Netflix has been riding high on the success of its enormously popular Korean series ‘Squid Game’ and intends to keep the momentum going with a new spin-off, ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’. This reality version will see contestants pitting against each other in odd and progressively harder games – reminiscent of the original show – until a winner is revealed. Debuting on November 22, the series apparently offers an unprecedented $4.56 million prize.
Reality Meets Fiction
Netflix’s Tudum livestream recently revealed the first glimpse of ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’, evidently confirming the game ‘Red Light, Green Light’ from the parent show. While the trailer does not reveal much about additional games, it is safe to assume they’ll be as peculiar and challenging as the originals, sans the lethal consequences.
Challenging Expectations and Standards
The reality show, while aimed to provide high-stakes entertainment, has garnered accusations of “inhumane” conditions on the set. Contestants claimed the game stretched into a nearly seven-hour spectacle, instead of the projected two hours, in extremely cold conditions. Although the contestants weren’t expecting to participate in a survival-based reality show, their experiences led to complaining about the harsh circumstances which they weren’t prepared for.
The Fine Print in Reality Television
While Netflix’s ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ may be breaking records for the size of the contestant pool and the largest cash prize, it raises the question about the standards and treatment of reality show contestants. Is pushing the envelope in the quest for unprecedented entertainment compromising participant welfare? This question has been thrown into sharp relief, sparking seasoned debates about accountability in reality television, as viewers eagerly anticipate the launch of the new reality spin-off, as well as the second season of the parent series.
