ITV’s new game show challenges novices to climb a high mountain
Last night on ITV, 14 ordinary people began a perilous ascent to the top of one of the tallest mountains in the New Zealand Alps. At 8,500ft, Tititea is almost twice the height of the tallest mountain in the UK, and The Summit expects this diverse group – none of whom have ever climbed a mountain before – to reach the summit in just 14 days, reports BritPanorama. Along the way, they will face various “challenges” designed to push them to their limits, which so far include navigating rickety bridges over deep ravines.
The cast’s motivation for such a risky venture is, predictably, financial. The total winnable amount in The Summit is £20,000, although the chances of the full amount being claimed appear slim, given that each contestant carries their own quota. Early in the competition, the group had to forcibly remove a fellow contestant, Tom, by cutting the rope as he attempted to cross a bridge, effectively eliminating him from the contest and their shared purse.
While ITV may wish to portray the series as fraught with genuine danger, it is likely that safety measures are firmly in place, including harnesses and supervision to prevent fatal accidents. However, with freezing temperatures expected at the mountain’s peak and heightened tensions among the contestants, unpredictable situations may still arise as the production progresses.
This trend towards dangerous reality television is not isolated to The Summit. Recently, Netflix featured climber Alex Honnold, who ascended the 1,667ft skyscraper Taipei 101 without safety equipment, an event broadcast live with a brief delay for safety precautions. This stunt attracted over six million viewers.
Further reflecting this appetite for extreme challenges, Netflix’s survival show Outlast places contestants in the Alaskan wilderness without food or shelter, with strict rules governing their withdrawal from competition, despite the physical toll it may take. Such challenges have resulted in contestants enduring significant hardship to secure the potential prize.
Meanwhile, Squid Game: The Challenge draws on the themes of the popular drama series, featuring games that could result in loss or injury, making it clear that audiences are intrigued by high-stakes scenarios.
The growing demand for such spectacles raises questions about the potential ethical boundaries television executives will be willing to cross. As audiences continue to consume increasingly perilous content, the need for regulation and responsibility within the industry becomes ever more pressing.
The Summit continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1.
