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Revision as of 03:42, 24 February 2008

Endurance
File:Endurance6.png
Logo for Season 6
Created byJ.D. Roth
Todd A. Nelson
StarringJ.D. Roth (Host)
Contestants–see specific seasons
Country of origin United States
Production
Running time24 minutes
Original release
NetworkDiscovery Kids
NBC (2002-2006)
Release2002 –
present

Endurance is a Daytime Emmy Award-nominated American reality television children's program, currently shown on the Discovery Kids cable network in the United States and also on networks in other countries. The show's format is somewhat similar to the CBS television series Survivor, but with a teenaged cast. Like that show, Endurance contestants live in a remote location and participate in various mental and physical challenges, although Endurance contestants compete as pairs (one boy and one girl), and the outcome of the competitions determines which pair of players is eliminated.

Each season begins with a new slate of contestants, who are gradually eliminated as the season progresses until the remaining two teams compete to get all of the Endurance Pyramid pieces. The winning boy and girl receive an all-expenses paid vacation package with their parents to a tropical location as the prize.

Now is its sixth season, Endurance is televised Saturday evenings in the U.S. as part of Discovery Kids' @DK prime-time lineup, with repeat episodes shown on weeknights. Spanish-dubbed reruns also air on weekends on Azteca America.

The last three seasons of Endurance (Hawaii, Tehachapi and High Sierras) were each nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of "Outstanding Children's Series," although the show has yet to win.

Production

The show is produced by 3Ball Productions. Its co-creator and longtime children's game show emcee, J.D. Roth, is the executive producer and on-screen host. Roth received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 2006 as "Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series" for Endurance: Tehachapi but did not win.

Contestants ages 12-15 are chosen each spring from 5-minute audition tapes sent in by more than 10,000 teens to the show's production team. Twenty players were selected to participate in each of the first five seasons of Endurance; this was reduced to sixteen in Season 6. In a 2004 newspaper interview, Roth revealed that he looks for as diverse a group as possible.[1] Shooting of the series takes place each summer over a three week period and begins with the 20 teenagers arriving at a secret remote location in late July. Past seasons were taped on-location in California, Hawaii, and Mexico.

In a January, 2007, interview with the Boston Globe, Connor Finnegan recalled his experience as an Endurance: High Sierras player the previous summer: "At first it was weird being filmed all the time. You'd be talking and suddenly there would be a camera or microphone shoved into your face. The big rule with reality TV is never to look at the camera."[2]

As part of the show, host J.D. Roth and the players sometimes discuss the interpersonal drama occurring among the teams. Roth has said that many participants have become close friends while the series was being shot, learning tolerance for people who were different from themselves.[1] However, the Boston Globe reported that there was friction among the players on Endurance: High Sierras following the controversial break-up of teams. Finnegan's mother said, "There was definitely some nastiness", complaining that the producers and writers, "deliberately put the kids in situations that are designed to increase the drama and tension".[2] But, Taylor Sico-McNulty, another Endurance: High Sierras contestant from Massachusetts and Finnigan's partner, said that when she returned home following the show's California taping, she "really missed seeing all the other kids in the cast every day", adding that a number of player reunions have since been held.[3]

Another player from the fifth season, Dakota Fisher of Eliot, Maine, echoed the feeling, saying that his appearance on Endurance left him with relationships he will never forget. "You should have seen me a week after the show, it was depressing", said the 15-year old who had been trying for two years to get on the Emmy-nominated teen reality program.[4]

Roth said in a 2007 news release, "Being on Endurance is a life-altering experience for every kid who is selected. With only the sun, moon, stars and each other, these kids have no choice but to get to really know each other. They learn to dig deep within themselves when someone says they can’t do something. They learn to overcome first impressions and prejudice and they build tremendous self-confidence by tapping into skills they never even knew they had."[5]

Endurance is the successor to Moolah Beach, a show created by Roth which was not renewed after its single 2001 season, when a change in ownership of Fox Family Network (now ABC Family), opened up a new offer from Discovery Kids for a reality series. For four seasons (2002–2006), Endurance was also broadcast on the NBC network as part of its Saturday morning Discovery Kids on NBC block of programs.
            

The contests

The Right To Stay Challenge

Shortly after they arrive, the group of 20 contestants competes in the first Endurance game, called the Right To Stay Challenge. As the name implies, this game eliminates a group of contestants from continuing any further in the game. The game is normally a test of endurance, where each contestant has to hold on to something such as a bar or a pole for as long as possible. In Seasons 1 through 4, the first three girls and the first three boys to let go were eliminated. In Season 5, the game was a test of balance and speed, and the last two boys and last two girls to finish the game were eliminated. In Season 6, the first two boys and two girls to let go of a rope were eliminated, winnowing the sixteen hopefuls to twelve contestants who earned the right to stay, forming six teams of players.

In Season 3, the eliminated players were brought back the following day to compete in a second chance Right to Stay game. The winner of this game (Tom) chose his partner from the group of girls (Vanetta), forming the Brown team.

In Seasons 3 and 5, the group was required to choose two players (a boy and a girl) who were allowed to sit out the Right To Stay Challenge, automatically advancing as if they had survived the challenge. In season 3 the boys were required to choose one girl to be safe and the girls were required to save a boy, the boys saved Lindi and the girls chose Reece because they were the most attractive in their opinions. In season 5, Darci and Aric were selected to sit out. They were then each allowed to save one other person (of the same gender). Darci chose Kelsey, Aric chose Alex.

Choosing teams

The day after the Right To Stay Challenge, the remaining players compete in another game to determine teams. Each team consists of one boy and one girl. The game and the rules vary from year to year, but the winner of this challenge usually earns the right to pick his/her partner. The team colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and gray. In Seasons 2 and 3, a brown team was added.

After the teams are decided, they each receive one pyramid piece of the Endurance Pyramid. To win the game and the grand prize trip, one team must possess all of the pieces. (10 pieces in the first season, 12 in Seasons 2 and 3, 13 in Seasons 4 and 5, and 14 in Season 6).

Endurance Mission

With the teams now assigned, they begin competing in Endurance Missions. This is usually a test of skill. The team that wins an Endurance Mission will typically earn another piece of the Endurance Pyramid and the Samahdi. The Samadhi contains something that will have a negative effect on one team during the Temple Mission, and the winners of the Endurance Mission get to choose which team has to play with its effect. However, it is customary, that when three teams remain, the winners of the Samadhi have the right to not give its effect to a team, leaving a level playing field for the final Temple Mission.

Samadhi

The teams compete for a Samadhi fairly often through the entire game.[6] All of them but two had a negative impact on another team. In Season 3 (Endurance Hawaii) there was a Samadhi that benefitted the team that it was given to. Chris and Lindi (the Gray Team) won that Samadhi, and decided to keep it and in Season 5, the Blue won the power to switch two teams around. In Season 1 the team that won the Samadhi at the Final 3 stage chose to eliminate it from the game. In Season 2, the team that won the Samadhi at the Final 4 stage chose to eliminate it from the game as well. This pattern was broken in Season 3, however. Also, in Season 5, the first Samadhi (won in the mission "Hot Potato") was the ability to make two players switch teams or give another team the power to make the switch. Taylor and Isaac, the original Blue team, won this Samadhi. They gave it to the Red team, who used it to switch Connor onto the Blue team and Isaac onto the Gray team.

Temple mission

This mission is usually one of endurance (hence the show's title). The team that wins a Temple Mission usually earns the right to choose two other teams to send to the "Temple of Fate", the elimination challenge.

Temple of Fate

The two teams sent to the Temple of Fate bring with them all pyramid pieces they have won up to that point. In a variant of the Rock, Paper, Scissors intransitive game, the teams select fire, wood, or water to defeat one another in a best 2 out of 3 match, e.g.,

  • water puts out fire (water wins)
  • fire burns wood (fire wins)
  • wood floats on water (wood wins)

The first team to win two rounds wins the challenge and the right to stay in the game. The losers are immediately eliminated. In Season 1, their pieces went to the team winning the challenge; All seasons after that the losing team gave their pyramid pieces to any team of their choice.

Pyramid Pieces

The pyramid pieces play an important part in the game, since one team must possess all of the pieces to win the game. Season 1 had 10, Seasons 2 and 3 had 12, Seasons 4 and 5 had 13, and Season 6 has 14.

Pyramid Piece First Used During
Commitment Season 1
Courage Season 1
Discipline Season 1
Leadership Season 1
Luck Season 1
Perseverance Season 1
Strength Season 1
Heart Season 1
Knowledge Season 1
Trust Season 1
Ingenuity Season 2
Teamwork Season 2
Friendship Season 4*
Karma Season 6*

* Introduced in the Finale of the Season earlier

Triangle of Immunity

In Season 5, the Triangle of Immunity was added. It is a border that is placed around the Friendship piece. It may be transferred to another team with any temple mission. The team in possession of the Triangle of Immunity can avoid being sent to temple once, but is only able to use it until the final four. Once they reach the final three, the Triangle of Immunity is removed from the game. Season 6 removed the Triangle of Immunity, as the Friendship piece is back to a regular pyramid piece.

Magic Box

In Season 6, a new aspect of Endurance called the Magic Box was introduced. This is a challenge where teams compete for the chance to gain an advantage over the other teams. LesLie Powell and Cuddy Will (the Green team) won the first Magic Box in the episode "Mana Kisi". Inside, the Magic Box contained one free round at the Temple of Fate, to be used before the Temple of Fate challenge begins. In addition to winning a Magic Box, teams are allowed to do what they want with the information given.

Final Challenge

For the Final Challenge, both teams go to the Temple of Fate with all the pieces they have won. These pieces are now used as chips to play a shell game type challenge.

The team with fewer pieces starts by placing pieces by a group of pyramids, one of which has the gold pyramid under it. That team may claim as many as it wishes but must leave at least one pyramid unclaimed. The team with more pieces must claim the pyramids that its opponent did not claim. At this point, the gold pyramid is revealed, and the team that has claimed it wins all the pieces that were played on the board. If teams have the same number of pieces the team that had fewer pieces the round before places first. If teams are tied in first round, the team that won the final mission places their pieces first

There are three pyramids to start the game, and one more is added every round there after. The team that gets all the pyramid pieces wins the challenge, the game and the grand prize trip.

Season Summaries

Season 1 - Endurance (2002-2003)

The premiere season was taped in the summer of 2002 on Parsons Beach on Catalina Island, California. The season consisted of seven teams (in order of elimination):

Position Team Boy Girl Starting Piece(s)
Name Hometown Name Hometown
7th Gray Max DeLeo Los Angeles, CA Jenna Jimenez Rogers Park (Chicago), IL Heart, Trust
6th Purple Brandon Hendrix Winter Park, FL Layla Brisco Gardena, CA Strength
5th Orange Skyler Russell Phoenix, AZ Chelsea Myers Apache Junction, AZ Luck
4th Green Trevor Wilkins Chicago, IL Lana Neiman Lincoln Park (Chicago), IL Commitment
3rd Red Christian Justice San Clemente, CA Ashley Gudzak Jacksonville, FL Leadership
2nd Yellow Jon Crocilla Chicago, IL Sabrina Lloyd Sugarland, TX Perseverance
Winner Blue Aaron Thornburg Bozeman, MT Jonna Mannion Chandler, AZ Courage
Right-to-Stay Eliminations
Boy Girl
Name Hometown Name Hometown
Shane Peltzman Huntington Valley, PA Lacey Elick Bellville, TX
Ron Neurauter Glen Ellyn, IL Heather Ichihashi Brooklyn, NY
Alejandro Rose-Garcia Austin, TX Cree Howard Bozeman, MT

Season 2 - Endurance 2 (2003-2004)

Endurance 2 was taped in Baja California, near the resort town of La Paz, Mexico. An unusual twist in this season was the return of Jenna & Max, who were previously eliminated in season one, chosen to become the Brown Team from a reunion audience/alumni vote of Season 1 contestants. In the end, the veterans (Max and Jenna) won the game, earning the grand prize trip to Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. This season consisted of eight teams (in order of elimination):

Position Team Boy Girl Starting Piece
Name Hometown Name Hometown
8th Gray Wayne Williams Bloomfield, NJ Maryelle DeVitto Winter Park, FL Heart
7th Red Phil Morelli Denver, CO Jacquelynn Pointer Silver Spring, MD Discipline
6th Blue Scooter Magruder Orlando, FL Christa Scholz Austin, TX Trust
5th Yellow Shep Allen Wayzata, MN Calley Payne Elberton, GA Commitment
4th Purple Jeff Phillips Sanger, CA Annie Kim Bethesda, MD Leadership
3rd Orange Tyler Burkhalter Jacksonville, FL Michelle Durand Linden, NJ Knowledge
2nd Green Mike Lavigne Shelton, CT Keetin Marchi Fairfax, VA Teamwork
Winner Brown Max DeLeo Los Angeles, CA Jenna Jimenez Rogers Park (Chicago), IL Perseverance
Right-to-Stay Eliminations
Boy Girl
Name Hometown Name Hometown
David Cofresi Clermont, FL Sarah Ruckreigle Breckenridge, CO
Glen Powell Austin, TX Simone Bouffard Antioch, CA
Trey Griffin Sebring, FL Abbey Konz Humble, TX

Their eliminations did not affect the arrival of Jenna and Max as the Brown team, who arrived after the formation of the seven official teams.

Season 3 - Endurance Hawaii (2004-2005)

Moving to Wainiha Valley, Kauai, Hawaii, for the third season, a number of production problems were encountered, including difficulties in obtaining location permits, torrential rains, muddy conditions, and mosquitoes.[1]It had 21 episodes including casting specials showing the selection process. One of the contestants, Rachel Lofton of the Red team, is the daughter of Pro Football Hall of Famer and San Diego Chargers coach James Lofton. [7]

There were numerous twists in the season including bringing back six eliminated players, after the right to stay, to compete in a challenge to become an official endurance player. The winner would choose someone from the opposite sex and they would become the Brown Team. Tom won and chose Vanetta as his partner. Later, Vanetta injured her knee: while walking outside of her hut and stepping down, she cut her leg on a piece of bamboo. The cut required more than 20 stitches, and she was removed from the game, making Tom the first person in Endurance to be a one-person team. Also, he was the first person to go to the Temple of Fate without a partner. This disadvantage likely contributed to his elimination.

In the end, the Gray team won, with a trip to the Galápagos Islands as their prize. As an interesting side note, this is the first (and so far the only) season to see the Gray team progress past the first temple elimination. There was also a special program at the conclusion of the season showing Gray team winners Chris Vanderweir and Lindi Oest enjoying their prize trip to the Galápagos Islands.

After the season, Vanetta Smith of the Brown team starred in the movie Freedom Writers.

The eight teams competing were (in order of elimination):

Position Team Boy Girl Starting Piece
Name Hometown Name Hometown
8th Blue Antonio Iannicelli Wellesley, MA Willa Zhou Seattle, WA Commitment
7th Green Bjorn Leum Ennis, MT Alex Reid Plano, TX Heart
6th Red Kareem Nugent Bronx, NY Rachel Lofton Poway, CA Trust
5th Brown Tom Maden Coppell, TX Vanetta Smith Cleveland, OH Perseverance
4th Purple Reece Bors Shelbyville, KY Sarah Baker Downers Grove, IL Discipline
3rd Yellow Monroe Gierl Milwaukee, WI Bryanah Bascon Stoughton, MA Teamwork
2nd Orange Demian Martinez Las Vegas, NV Nicole Clark Los Angeles, CA Leadership
Winner Gray Chris Vanderweir St. Augustine, FL Lindi Oest Tampa, FL Knowledge
Right-to-Stay Eliminations
Boy Girl
Name Hometown Name Hometown
Marshall Katheder Orlando, FL Taylor Madison Dallas, TX
Brandon Lithonia, GA Eleanor Monahan Hyde Park, MA

Season 4 - Endurance: Tehachapi (2005-2006)

Returning to California for the next two seasons, Endurance: Tehachapi was taped in the Tehachapi Mountains in the summer 2005 for airing beginning that Fall. The 13th pyramid piece, Friendship, was added this season. Also, this was the season when the brown team was removed from the game, making the team colors back to the original seven teams. The Red Team of Erika Cook and Franke Sisto won the grand prize, a trip to Costa Rica. The seven teams competing were:

Position Team Boy Girl Starting Piece
Name Hometown Name Hometown
7th Gray John Kardian Westchester, NY Julie Dubela Stratham, NH Commitment
6th Yellow Chris Tavarez Atlanta, GA Callie Simpkins Frederick, MD Trust
5th Orange Michael Delvecchio Bailey, CO Kylie Glessman Simpsonville, SC Knowledge
4th Blue Shea Thomas Douglasville, GA Amelia Land Macon, GA Courage
3rd Green Isaac Hainley Portland, OR Jeszie Geronimo Boston, MA Leadership
2nd Purple Jonathan Lebowitz New York, NY Daniela Bustamante Boca Raton, FL Perseverance
Winner Red Franke Sisto Sewell, NJ Erika Cook Lake Forest, CA Heart
Right-to-Stay Eliminations
Boy Girl
Name Hometown Name Hometown
Nick Verderosa Bethel, CT Brittany Harvey Slidell, LA
Tucker Baer Littleton, CO Kendall Yorkey Menomonee Falls, WI
Keith Walker II Chandler, AZ Brooke Bellows Maitland, FL

Season 5 - Endurance: High Sierras (2006-2007)

The fifth season was taped at Shaver Lake in the High Sierra Mountains of Northern California. Contestants lived in multi-level tree houses without electricity. The Green Team of Alex Carignan, a 14-year old freshman at Leominster High School, Massachusetts, and Cealey Godwin, a 14-year old freshman at Tallahassee High School, Florida, won the grand prize, a trip to Hawaii.

In a new twist to the fifth season's contestant selection, the Discovery Kids website held a casting poll in which fans could vote for one boy and one girl out of six hopefuls. Kelsey Schultz and Garret Manno won this poll by a narrow margin.

In the third episode ("Unwind"), one team – Garret Manno and Anna Asare – was eliminated without going to Temple. They finished last in the first challenge and left the game without a team color; the other seven teams selected colors as they finished. The "colorless team" received the "Immunity Triangle", which they gave to the Purple team of Kelsey and Dakota. The team having the Immunity Triangle may use it once to avoid the Temple of Fate; however, they never used it.

The Blue team of Connor Finnegan and Taylor Sico-McNulty set a record this season by surviving three trips to the Temple.

The eight teams competing were:

Position Team Boy Girl Starting Piece
Name Hometown Name Hometown
8th Colorless Garret Manno Orlando, FL Anna Nti Asare Laramie, WY Friendship (Immunity)
7th Gray Isaac (Ike) Moody* Riverside, CA Darci Miller Baldwin, NY Luck
6th Yellow Aric Manthey Madison, SD Lilly Brown Bloomington, IN Trust
5th Orange Max McFarland Kansas City, MO Kristine Turner Huntington Beach, CA Strength
4th Red Cameron Uranick Orlando, FL Aeriel Miranda Dallas, TX Knowledge
3rd Blue Connor Finnegan* Acton, MA Taylor Sico-McNulty Boxford, MA Perseverance
2nd Purple Dakota Fisher Eliot, ME Kelsey Schultz Rockwall, TX Teamwork
Winner Green Alex Carignan Leominster, MA Cealey Godwin Tallahassee, FL Commitment
Right-to-Stay Eliminations
Boy Girl
Name Hometown Name Hometown
Adrian Bardales LaPlace, LA Martina Iwala Ruston, LA
Rafael Liriano Bronx, NY Stefanie Fernandez Boca Raton, FL

* Initially, the Blue team was Ike and Taylor and the Gray team was Connor and Darci. The Red team used a Samadhi to switch Connor and Ike.

Season 6 – Endurance: Fiji (2007-2008)

Repeating the candidate selection innovation first introduced for Season 5's Endurance: High Sierras, a casting poll was again held at the Discovery Kids website, allowing fans to select two contestants from a group of six hopefuls. The contest ran from June until July 9. Will Cuddy and Leslie Powell won the casting poll (and later became the Green Team). Two contestants are siblings of previous Endurance contestants. Connor Konz's sister Abbey and Leslie Powell's brother Glen both competed in Season 2.

Taping of the Season 6 episodes took place in August 2007 in Fiji, and episodes began airing on October 13 2007, on the Discovery Kids channel. A new feature, the "Magic Box", was introduced in this season's third episode (Mana Kisi), giving a secret advantage to the team winning it. The grand prize this season is a trip to Australia

There is no Gray team this season, which means only six teams are competing:

Position Team Boy Girl Starting Piece Current Piece Count
Name Hometown Name Hometown
6th Yellow Kyle Curtis Pearland, TX Briana Vega Winter Springs, FL Perseverance
5th Purple Connor Konz Humble, TX Jackie Wei Highlands Ranch, CO Leadership
4th Orange Caleb Courtney Blowing Rock, NC Lauren Dixon Maitland, FL Courage
3rd Red Jonathan Young Orange Beach, AL Hannah Gross West Bloomfield, MI Heart The following teams are still in the game
Blue Ben Scheuer Cloquet, MN Jordyn Barbato Gibsonton, FL Strength Strength, Luck, Leadership
Green Will Cuddy Beaverton, OR Leslie Powell Austin, TX Friendship Friendship, Teamwork, Discipline, Commitment, Courage
Right-to-Stay Eliminations
Boy Girl
Name Hometown Name Hometown
Andres Ramirez Austin, TX Rebecca Simonoko Ludlow, MA
Matthew Jones Raleigh, NC Cinnamon Aldridge Omaha, NE

Episodes Aired:

  1. End of the Rope
  2. Memory Race
  3. Mana Kisi
  4. Blind Faith
  5. Box Launch
  6. Alliances Uncovered
  7. Weight an Hour
  8. Midseason Recap
  9. Island Hopping
  10. 3 to Go/Shark Bait
  11. Stand Bags

Upcoming Episodes:

  1. Finale Part 1
  2. Finale Part 2

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c "Kauai film project battled adversity", Honolulu Star-Bulletin, June 28, 2004.
  2. ^ a b Nancy West, "An Acton boy is among the competitors on a TV survival show", Boston Globe, January 11, 2007
  3. ^ Nancy West, "Determined Boxford teen stakes her claim on TV show", Boston Globe, January 18, 2007.
  4. ^ Steven Gintz, "Teen finds 'Endurance' to compete", Foster's Daily Democrat (Maine), March 13, 2007.
  5. ^ "Must-see TV: Beaverton teen rocks the small screen in ‘Endurance: Fiji’", Beaverton Valley Times, October 12, 2007.
  6. ^ Samadhi is Sanskrit for "contemplation"
  7. ^ San Diego Chargers press release, August 31, 2004

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Endurance_(TV_series)&oldid=193628247"