Like us, many of you have watched and enjoyed the popular survival TV series Alone. However, as the name implies, Alone is about isolated contestants overcoming their environment and their own inner demons — loneliness, self-doubt, and fear. It's an interesting premise, but unless you're unlucky enough to end up stranded on a deserted island, most real-life survival scenarios are likely to involve other people. Forming a cohesive group and working together to survive is difficult under ideal circumstances, to say nothing of doing it in one of the most inhospitable places in the United States — the cold Alaskan wilderness. This complex challenge serves as the foundation for a new Netflix TV series called Outlast, which splits 16 contestants into teams to see who can claim a million-dollar cash prize.
The Premise & Rules of Outlast
Netflix says Outlast is “a new competition series in which 16 lone-wolves try to outlast the Alaskan wilderness with only one rule: They have to be part of a team to win.” All 16 of the contestants will apparently be dropped off on Chicagof Island, a 2,000-square-mile land mass with more than 740 miles of rugged coastline. Fun fact: Chicagof Island has the highest population of bears per square mile of any place on Earth. The competition starts during the fall, so freezing rain and snow are all but inevitable.
The 16 contestants are split up into four different teams, and each team is instructed to set up camp a short distance from one another. From that point on, the contestants must work together to be the last team standing. However, players can change teams at any time, a factor that is likely to cause shaky alliances and bitter rivalries to naturally form — hence the comparison to Lord of the Flies. Thankfully, Netflix notes that there will be no Survivor-style voting off the island — the only way for a contestant to leave is to give up or be medically evacuated.
Outlast Premiere Date
Season 1 of Outlast will consist of eight 45-minute episodes. It premieres on the streaming service on March 10th, 2023. For more information, go to Netflix.com.
Watch the Trailer
While you're waiting for the premiere, you can check out the trailer for Outlast below: