Something is inspiring about watching athletes compete in their fields. The discipline and lifestyle needed to achieve their build and stamina are admirable, to say the least. When watchingPhysical: 100, it’s easy to find yourself cheering for athletes and wondering what it would be like to compete. Appealing to viewers’ competitive spirits makes reality competitions an exciting genre to keep up with.
Physical: 100is unique for bringing together a variety of athletes from dancers to MMA fighters. Witnessing them compete can empower viewers because it shows the diversity in strength and the possibility of cultivating strength.As inspiring asPhysical: 100is, many other competitive shows evoke a similar experience.
Physical: 100
Watch on Netflix
15’Squid Game: The Challenge' (2023-)
Produced by Stephen Lambert
AfterSquid Game’s record-breaking streaming debut of the fictional series, Netflix capitalized on the reality TV potential and produced the talked-about, controversialSquid Game: The Challenge. The competition series drew inspiration from the Korean children’s games depicted in the original series with contestants vying for the $4.56 million prize. Its first season was nominated for three Primetime Emmys. As Korean TV series continue to dominate worldwide, it’s a likely transition forPhysical: 100audiences to gravitate towardThe Challenge, and vice versa.
While the series is a divisive choice,critics were disgusted by Netflix’s capitalizationand mishandling of a premise that was meant to showcase how people do desperate things for life-changing amounts of money, all with a fair amount of gimmicks that didn’t land well. Audiences, however, fell somewhere in the middle as they watched the fictional games come to life in an intensified reality series. WherePhysical: 100demands physical endurance,The Challengerequires mental endurance.– Ali Teske
Squid Game: The Challenge
14’Battle Bots' (2000-)
Created by Greg Munson and Trey Roski
For audiences seeking more thrilling, elimination-style reality series,BattleBotsis a solid choice. Originally airing on Comedy Central, thisfamily-friendly robot competition features home-made robots competing tournament-style to see which machine is the last one standing. The bots are designed, built, and operated during battle by a team of skilled engineers. These craftspeople range in age and background, making the competition all the more interesting.
WhereBattleBotsappeals to audiences of physical competition series likePhysical: 100is in the ingenuity of the competitors. While the robots are battling it out instead of physical competitors, both require a unique sense of problem-solving and critical thinking to truly be the last competitor standing. Brute strength without strategic application won’t win either competition, making these two series a unique combination watch for reality TV audiences.– Ali Teske
BattleBots
Watch on Discovery+
13’Alone' (2015-)
Produced by Zachary Behr and Russ McCarroll
An unscripted survival series,Alonehas been testing the mental and physical reserve of its contestants for a number of seasons. Ineach season ofAlone, 10 survivalists are dropped in the remote wilderness with only 10 self-packed items, limited medical supplies, a radio for emergency communication, and camera equipment to self-document their survival. Contestants have but one goal; be the last one standing to take home $500,000. Completely alone, besides scheduled medical check-ins and when they are ready to tap out, they must use their limited items to aid in building a shelter, finding a sustainable water resource, and hunting and gathering for food.
For fans of physical competition shows,Aloneis a complimentary series as these survivalists push themselves to the physical brink, oftentimes being medically extracted due to extreme starvation, illness, or injury. Like the contestants ofPhysical: 100, this survival scenario is a test of willpower to overcome the voice inside that says to quit when it gets tough.
Watch on History
12’Survivor' (2000-)
Created by Charlie Parsons
LikePhysical: 100the premise of the show is taking a group of individuals and putting them in an isolated location relying on their knowledge. There is a series of competitions to win and a socializing aspect to the game that adds a layer of complexity to the competition. The goal is to survive without being subject to elimination to win the prize money.
BothSurvivorandPhysical: 100 appealto the audience’s inherent nature to compete. In doing so, people are more emotionally invested while also feeling inspired. What makessurvival reality TV showsso successful and unique is the empowerment felt during the viewing. Merging the emotional and physical nature of people makes for an entertaining watch.
11’The Challenge' (1998-)
Created by Jonathan Murray and Mary-Ellis Bunim
The origin of this show is different fromPhysical: 100because it is a spin-off from two MTV series,The Real WorldandRoad Rules. Many of the contestants have participated in other competitive shows likeBig Brother,Survivor,Amazing Race,Ex on the Beach, andGeordie Shore. Typically, the winners are a team of contestants that split the prize.
What makes this series so impactful when watching is the social component of the show. Most of the time there are complex subplots between the characters that make the competition more interesting. Watching this show represents a raw and almost instinctual nature to human interaction when under pressure. As a result,The Challengekeeps viewers engaged based on gossip and a competitive spirit.
The Challenge
10’Cannonball' (2020)
Created by Stuart Shawcross and Matt Walton
Thisseries is specific to water-based challengesthat need to be won for a cash prize of $10,000. Originally,Cannonballwas from the United Kingdom, and in time an American version was made. Another unique feature of this show is the live audience that watches the contestants compete adding to the pressure of the games.
Compared to the earlier shows,Cannonballfeels more engaging.The watching experience is more exciting and inclusive when there is a live crowd. The competition show is more entertaining to watch while still maintaining the competitive element. This show’s nature thrives on viewers’ support for the winner they want to see.
Cannonball
Buy on Amazon
9’The Amazing Race' (2001-)
Created by Elise Doganieri and Bertram van Munster
The setting for the race is the world. Ranked as one ofthe best reality competition shows,what makesTheAmazing Raceunique is the reliance on competitors' skills and knowledge to maneuver in foreign environments. Winning this game show requires the ability to be flexible with anything thrown your way. Knowing how to compete in collaboration and independently can make or break the reality of winning.
What is enticing to the audience is the setting of the race, it naturally creates difficulty in communication and culture. Through watching the competitors maneuver the world it is easy to see the importance of understanding how to navigate a foreign setting. This learning curve exposes different ways of life, culture, and etiquette of different countries. This is the basis of success for competitive games.
The Amazing Race
8’Ultimate Tag' (2020)
Created by Armand LaMontagne and J.D. Roth
Based on the game tag, it is an elevated version where competitors run through different obstacle courses while avoiding getting tagged. This game show originates in America and has three rounds that are needed to complete to win. The challenges are physical and with each round, the competition becomes more intense.
A big part of thisUltimate Tag’s success is the relatability to the game. Most kids growing up played tagged and remaking this childhood game into a more competitive version, is an aspect that touches viewers. The hint of nostalgia and appeal to a competitive nature is what invests viewers in the show. In all, it creates a sense of empowerment and desire to compete because of the hint of nostalgia.
Ultimate Tag
Watch on Tubi
7’The Mole' (2001-)
Created by Bart De Pauw and Michiel Devlieger
This reality competition show utilizes teamwork where contestants work in groups that affect the amount of money that will be won by one contestant. However, the catch to the game is there is a mole that will attempt to disrupt the group efforts. This is a relatively new game show that successfully portrays the difficulty of working in groups while competing against each other.
What makes this show unique is the portrayal of social relationships in competitive environments. What makesThe Moleparticularly difficult is that it thrives on the mistrust of the competitors while also requiring a level of trust to play the game efficiently. Integrating variouseccentric and competitive personalitiesmake for a suspenseful watch.
6’Ultimate Beastmaster' (2017-2018)
Created by Dave Broome and Sylvester Stallone
Although this show is an obstacle course, what makes it different is that it is universally based. Meaning, six localized versions have a panel of judges of well-known celebrities from the specific country. The obstacle courses typically have four stages, and the series has about nine episodes in total. This makes for a fast-paced series where each episode reveals progress in the overall competition.
What makesUltimate Beastmastersuccessful is its ability to bring together several different nations. Viewers feel more connected because of this and gives a sense of empowerment because it makes the idea of competing seem more realistic and possible. Despite the difficult physical competition, the sense of unity allows viewers to see themselves in the competition, inspiring the audience.
