I've been posting about ABC's Expedition Impossible on a semi-regular basis lately, and tonight we'll finally get the chance to see if it has been worth the hype. It has been getting promoted fairly heavily in the past few weeks, in part because it is summer now, and there simply isn't much to watch on TV. But that said, from the promos I've seen so far, this looks like it'll be a fun diversion for those looking to watch an interesting competition, that doesn't deal with singing or dancing, set in an exotic locale.
For those who have some how managed to avoid the promos, Expedition Impossible looks to be a mash-up of The Amazing Race and the sport of adventure racing. When the show launches tonight, it'll have 13 teams of three racing against one another for a $150,000 prize. Each week they'll face both mental and physical challenges, as they race to a series of checkpoints, with the last team to arrive presumably being eliminated. We'll find out more about the exact format tonight, but it seems there will be a mix of puzzle solving, navigation, climbing, running, and more.
The show is the latest creation of Mark Burnett, who has a background in adventure racing having produced the legendary Eco-Challenge races back in the 90's. While the premiere episode of the show is airing tonight, Burnett will be live Tweeting the show, offering some behind the scenes insights and commentary about the events unfolding on the screen. You'll be able to follow his tweets at @MarkBurnettTV. Additionally, ABC will be hosting a "Chat Party" on their website as well, with viewers sharing their thoughts on the show as it unfolds and incorporating Burnett's tweets too. The Chat Party begins at 9PM ET, when the show starts, and will run through the West Coast feed a few hours later.
So, will you be tuning in to watch? I know I'm interested to see what the show is all about. I like that they'll be racing through a single location and it seems more physical than The Amazing Race, which I am admittedly a fan of as well. At the very least, I hope it is fun and entertaining, and while I'd rather Mark Burnett revive the Eco-Challenge, I'll settle for this. For now.