The Challenge has been a mainstay on the MTV network for well over a decade. The competition show, originally created to bring cast members from Road Rules and the Real World together for an epic battle filled with thrills and drama, has grown into a massive franchise with over 35 seasons, a number of spin-offs, and a handful of iconic “Challengers”.
MTV announced recently that they would be airing the first-ever docuseries about the inception and longevity of the franchise on September 21st. The Challenge: Untold History will be a six-part series and is said to “explore the series’ conception, evolution, and legacy, enlisting competitors, producers, media analysts, and famous fans to reveal the untold history of the greatest competition series on television.”
The trailer for the docuseries shows some very familiar faces and staples in the franchise’s history. Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, Chris “CT” Tamburello, Wes Bergmann, Laurel Stucky, Mark Long, and even Anessa Ferreria — who’s competed on 18 seasons of the show, including season 1. In fact, in the trailer Aneesa said about The Challenge, “… [it’s] a dysfunctional, competitive, sleepover camp.”
And she’s absolutely right. Throughout the years, the players mentioned above and so many others have given us great television moments, and memorable fights, and have made shocking game moves that changed the trajectory of the show forever. Remember when Johnny Bananas and his partner Sarah Rice won $275,000 but because he had the fastest time, he was able to decide whether he would split the money with Sarah or take the money for himself and run? No one actually thought he’d take the money for himself, but boy were we wrong. Leaving everyone shocked, Sarah included — with her mouth on the floor — Johnny is one of the players who singlehandedly changed the way The Challenge is played.
The trailer for the docuseries doesn’t just feature former and current Challengers, it also features some of the show’s biggest fans as well. Kim Kardashian can be seen saying about the show, “I was obsessed.” You aren’t the only one, Kim. The show has maintained its level of excitement even after airing over 500 episodes and expanding the franchise to networks like CBS and the streaming platform Paramount+ for its All-Star version.
TELL US – DO YOU STILL WATCH THE CHALLENGE? ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT THE DOCUSERIES?
[Photo Credit: Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for The Museum of Selfies]