Alone Australia

''Alone Australia'' is an Australian survival reality television competition series on SBS which premiered on 29 March 2023. It follows the self-documented daily struggles of 10 individuals as they survive alone in the wilderness for as long as possible using a limited amount of survival equipment. The participants are isolated from each other and all other humans, with the participants having to self-document and film their experiences themselves. They may "tap out" at any time or be removed due to failing a medical check-in. The contestant who remains the longest wins a grand prize of $250,000.

In early 2022, an Australian version was announced by SBS following the success of the American version on the network and its streaming counterpart SBS On Demand. The series is produced by ITV Studios Australia, with the first season taking place around a remote lake in Tasmania's West Coast during winter 2022. The American version of the show also airs on Pay-TV channel A&E via Foxtel. An Alone pop-up channel began broadcasting on Foxtel on 24 February 2023 and ceased broadcasting on 20 March 2023.

The first season was won by Gina Chick after surviving 67 days alone, making her only the second female and oldest contestant in the history of the ''Alone'' worldwide to win. The second season was won by Krzysztof Wojtkowski, surviving 64 days alone without eating meat. In June 2023, the series was nominated for the Logie Award for Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program, however lost to ''The Australian Wars''.

Format

Contestants are dropped off in a remote wilderness area, far enough apart to ensure that they will not come in contact with one another. The contest typically begins in mid-to-late autumn; this adds time pressure to the survival experience as the approaching winter causes temperatures to drop and food to become scarce. Although terrains may differ in each contestant's location, the drop-off zones are assessed in advance to ensure a similar distribution of local resources is available to each contestant.

Contestants each select 10 items of survival gear from a pre-approved list of 40, and are issued a kit of standard equipment, clothing and first aid/emergency supplies. They are also given a set of cameras to document their daily experiences. Attempting to live off the land for as long as possible, the contestants must find food, build shelter in order to survive while enduring deep isolation, physical deprivation and psychological stress of being alone.

Contestants who wish to withdraw from the competition for any reason (referred to as "tapping out") may signal a rescue crew using a provided satellite telephone. In addition, medical professionals conduct periodic health checks on the contestants and may, at their discretion, disqualify and evacuate anyone they feel is unable to continue participating safely. The last remaining contestant wins a $250,000 cash prize.

Episodes

Season overview

Season 1 (2023)

Season 2 (2024)

;Notes

Season 1 Contestants

Season 2 Contestants

Notable among the Season 2 contestants was Leanne, the wife of Season 1 contestant Rob.

Reception

Critical reception

The series received positive reviews in its first season. David Knox of '' TV Tonight'' rated the series 4½ out of 5 stating, "Above all, there’s nothing else like this on television and that -alone- makes it worth checking out". Wenlei Ma of ''News.com.au'' gave a positive review stating, "That insight into human nature at its limit is the gem in this series."

American conservative cultural podcaster Matt Walsh called the show "Unintentionally the funniest thing on TV right now. It’s basically "Alone: DEI Edition." He compared the show unfavorably to the American original, saying, "The American version features gritty, skilled survivalists. The Australian version was more worried about checking diversity boxes so the contestants are totally clueless, incompetent, and just crying through the whole thing."

Viewership

Although overnight ratings for the first two episodes, played as double episode, averaged 212,000 viewers, total numbers reached 761,000, an increase of 138%, making it one of SBS's most watched series for 2023. The third episode averaged 195,000 viewers overnight, and reached 791,000 in total numbers. The fourth episode averaged 205,000 viewers overnight, and reached 826,000 in total numbers.

See also

* ''Australian Survivor''
* List of Australian television series
* Survivorman
* Wilderness survival

References

External links

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{{SBS Television programming

2023 Australian television series debuts
2020s Australian reality television series
Adventure reality television series
Australian television series based on American television series
Reality competition television series
Special Broadcasting Service original programming
Works about survival skills