‘Beyond the Edge’ Producer Explains Why Viewers Like Seeing Celebrities Hack it Out In The Jungle
deadline.comIt’s not I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here — but it sure is close. CBS on Wednesday debuted Beyond the Edge, a new reality show from Renegade (Naked and Afraid) that drops nine celebrities into the jungles of Panama to compete in challenges while earning cash for their charities (and personal pocketbooks).Even before its debut, CBS executives privately marveled at how the show was “really killing” its participants — a rather sobering nod to the nasty elements faced by former NBC champ Metta World Peace, former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis, American Idol alum Lauren Alaina, actress Jodie Sweetin (Full House), supermodel Paulina Porizkova, former NFL player and coach Mike Singletary, country artist Craig Morgan, former Bachelor Colton Underwood and The Real Housewives of New York City’s Eboni K.
Williams.Here, executive producer David Garfinkle weighs in on Wednesday’s premiere and why viewers love to watch celebrities hack it out in the wild.DEADLINE: Why Panama?DAVID GARFINKLE: Panama is a great location because of its topography.
It has everything we wanted, which is a difficult terrain to live in. It’s also a place where they could survive the elements but was still going to be difficult.DEADLINE: Why do they have to compete for a charity?
Celebrities have bills to pay, too. GARFINKLE: They get paid for this, just like the celebrities on Dancing with the Stars.
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