The CW and Roku are partnering on a competition series about surviving on a tropical island called Fight to Survive. Hosted by Akbar Gbajabiamila, the show premieres Thursday, August 10 on The CW. All eight episodes will stream on The Roku Channel and The CW app on September 29, the day after the season finale.
The CW calls the show “a social experiment in primitive survivalism.” Seventeen contestants, including veterans of Survivor, Alone, Naked and Afraid and American Ninja Warrior, must survive 25 days on a remote tropical island combatting harsh conditions, and each other, to win $250,000.
“In one of the most intense survival of the fittest competitions ever televised, the competitors battle one another for essential tools and resources in the fight to survive,” said The CW.
Gbajabiamila is a host on American Ninja Warrior. He’s also on CBS daytime show The Talk.
“By bringing together the best of The CW and the best of The Roku Channel, Fight to Survive will be able to reach the largest audience possible across both broadcast and streaming,” commented Brad Schwartz, president of entertainment, The CW, and Brian Tannenbaum, head of originals, Roku. “By working together in all aspects of distribution, marketing, press and advertising, we will expose this edge-of-your-seat series to millions of fans in brand new ways.”
The show is created by Kevin Lee for Tollbooth Television. He’s the executive producer.
“With its dynamic cast of reality personalities and an original unscripted format that ratchets up the intensity of the traditional competition series, Fight to Survive is an addicting summer series that we are thrilled to bring to The CW,” said Heather Olander, head of unscripted content, The CW, and Sean Boyle, head of adventure and exploration programming, Roku. “We cannot wait for viewers to join the fight!”
The contestants are Yuda Abitbol of Oahu, Hawaii; Nathaniel Allenby of San Diego; Amal Alyassiri of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Dani Beau of Mercer, Maine; Missy Byrd of Denver; Robby Canton of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Matthew Clarke of Yukon, Canada; Sarah Danser of Honolulu; Afften DeShazer of Chicago; Stephanie Gonzalez of Ocala, Florida; Keali’i Ka’apana of Orange County, California; Zane Kraetsch of Pasogo Springs, Colorado; Christina McQueen of Borden, Indiana; Jonathan Monroe of Panama City, Florida; Makani Nalu of Venice, California; J Ruiz of Tampa and Libby Vincek of Orange Beach, Alabama.
Alyassiri, Beau, Danser, DeShazer, McQueen, Borden, Monroe and Nalu were on Naked and Afraid. Byrd, Gonzalez and Vincek were on Survivor. Kraetsch was on Alone. Ruiz was on American Ninja Warrior.
