TNT is taking a first step into the reality series arena – they’ve ordered ten episodes of The Great Escape to air in the summer of 2012. According to their announcement, we can expect plenty of action from this series which hopes to combine reality competition with the excitement of an action/adventure film.
Hosted by Rich Eisen, The Great Escape will pit three teams of ordinary people against each other to get through a real-life foray into the plot of an action-packed epic adventure film. Contestants will be forced to use all of their wits and skills to escape from locations that range from real-live nightmares such as prisons or sinking ships to fantastical adventure sets such as ancient castles. They’ll be pursued closely and face a variety of obstacles and have to overcome them to get away and escape to freedom.
Ron Howard is among the highly experienced big names on board as executive producers for the show, the first unscripted series for TNT which has had plenty of other success with original programming. TNT is hoping to create something with “all the heart-pounding excitement and nail-biting suspense of a summer popcorn movie” according to TNT’s executive vice-president and head of programming for TNT and affiliates TBS and TCM, Michael Wright.
The Great Escape will be entering a market that hasn’t had much to show for itself lately. Survivor just doesn’t have the same excitement it once had. Award winner The Amazing Race might be the only similar show on the air that provides any real competition for this new series. We’ll have to wait and see whether it can fill the void or simply fall into it instead.
