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Alone Australia

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Alone Australia
GenreReality
Survival
Based onAlone USA
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes23
Production
Production locationsSouthwest Tasmania (Season 1)
South Island, New Zealand (Season 2)
Running time60 minutes (including ads)
Original release
NetworkSBS
Release29 March 2023 (2023-03-29) –
present
Related
Alone

Alone Australia is an Australian survival reality television competition series on SBS which premiered on 29 March 2023.[1] 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[2] during winter 2022. The American version of the show also airs on Pay-TV channel A&E via Foxtel.[3] An Alone pop-up channel began broadcasting on Foxtel on 24 February 2023 and ceased broadcasting on 20 March 2023.[4]

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.[5] The second season was won by Krzysztof Wojtkowski, surviving 64 days alone without eating meat.[6] In June 2023, the series was nominated for the Logie Award for Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program,[7] but it lost to The Australian Wars.[8]

Format

[edit]

Contestants are dropped off in a remote wilderness area, far enough apart to ensure that they will not come in contact with one another.[1] 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.[9] 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.[10]

Episodes

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Season overview

[edit]
List of Alone Australia seasons
Series Location Episodes First Aired Last Aired Results
Winner Runner up Days Lasted
1 Southwest Tasmania, Australia 11 29 March 2023 (2023-03-29) 25 May 2023 (2023-05-25) Gina Chick Mike Atkinson 67
2 South Island, New Zealand 10 27 March 2024 (2024-03-27) 29 May 2024 (2024-05-29) Krzysztof Wojtkowski Suzan Muir 64

Season 1 (2023)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateAus. viewers
11"Episode 1"29 March 2023 (2023-03-29)212,000[a][11]
22"Episode 2"29 March 2023 (2023-03-29)212,000[a][11]
33"Episode 3"5 April 2023 (2023-04-05)193,000[12]
44"Episode 4"12 April 2023 (2023-04-12)N/A
55"Episode 5"19 April 2023 (2023-04-19)233,000[13]
66"Episode 6"26 April 2023 (2023-04-26)231,000[14]
77"Episode 7"3 May 2023 (2023-05-03)230,000[15]
88"Episode 8"10 May 2023 (2023-05-10)229,000[16]
99"Episode 9"17 May 2023 (2023-05-17)203,000[17]
1010"Episode 10"24 May 2023 (2023-05-24)245,000[b][18]
1111"Episode 11"24 May 2023 (2023-05-24)245,000[b][18]
1212"Alone, The Reunion"25 May 2023 (2023-05-25)[c]123,000[19]
Hosted by Amanda Keller, the ten contestants meet to discuss their Alone experience.

Season 2 (2024)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air dateAus. viewers
131"Episode 1"27 March 2024 (2024-03-27)262,000[20]
142"Episode 2"3 April 2024 (2024-04-03)287,000[21]
153"Episode 3"10 April 2024 (2024-04-10)314,000[22]
164"Episode 4"17 April 2024 (2024-04-17)305,000[23]
175"Episode 5"24 April 2024 (2024-04-24)253,000[24]
186"Episode 6"1 May 2024 (2024-05-01)264,000[25]
197"Episode 7"8 May 2024 (2024-05-08)298,000[26]
208"Episode 8"15 May 2024 (2024-05-15)304,000[27]
219"Episode 9"22 May 2024 (2024-05-22)276,000[28]
2210"Episode 10"29 May 2024 (2024-05-29)345,000[29]
2311"Reunion"29 May 2024 (2024-05-29)214,000[29]
Hosted by Hamish Blake, the ten contestants meet to discuss their Alone experience.
Notes

  1. ^ a b Figure averaged across both premiere episodes
  2. ^ a b Figure averaged across both finale episodes
  3. ^ The Reunion was made available to stream on 24 May 2023 on SBS On Demand immediately after the broadcast of the final two episodes on SBS. The reunion was broadcast the following day on SBS

Season 1 Contestants

[edit]
Name[30] Age State Occupation Status Reason for Elimination
Gina Chick 52 NSW Rewilding Facilitator Winner - 67 days Winner
Mike Atkinson 45 NSW Solo Adventurist 64 days (medically evacuated) Low blood pressure and malnutrition
Michael Wallace 43 NSW Vet and Bush Regenerator 30 days Missed family
Kate Grarock 41 ACT Wildlife Biologist 22 days Missed family
Chris Bakon 39 TAS Army Veteran 12 days Wanted to leave on a high after experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder
Duane Byrnes 35 NSW Wildlife and Environmental Officer 10 days Struggled with isolation
Peter Athanassiou 31 NSW Hunting Guide 3 days Struggled to find food; fell and injured knee
Jimmy Lassaline 22 SA Farmhand and Engineering Student 2 days (medically evacuated) Developed COVID-19, which caused his heart to beat at twice the usual rate
Beck Henog 42 VIC School Teacher 2 days Missed family; could not start a fire due to wet materials
Rob Kelly 41 VIC Planning and Environmental Manager 2 days Missed family

Season 2 Contestants

[edit]

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

Name[31] Age State Occupation Status Reason for Elimination
Krzysztof Wojtkowski 39 VIC Aquaculturalist Winner - 64 days Winner
Suzan Muir 54 VIC Wilderness Adventure Guide 63 days Homesick
Andreas Lundin 42 NSW Personal Trainer and Subsistence Hunter 57 days Lost 30% body weight, not willing to risk health and sanity
Tamika Simpson 51 QLD Off-Gridder and Former Police Officer 53 days Did not want to kill animals for food
Rick J. Petersen 58 QLD Survival Educator and Former SAS Soldier 38 days Missed family
Jack 55 NSW Tradesman and Wild Game Hunter 16 days Lack of food
Chace Leitch 27 QLD Defence Force Combat Engineer 10 days Missed family, wife pregnant
Jason Allwood 36 NSW Youth Worker and Jungai 8 days Mental health concerns, lack of food
Leanne Mitchell 41 VIC World Heritage Aboriginal Programs Officer 4 days Missed family
Mike Hayes 60 NSW Resilience Coach 2 days (medically evacuated) Chest pain

Reception

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Critical reception

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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".[32] 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."[33]

Viewership

[edit]

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.[34] The third episode averaged 195,000 viewers overnight, and reached 791,000 in total numbers.[35] The fourth episode averaged 205,000 viewers overnight, and reached 826,000 in total numbers.[36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "'Alone Australia': SBS reveals release date of global hit series". SBS. Special Broadcasting Service. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  2. ^ Cain, Sian (28 March 2023). "'It was horrible. It was glorious': Alone – the most gruelling show on TV – comes to Australia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Alone". Foxtel.
  4. ^ Perry, Kevin (26 January 2023). "FOX FUNNY, NAT GEO and NAT GEO WILD channels to be removed from FOXTEL and FETCH platforms". TV Blackbox. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  5. ^ Knox, David (25 May 2023). "Gina wins Alone Australia". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  6. ^ Gold, Sean (5 October 2023). "Alone Gear Lists | Winner Picks and Stats". TruePrepper. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  7. ^ Knox, David (19 June 2023). "2023 Logie Awards: Noms". TV Tonight. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  8. ^ Knox, David (30 July 2023). "2023 Logie Awards: Winners". TV Tonight. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  9. ^ Xavier, Elise (10 July 2015). "History's "Alone" Survival Gear Lists - Season 1 (Known Rules Included)". More Than Just Surviving. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  10. ^ "History Channel Looks for "Alone" Contestants Season 2 - LiveOutdoors". LiveOutdoors. 22 September 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  11. ^ a b Knox, David (30 March 2023). "Hard Quiz tops entertainment, Alone lifts SBS". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  12. ^ Knox, David (6 April 2023). "Alone Australia becomes biggest show of the year for SBS". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  13. ^ Knox, David (20 April 2023). "Travel Guides tops entertainment, strong night for SBS". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  14. ^ Knox, David (27 April 2023). "Travel Guides, 1% Club score on Wednesday, SBS booms in Total TV". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  15. ^ Knox, David (4 May 2023). "Travel Guides drives Nine to winning Wednesday". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  16. ^ Knox, David (11 May 2023). "Travel Guides, The Weekly win Wednesday slots". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  17. ^ Knox, David (18 May 2023). "Travel Guides tops entertainment, Alone Australia huge lift in Total TV". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  18. ^ a b Knox, David (25 May 2023). "Travel Guides, 1% Club battle in entertainment on Wednesday". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  19. ^ Knox, David (26 May 2023). "Nine simply the best on Thursday". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  20. ^ Knox, David (28 March 2024). "The 1% Club UK scores, Alone debuts on quiet Wednesday". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  21. ^ Knox, David (4 April 2024). "Home & Away tops entertainment, ABC scores with 7:30 on Wednesday". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  22. ^ Knox, David (11 April 2024). "Battle for entertainment eyeballs on Wednesday". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  23. ^ Knox, David (18 April 2024). "Front Bar gamble paying off for Seven". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  24. ^ Knox, David (25 April 2024). "Wednesday 24 April 2024". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  25. ^ Knox, David (2 May 2024). "Home & Away tops entertainment on Wednesday". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  26. ^ Knox, David (9 May 2024). "Wednesday 8 May 2024". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  27. ^ Knox, David (16 May 2024). "Gruen digs into Hubbl, Home & Away tops entertainment". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  28. ^ Knox, David (23 May 2024). "Home & Away, 1% Club UK give Seven easy Wednesday win". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  29. ^ a b Knox, David (30 May 2024). "1% Club UK and Gruen draw in Wednesday viewers". TV Tonight. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  30. ^ Knox, David (14 February 2023). "Alone Australia: meet the cast". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Alone Australia Season 2 Returns 27 March | Meet the Cast". SBS. 15 February 2024. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  32. ^ Knox, David (26 March 2023). "Alone Australia review". TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  33. ^ Ma, Wenlei (31 March 2023). "Alone Australia captures humans at their absolute limit". News.com.au. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  34. ^ Knox, David (6 April 2023). "Alone Australia becomes biggest show of the year for SBS". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  35. ^ Knox, David (6 April 2023). "Wednesday 5 April 2023". TV Tonight. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  36. ^ Knox, David (13 April 2023). "Wednesday 12 April 2023". TV Tonight. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
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