franchise, as there hasn't been a fourth season of MTV Floribama Shore due also to the pandemic - but we do have a nice throwback story on that soon just after a dramatic third season of their cool neighbors over in Siesta Key.
But despite all of these challenges, production is now underway on Season 36 of The Challenge as the show will provide us with what we come to expect from the series while it now begins to adapt to new safety measures in production and standards as well, while staying true to what we love in every other aspect of the fifth major pro sport. And it's not too early for us take a look ahead: after the jump, we'll take a seat around the hotstove for a small peek at who is rumored to be on the cast and some aspects of what we should expect without of course spoiling things... and thanks for winding up this busy Sports Sunday with us.
Season 35 of Total Madness may not have been the best season ever after the racial controversy that surrounded a certain defending champion put a cloud over what was otherwise a good season that gave us a weekly escape from the madness going on with COVID, protests, politics and everything else in our imperfect world. Of course, The Challenge was the only meaningful sport that was going on during the several months' lockdown, and we were offered that silver lining of Johnny Bananas winning that seventh Challenge title while forming that unlikely alliance with Wes along the way.
That was then over there in the Czech Republic, and this is now: we are living in unparalleled times as safety and the health of everyone has become a much more prevalent thing in our new reality. Because this blogger thinks of both this site and YouTube channel collectively as "The Escape You Deserve," then we really don't need to rehash everything that has been explained in the past half-year -- but if you have been well-informed about what has gone on during this time frame, then those who are making this thing sing behind the scenes are taking things seriously in making sure all aspects of Season 36 of The Challenge goes along as smoothly as possible.
It's with this in mind that those who have been selected to compete on this season were sequestered for two weeks in Los Angeles prior to them leaving for the show just a couple weeks ago -- this was the same procedure that took place prior to Big Brother All-Stars with prospective houseguests also being quarantined prior to moving into that house. And just as it is with the ladder, there were also several alternates in place that would be ready to replace anyone at any time prior to production beginning, for the reason that in the event of a positive COVID test they would take their place. The list of those selected will be up at the end of this post, but not singling out who's been chosen.
The format of Season 36 still remains up in the air as far as the specifics go because, after all, they are early into the production of it. But early indications that this will be a different season from the past few: unlike the individual format of most previous seasons in this generation or the team-based one from War of the Worlds II, it will be a partner-based season like the Rivals seasons. However, word is that there is still individual-based eliminations along the line of what we had on War of the Worlds I, and the red skulls twist is presumably in play - obviously, it was the only way for the players to play their way into the final on Total Madness. And according to Vevmo, the tentative name for Season 36 is "Double Agents," along the line of Season 25 of Free Agents back in 2014.
The cast for this season does have something for everyone with a few surprises here & there - and again, this is not the full list - alternates are included here and we won't single them out to maintain a sense of suspense until we get there to the start line in the country of Iceland, home to this season.
ENTIRE CAST
WITH ALTERNATES
● AMBER B. (Big Brother 16) ROOKIE
● AMBER M. (Are You The One? Season 8) ROOKIE
● ANALYSE (Big Brother 21) ROOKIE
● ANEESA (Real World: Chicago) 3x FINALIST
● ASAF (AYTO4, BB Israel & So You Think You Can Dance)
● ASHLEY M. (Real World: Explosion) 2x CHAMP
● BREHANNA (Titan Games) ROOKIE
● CONNOR (The Bachelorette: Becca) ROOKIE
● CORY (Real World: Explosion & Teen Mom OG) 3x FINALIST
● CT (Real World: Paris) 3X CHAMP
● DARRELL (Road Rules Campus Crawl) 4x CHAMP
● DERRICK H. (Are You The One? Season 5)
● DEVIN (Are You The One? Season 3) 1x FINALIST
● FAYSAL/"Fessy" (Big Brother 20) C35 FINALIST
● GABBY (Love Island UK & Celebrity Big Brother) ROOKIE 🇬🇧
● JAY (Survivor: Millennials vs Gen X)
● JENNY (Survival of the Fittest) DEFENDING CHAMPION 🇬🇧
● JOE ALLEN (America's Got Talent) ROOKIE
● JOSH (Big Brother 19 - Winner)
● KAYCEE (Big Brother 20) CHAL35 FINALIST
● KYLE (Geordie Shore) 2x FINALIST
● LEROY (Real World Las Vegas II) 3x FINALIST
● LIONEL "Lio Rush" (WWE) ROOKIE
● LOLO JONES (Champs vs. Pros & Celebrity Big Brother) ROOKIE
● KAM (Are You The One? Season 5) 2x FINALIST
● MARK J. (Big Brother 19) ROOKIE
● MECHIE (Ex On The Beach Season 3) ROOKIE
● MORGAN L. (Temptation Island 2019) ROOKIE
● NAM (Netflix's Ultimate BeastMaster) ROOKIE
● NATALIE A. (Amazing Race and Survivor) ROOKIE
● NICOLE Z. (Real World Skeletons) 2x FINALIST
● NANY (Real World Las Vegas II) 2x FINALIST
● NELSON (Are You The One? 3) 1x FINALIST
● OLIVIA/"LIV" (Shipwrecked UK) ROOKIE 🇬🇧
● THERESA (Fresh Meat II) s26 FINALIST
● TULA/"BIG T" (Shipwrecked UK) 🇬🇧
● TORI (Are You The One? Season 4) 2x FINALIST
● WES (Real World: Austin) 2x CHAMP
A few notes above, starting with the most obvious of all: after doing every season since Rivals II, Johnny Bananas is finally taking a regular season off after winning that seventh title... but the good news is that, along with plenty more time with hang out with Jay's ex Morgan Willett, we will get to see more of his adventures on 1st Look TV (and we did a two-part ExtraTime story on that after winning Total Madness). Another is that Theresa is returning after a 6-year hiatus following her finals run on Battle of the Exes 2 and having a baby and getting married to NFL wide receiver TJ Jones. And there are plenty of rookies making their debut on Double Agents that will continue this show's progressive push into making the whole reality world their prospective draft pool, including most notably Lolo after what we saw on Champs vs. Pros and Celeb Big Brother II last year.
So, that's all we have for now in looking at A Challenge in a Whole New World... We'll talk to you in a day or so with the Pulse of A Double Shot at Love as Vinny's uncle Nino joins the party, and more on that Bachelor hooking up with that Jersey OG's baby mama. And we'll leave you with this important public service message as for the moment, see you then...
- I AM DC @DC408Dxtr
#TheEscapeYouDeserve
