Show of the week: The Lost Ones

Co-operation is key in this new survival competition show in which a group of ordinary people are dropped into the remote wilderness in individual locations.

Far from civilisation, they are each equipped only with a radio, an essential survival kit and a locked canister containing an unknown share of a cash prize fund.

Before evacuation arrives, they must find the rest of the contestants stranded somewhere across the landscape. If they want to claim the cash prize, they must find a way out together, before the time runs out.

“The nature of the prize really stands out in our format. Unlike other survival competition formats, contestants will each carry a mystery portion of the prize with them in sealed canisters. Not only is this an incentive for each of the contestants, but also for the group, as it motivates them to support and work together all the way to the finishing line,” says Sune Roland, CEO of Strong Productions.

“Where most survival formats have a ‘last man standing’ approach, our show is the extreme opposite. Its underlying premise is that we are stronger together than alone.”

The contestants face “hunger, fatigue, isolation, cold nights and challenging terrain, as well as inner struggles,” reveals Roland, while the biggest obstacles for the production crew involved the logistics of keeping dry and warm while filming in such a remote location.

“We see huge potential for this format internationally,” he adds. “The overarching story about personal development through challenging environment and group dynamic is universal – and we think that our time is craving stories that reassure us that we are stronger together.”

Producer: Strong Productions
Distributor: Fremantle
Broadcaster: TV2 (Denmark)