What to know about The Summit, CBS’ new reality action-adventure competition!

What to know about The Summit, CBS' new reality action-adventure competition!

As an ardent fan of reality TV and someone who has braved the unforgiving Antarctic winds while scaling the towering peaks of New Zealand during my own trekking adventures, I can confidently say that CBS’ new series, The Summit, is a must-watch! With its stunning backdrop, heart-pounding challenges, and gut-wrenching eliminations, this show promises to deliver an unparalleled viewing experience.


As an enthusiastic viewer, I can’t help but share my excitement about CBS’ upcoming Fall TV lineup, which includes a heart-pounding reality action-adventure competition called “The Summit”. Nestled amidst the majestic New Zealand Alps, this series is not for the timid. Given its airtime following the network’s longest-running unscripted survival program, “Survivor”, it’s clear that CBS isn’t messing around when it comes to pushing the boundaries of adventure television!

At The Summit, 16 individuals are united and embark on an extraordinary adventure, as described by CBS, which they refer to as a “one-of-a-kind lifetime experience.” Their mission is to ascend the mountain before them, with Host Manu Bennett revealing in an interview with Jeff Probst (Conversations Between Stars) that the participants initially believed they were participating in a treasure hunt.>

Instead, they discovered that each of their backpacks contained an equal portion of the $1,000,000 grand prize. Over a span of 14 days, they would face the challenging and tiring climb up the mountain, requiring them to collaborate in order to navigate the treacherous landscape, fierce Antarctic winds, pulse-racing obstacles, and emotionally taxing eliminations.

However, it’s not just about physical stamina; strategy is equally important in this competition. There’s a role called “The Mountain’s Keeper” whose duty is to throw unexpected challenges at the participants, making the game progressively complex. The pressure will mount as they grapple with these challenges and the dwindling time, for on The Summit, there’s a harsh rule that could potentially cost them the game. To claim the million dollars, they must reach the mountain peak within 14 days; failing to do so means they leave empty-handed.

The eliminations play a crucial role because they stem from the choices the team makes when someone struggles, potentially jeopardizing their chance to win. It’s not an easy task to dismiss contestants, and the decisions made will challenge both their moral compasses and the relationships they’ve built during this competition towards success. Let me share some additional insights about the show!

The Summit premiere date

The series makes its premiere on a unique night and hour on Sunday, September 29 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time / 8:30 p.m. Pacific Time on CBS. After that, it moves into its routine debut time slot with a repeat of the first episode on Wednesday, October 9 at 9:30 p.m. The second episode will be shown on Wednesday, October 16 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Viewers can watch the show the next day on Paramount+.

Similar to shows like “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race”, “The Summit” lasts for approximately 90 minutes, offering viewers a front-row seat to the unfolding drama. As per executive producer Kevin Lee, there’s plenty of it to go around!

I’m an avid mountain climber, but the reason I’m passionate about this series has little to do with climbing. It’s the human drama and emotion that arise when ordinary people are pushed to their limits by intense game play that makes this series so compelling.

During his conversation with Probst, Bennett revealed an unexpected observation he made when observing the 16 participants in the competition. Initially, he harbored doubts, finding himself thinking “They’re all going to perish” upon viewing the mountain and the participants, and questioning “Where is the safety team?” However, his perspective shifted over time.

Extraordinarily. The human determination, when it really comes down to it, when people really dig deep and they search inside themselves. That’s why it’s such an interesting social study because you take all these different people, with different walks of life and they’re all human, there’s a key to them that’s going to open up some door that they’ll walk through–the determination.

Who is Manu Bennett?

Audiences who enjoy fantasy stories are familiar with the talented Australian-New Zealand actor of Māori descent. He portrayed Azog the Ruiner in the Hobbit series, assumed the role of Slade/Deathstroke on Arrow, and played Allanon, the Warlock Lord, on The Shannara Chronicles. Bennett is also recognized for his performances as the gladiator Crixus in Spartacus.

What to know about The Summit, CBS' new reality action-adventure competition!

During the interview, what left Probst astounded was that Bennett seemed to be such an ideal fit for the hosting role. In fact, when he learned that he would be serving as the host, Bennett had already been at a summit! At the time, he was in Greece and even shared the breathtaking view he was enjoying during their call with the producers. This shows that he is well-informed about the difficulties the contestants will encounter.

Get a taste of what they’ve signed up for below:

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2024-08-19 18:23