Real World/Road Rules Challenge
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| Real World/Road Rules Challenge | |
| Genre | Reality television game show |
|---|---|
| Created by | Mary-Ellis Bunim Jonathan Murray |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 17 |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | MTV |
| Original run | June 1, 1998 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | The Real World Road Rules |
Real World/Road Rules Challenge is a reality television game show on MTV that is both dependent on and spun off from the network's two flagship reality shows, The Real World and the now cancelled series, Road Rules. The title of the show was originally Road Rules: All Stars before it was changed to Real World/Road Rules Challenge in the show's second season. The series has had seven different hosts: T. J. Lavin, Dave Mirra, David Edwards, Gladys Sanabria, Eric Nies, Mark Long, and Jonny Moseley. T. J. Lavin has hosted the show since its eleventh season. After the second season, the show began using subtitles, such as Battle of the Seasons. Some seasons have had sequels, such as The Inferno which is tied to The Inferno II and The Inferno III. The seventeenth season premiered on April 8th, 2009 with The Duel 2.
Contents |
Format
Each Challenge pits numerous cast members from past seasons of Real World and Road Rules against each other (only the Fresh Meat Challenge has introduced new cast members that have never appeared on either The Real World or Road Rules), dividing them into two separate teams according to different criteria, such as by gender, which of the two shows they first appeared on, whether or not they're veterans or rookies on the show, etc. The two teams compete in numerous missions in order to win prizes and advance in the overall game. Following each mission, two cast members from each team are voted into an elimination round, in which they must compete against one another to determine which one is eliminated from the overall game and must leave the show. Determining which two cast members will be sent into the elimination round frequently leads to drama and contestants playing the game dirty.[1] Like that of The Real World, sporadically throughout the course of each episode, various contestants are seen privately giving confessionals about the events taking place on the show. Some seasons, however, have used entirely different formats from the typical; The Island is one Challenge in particular that adopted many features atypical to Real World/Road Rules Challenge, instead taking concepts like that of another reality television game show, Survivor. As another example, the first season (Road Rules: All Stars) ironically only included contestants from The Real World and consisted of a much smaller cast before the show was completely reconstructed by its second season. Except for season one, a monetary prize has always been the award for winning the final mission.
History
During the filming of The Real World: Boston and Road Rules: Islands, the two casts met while the Real World cast was vacationing in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Producers set up a face-off where both teams would compete for a cash prize. The intensely competitive challenge brought in high ratings and this set ideas in motion to produce yet another spin-off series. In 1998, the Challenge series was born with Road Rules: All Stars.
After All Stars, producers decided to include former castmembers of Road Rules in as well. In the next season, two six-member teams were sent around the world in a competition to see which show could best the other in head-to-head competition. The series followed the format for three years and brought in hugely successful ratings.
Following the hugely successful boom of reality television in the new millennium, producers decided to add new elements to the series. In 2001, production began on Battle of the Seasons. This season, the first to depart from the previous six-member structure, brought in a large group of former cast members to compete in one location. During the filming of this season, it was heavily rumored that the Challenge would borrow heavily from the hugely popular reality television show, Survivor. Cast members were "voted off the island" and for a short time during production, it was rumored that the cast was sleeping outside in tents. (This later proved to be false as the cast stayed in a five-star resort.)
Beginning with the Battle of the Seasons, MTV added a fantasy challenge game to their website. Players "draft" cast members, a la fantasy baseball and cast members are given points for performing certain tasks, such as cursing or "hooking up."
After switching to the "vote off" format, the series would alternate between "Battle" seasons, including two seasons of Battle of the Sexes and themed Challenges which included the Gauntlet and Inferno seasons. Both the Gauntlet and Inferno seasons contained "showdown" matches between members of the two opposing teams. The cast member who lost the showdown would be sent home. The Gauntlet seasons featured an intra-cast dynamic as teams were forced to vote off cast members within their own groups into the showdown, while the Inferno seasons featured an inter-cast dynamic as teams were forced to vote off cast members from the other group into the showdown.
In 2005, Bunim-Murray Productions decided to invite new people to the Challenges who were never a part of either Real World or Road Rules. This decision was forced, in part, because of the status of Road Rules at the time. While Road Rules had stopped production until further notice after its fourteenth season, Real World had just finished wrapping its sixteenth season in Austin, Texas.
The Reunion Special
Like its predecessor show (The Real World), a trademark of Real Word/Road Rules Challenge is ending each season with an hour-long show entitled "The Reunion Special". This season finale show consists of all the winners of that season, along with the season's most controversial competitors who were just short of winning—all seated before a small audience on a sofa. Across from them is always a popular MTV host (such as Vanessa Minnillo, Susie Castillo, Carlos Santos, Lindsay Rodriguez or Maria Menounos) to conduct the session. The host interrogates each of the competitors on the most controversial choices they made over the season, leaving the Challenge members to give their reasoning behind those choices. The Reunion focuses on notable situations that took place, clearing up of any misconceptions, heated discussions, revealing of juicy moments that weren't shown on television, and generally getting everything out in the open (such as backstabbing, gossip, and conspiracies unknown to certain Challenge members). Because MTV alternates between showing seasons of The Real World and Real World/Road Rules Challenge, a preview of the upcoming Real World season always ends Real World/Road Rules Challenge Reunion Specials.[2]
Veterans and Rookies
Two terms commonly used on Real World/Road Rules Challenge are "veterans" (or vets) and "rookies". Veterans are particularly thought of as players that have won at least one Challenge season, but the term has also been applied to players who have several Challenge seasons under their belt that they have made it to the final stages of—either as a winner or a runner-up. Rookies are thought of as players that haven't done either. The most vulnerable rookies are those who have just recently completed their season on The Real World or Road Rules and are participating in the game for their very first time; often they are the first to be singled out and targeted by everyone else and end up being unsuccessful overall in the game.
Fresh Meat
Although most of the participants originally appeared on either The Real World or Road Rules, Real World/Road Rules Challenge has introduced new participants as well. A dozen cast members made their first appearance on Real World/Road Rules Challenge, all of whom debuted on the Fresh Meat Challenge. The cast members that first appeared on Real World/Road Rules Challenge are:
| Contestant | Additional Challenges | Challenges won |
|---|---|---|
| Aviv Melmed | Fresh Meat | |
| Casey Cooper | The Duel, The Gauntlet 3 | |
| Chanda Tomlinson | ||
| Diem Brown | The Duel, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | |
| Eric Banks | The Duel, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | |
| Evan Starkman | The Duel, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | The Duel 2 |
| Evelyn Smith | The Inferno III, The Gauntlet 3, The Island | The Inferno III, The Island |
| Jesse Stark | ||
| Johnnie McBride | ||
| Kenny Santucci | The Duel, The Inferno III, The Gauntlet 3, The Island | The Inferno III, The Island |
| Linette Gallo | ||
| Ryan Kehoe | The Gauntlet 3, The Island, The Duel 2 |
Seasons
Four or more Challenge appearances
As of The Duel 2
| # | Cast member | Original season | Challenge seasons | Challenge seasons won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Beth Stolarczyk | The Real World: Los Angeles | The Real World/Road Rules Challenge (season), Battle of the Seasons, Battle of the Sexes, The Inferno II, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel, The Gauntlet 3 | |
| 7 | Derrick Kosinski | Road Rules: X-Treme | Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, The Gauntlet 2, Fresh Meat, The Duel, The Inferno III, The Island | The Inferno III, The Island |
| 7 | Katie Doyle | Road Rules: The Quest | The Gauntlet, The Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2, Fresh Meat, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | The Inferno |
| 7 | Robin Hibbard | The Real World: San Diego | Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel, The Gauntlet 3, The Island, The Duel 2 | |
| 7 | Tonya Cooley | The Real World: Chicago | Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, Fresh Meat, The Inferno III, The Island | The Inferno III |
| 7 | Veronica Portillo | Road Rules: Semester at Sea | Challenge 2000, Battle of the Seasons, Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet, The Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II | Challenge 2000, The Gauntlet, The Inferno |
| 6 | Abram Boise | Road Rules: South Pacific | The Gauntlet, The Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, The Inferno III, The Island | The Inferno, The Inferno III |
| 6 | Aneesa Ferreira | The Real World: Chicago | Battle of the Sexes, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel, The Inferno III, The Duel 2 | |
| 6 | Brad Fiorenza | The Real World: San Diego | Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | |
| 6 | Chris CT Tamburello | The Real World: Paris | The Inferno, The Inferno II, The Duel, The Inferno III, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | |
| 6 | Coral Smith | The Real World: Back to New York | Battle of the Seasons, The Gauntlet, The Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, Fresh Meat, The Gauntlet 3 | Battle of the Seasons |
| 6 | Rachel Robinson | Road Rules: Campus Crawl | Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, The Island. The Duel 2 | The Gauntlet, The Duel 2 |
| 5 | Julie Stoffer | The Real World: New Orleans | Extreme Challenge, Battle of the Sexes, The Inferno, The Inferno II, The Gauntlet 2 | Extreme Challenge |
| 5 | Kenny Santucci | Fresh Meat | Fresh Meat, The Duel, The Inferno III, The Gauntlet 3, The Island | The Inferno III, The Island |
| 5 | Mark Long | Road Rules: USA - The First Adventure | The RW/RR Challenge, Battle of the Sexes, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel 2 | The RW/RR Challenge, Battle of the Sexes, |
| 5 | Mike Mizanin | The Real World: Back to New York | Battle of the Seasons, The Gauntlet, The Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II | Battle of the Seasons, The Inferno II |
| 5 | Paula Meronek | The Real World: Key West | The Duel, The Inferno III, The Gauntlet 3, The Island, The Duel 2 | |
| 5 | Tina Barta | Road Rules: South Pacific | The Gauntlet, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, Fresh Meat, The Duel | |
| 4 | Adam King | The Real World: Paris | Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | |
| 4 | Clyde Ace Amerson | The Real World: Paris | The Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2, The Inferno III | |
| 4 | Darrell Taylor | Road Rules: Campus Crawl | The Gauntlet, The Inferno, The Inferno II, Fresh Meat | The Gauntlet, The Inferno, The Inferno II, Fresh Meat |
| 4 | Diem Brown | Fresh Meat | Fresh Meat, The Duel, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | |
| 4 | Eric Banks | Fresh Meat | Fresh Meat, The Duel, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | |
| 4 | Ev Smith | Fresh Meat | Fresh Meat, The Inferno III, The Gauntlet 3, The Island | The Inferno III, The Island |
| 4 | Evan Starkman | Fresh Meat | Fresh Meat, The Duel, The Gauntlet 3, The Duel 2 | The Duel 2 |
| 4 | Johnny Devenanzio | The Real World: Key West | The Duel, The Inferno III, The Gauntlet 3, The Island | The Island |
| 4 | Ruthie Alcaide | The Real World: Hawaii | Battle of the Sexes, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel 2 | |
| 4 | Ryan Kehoe | Fresh Meat | Fresh Meat, The Gauntlet 3, The Island, The Duel 2 | |
| 4 | Shane Landrum | Road Rules: Campus Crawl | Battle of the Sexes, The Inferno, Battle of the Sexes 2, Fresh Meat | |
| 4 | Syrus Yarbrough | The Real World: Boston | Extreme Challenge, Battle of the Sexes, The Inferno, The Gauntlet 2 | Extreme Challenge |
| 4 | Theo Vonkurnatowski | Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour | Battle of the Seasons, The Gauntlet, Battle of the Sexes 2, Fresh Meat | The Gauntlet, Battle of the Sexes 2 |
| 4 | Timmy Beggy | Road Rules: USA - The Second Adventure | Battle of the Seasons, The Inferno, The Gauntlet 2, The Inferno III | The Inferno |
Notes
External links
- Official MTV Real World / Road Rules Challenge site for Duel II
- TV.com series reference page
- TVGuide.com series reference page
- Real World/Road Rules Challenge at TV.com
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