Naked and Afraid XL: Season 1

The Discovery Channel took the long-running reality program Survivor a step further in Naked and Afraid, placing pairs of contestants into remote, inhospitable locales where they were challenged to survive for three weeks. This spin-off series features 12 winners—six men and six women—who are divided into four three-person teams, and then plunked down naked in different Colombian locations. Each group has to confront a particular environment: one region is parched and rocky, a second is a jungle swamp, a third is a tropical forest, and the fourth is an insect-infested wilderness. Each person is provided with a knife and a map (along with a third item of his or her choosing), and an ultimate goal: to survive 40 days in the face of myriad dangers. As some contestants drop out, the remaining players are redistributed into two four-person teams who struggle to reach the predetermined extraction point. The most unusual aspect of the Naked and Afraid concept is that it provides no prizes to those who complete the challenge, aside from a personal sense of accomplishment. While that might lead viewers to respect the participants for subjecting themselves to such grueling punishment with no monetary motive, it also turns out that these are not the most likable, self-effacing folks. Some will not feel terribly sad when certain contestants get their comeuppance; most will also be happy that they are watching from the comfort of an armchair. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2015 debut season, this reasonably effective take on the Survivor formula is a strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)