Popular reality TV show, Naked and Afraid was released in June 2013 and viewers have not been able to get enough ever since. From its extreme locations and living conditions, to some insane facts about the show, the reality series follows two opposite strangers who have to survive these extremities for 21 days with minimal survival tool kits.
When the Discovery Channel's show premiered its spinoff Naked and Afraid XL in July 2015, with more survivalists, more days in the selected location and more extreme and dangerous survival challenges which ultimately push these legendary survivors to their highest limits, viewers could definitely not say no to the action and jaw-dropping challenges.
In an interview with People, a XL contestant commented about some physically challenging and questionable safety of the activities they endured on the show. He said, "There's a lot of concern about safety."
After 8 seasons and 55 episodes and with no intentions to stop any time soon, here's what makes Naked and AfraidXL different from Naked and Afraid.
8 New Show, Old Contestants
What happens when viewers cannot get enough of a survival show with a series of enduring tests and skilled survivalists? Viewers get a new show with old contestants who are ready for a re-do, albeit intense, for a legendary status update. Naked and Afraid XL builds upon the original show, but this time around the alumni are ready for a whole new extra-large, harsh, and challenging naked adventure with equally naked alumni.
7 A Dozen Survivalists And A Dozen Survivalist Problems To Juggle
On the original show, viewers got to see two individuals and sometimes three survivalists fight for very limited and sometimes non-existent resources. However, Discovery's spinoff takes viewers on a more bizarre watch-party as six naked men and women take on the challenge at the same time, facing invariably one of the most life-changing experiences of their lives under life-threatening conditions.
6 How Long Naked And Afraid XL Contestants Compete
The original show follows contestants who try to endure their harsh conditions for 21 days. The dynamism of this spinoff stretches the comeback contestants even further, as they survive and navigate the wilderness for 40 days without food, shelter (except the substandard ones they build), and definitely without clothes. What makes this 40-day challenge unique is the fact that some contestants are survivalists who didn't survive the 21-day challenge. So, it is a fusion of expert survivalists and amateur survivalists.
5 The Use Of XL Already Gives It Away In This Spinoff
The use of "XL," which should ordinarily mean "extra large," amazingly offers new meaning in the popular show. It is interpreted to mean the Roman numeral for 40, the total number of days in the challenge. Now if this isn't absolutely creative and completely unexpected, what is?
4 Grouping In Trios
Makers of the show have stated over time that the spinoff is not just a survival challenge, but also a societal challenge, which seeks to examine how these survivalists respond and interact with each other. So, it came as no shock when the 12 contestants were scattered into groups and grouped into four different trios. Spread across 100 square miles of the wilderness, this intended to show their team-working abilities and how they are able to marry their individually unique survival skills into one big aligned survival synergy.
3 Legend Status Activated, And Cash Prize Deactivated Also In The XL Version
With a titillating watch for viewers and a victory moment upon the completion of the 40 days challenge for contestants, it is astounding that the XL contestants, just like the original show, do not make enough money unlike other survival reality shows where their contestants get to walk away with huge cash awards. While the survivalists leave the world's wildest terrains with lots of bug marks and unrecognizable images of themselves, they also leave with only the satisfaction of having survived these extreme conditions, and no cash prize. However, there is a $24,000 reward for the spin-off, a huge increase in the amount received in the original show, which is a weekly stipend amounting to $5,000.
2 Focus On Social Interaction As Much As Survival
The original show does only what viewers expect it to do best: highlight survivalists in their elements, and watch them undergo a grueling and worthwhile challenge of a lifetime. However, while the spinoff follows survivalists in the wilderness, it mostly tilts to human nature in groups and how they socialize, fueling drama, conflicts and clash in decisions.
1 More Compelling, More Critical, And More Reflective
Although Naked and Afraid XL has admittedly focused on societal challenges allowing viewers a closeup into how these survivalists relate to each other, it has also proven to be the most compelling and mind-blowing human survival expression. It showcases these survivalists as the greatest obstacles to themselves, not any divinely orchestrated element. It is reflective of the predators who contend to survive in a game that bases survival on teamwork. The spin-off embodies what being naked and afraid is all about, which is why it would still continue to be a must-watch for viewers.
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