Format Focus: Solitary

Solitary

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Contestants endure solitary confinement in this controversial reality gameshow from the US.

The format
Part gameshow, part psycho-logical experiment, Solitary pushes its contestants to the limits of physical and mental endurance through isolated confinement.
Contestants are placed in pods with only a computer-modified voice called Val to communicate with. Other than this, they have no contact with the outside world or other competitors.
As well as the social isolation, there is also no sense of time, as clocks are banned. Their environment features no sun or moonlight, making it difficult to establish what time of day it is.
The contestants are put through a series of tests and mental challenges throughout their confinement, which increase in difficulty with each passing challenge.
In a "last man standing" type setup, the player who endures the longest goes on to win the $50,000 cash prize.

Who's showing it?
Solitary is the most successful of Fox Reality Channel's original productions, with the series now into its third season on the channel.

Coming to the UK? 
Zig Zag Productions has been signed up as the distribution partner to license the format in the UK and Ireland.

Could it work here?
It's an extreme show that would probably attract a huge amount of criticism. It could also be hugely successful.