User Reviews

I have to admit that I don't watch much reality tv. I only watch this, Survivor and Big Brother. The Challenge is not only a reality show though, it's a mix between a reality show and competition show. I have to say that I've really come to love this show. It's been around for over 20 years but has continued to stay fun and fresh the whole time. It's become so popular over the years that there are spin-offs all over the world of this show. Even CBS just recently started their own called The Challenge: USA and even has TJ Lavin as the host there. There's also the incredible spin-off called The Challenge: All-Stars where it takes all your favorite and best cast members from over the years and brings them back for a little nostalgia.

The Challenge has been around a long time and even though I'm not a big reality tv fan and only watch a few reality shows, this is great and has been the whole time! It started off with only Real World & Road Rules stars but has expanded over the years to include a huge variety of reality shows including shows like Big Brother, Survivor, Are You the One, etc. This show really does get addicting, especially once you get to know the players and get invested.

"The Challenge" originated when MTV wanted to capitalize on its "Road Rules" and "Real World" franchises and the numerous young celebrities those two shows had created. Stars from each of those shows were pitted against each other. Over the course of thirty-three seasons, so far, its producers have looked for ways to keep it fresh, mostly by varying the cast. Like "Big Brother" and "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" and other reality contest shows, they have pitted various factions against one another.

As in the original "Real World", the contestants are mostly attractive alpha types. Those who have been successful on the show(s) have returned again and again, creating careers. This means some of them have had their egos stroked for years and they bring romantic and rivalry histories with them. This baggage fuels attractions and personal vendettas. These are real contests, but they are also soap operas.

You can expect grueling competitions, plenty of chest beating, and juvenile hookups and alliances. For a prize of $1 million, these twenty-somethings will do almost anything.

The best competitors display heart, intelligence, and physicality.

These shows often come with their own "after shows", where an in-studio host asks probing questions about each episode and they show behind-the-scenes footage.

The Challenge has been an MTV staple for decades now. This show puts former reality show contestants (originally drawing from the Real World and Road Rules casts exclusively) against each other in physical challenges and/or puzzles, all while they are trapped living in a huge, amazing house. Alliances, politics, backstabbing, hookups, fights, and general drunkenness have also been known to ensue.

What separates The Challenge from other tv shows of similar nature is that contestants often return season to season, with some contestants having been on 10+ seasons. This allows storylines to continue across years. You might watch your favorite contestant rise from 'sweet rookie underdog'to 'multi season champion' to 'veteran bully'. Not only this, but the physical challenges (especially some of the eliminations and the Final challenge) are actually incredibly grueling and require those who really want a shot at winning to specially train year-round.

I was just an elementary schooler when The Challenge began, so I literally grew up watching some of these people and continue to into my late 20s. That's not to say you wont enjoy it if you jump right into the current season without te background experience- the current seasons have drawn lots of brand new contestants from UK reality shows which has introduced a whole new set of characters and a US vs UK dynamic which has totally ushered in a brand new era of the show.

The Challenge has it all- personable characters, ridiculous personalities, great athletes, high drama, endearing underdogs, malicious bullies, and a plethora of VERY attractive people. Phenomenal television.

This show is one of my favourites it has all the elements of a great reality show drama, challenges, and really getting to know the people. The seasons are always different with a new twist and some of your favourites cast members always come back into the game the following season their not just gone for good after a season.

I would recommend this show to anyone who loves reality TV, the challenges are not easy they are very difficult and take allot of skill to perform great to watch. It is dynamic and lots of crazy drama too!

I cannot wait for the next season to come it is a great watch a mix between big brother and surviver but more difficult and hardcore.

Does not explore the worst in people like other reallity shows. It promotes hight competition but is very strict with agressivity which I respect a lot. The fact that most players are returning season after season just makes it more interesting when you see their development and how they change their playstyle, their rivalries, its amazing to see their strategy in the challenges and to follow the charecters.

This is probably the only good reality tv series out there since it has been on air for this long. Very addicting and super underrated. I love the drama, the challenges and challengers.

Best reality TV show !!! I'm pumping watching this

Have been watching this show since the beginning. Each season seemingly better than the last. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery and this show alone has inspired so many different imitations across tv networks and countries worldwide. That being said, this most recent season may be one of the worst seasons of all time. There's nothing worse than players progressing through the game even though they don't compete and actively avoid competing. It's a competition show and I would've have thought that production had figured out how to avoid this issue from previous seasons. The way the game was designed this season allows players to play it safe and potentially make it to the end of the game. The show seems increasingly more focused on drama over the actual competition. I've even started fast forwarding past the pointless bits of drama and just watching the competition related content. I sincerely hope this show doesn't loose its spark. A back to basics approach may just be what this show needs for future seasons.

Maybe give Teej a shot at producing a future season, cause that man respects the ethos of the show- competition.

If you like reality tv you should definitely check this one, is has a good cast, good competition and of course a lot of drama. It delivers in Every aspect that you need from a show of this type. 10/10

Lame show with people acting fake. This reality tv stuff sure has gotten out of control. Where do they even find people who want to participate... they must be really hard up, wanting to get likes on their twitagrambook.

I'll be honest - I don't watch a lot of reality TV. I don't exactly love screaming drunken fighting and drama. This show certainly has those elements, though they have toned down the drama in some more recent years.

The weekly challenges and elimination matches they do on this show are incredible, highly entertaining, and are hands down more intense and significantly better than any other reality competition show on TV. To add to it host TJ Lavin is awesome and whomever is responsible for the editing on the show is a hilarious genius. Great mixture of thrilling weekly events and comedic moments. I'm not kidding about how amazing the challenges are - they often require a mixture of cunning, strength, speed, endurance, and agility. Brawn certainly doesn't make a good Challenger, it also requires brains and a great deal of heart.

Another joy of this show that makes it unlike other reality competition shows is the repeat cast. If you watch enough seasons you will see the developing relationships between long time Challengers and see why the political and social aspects of the game work as they do. And, well, if your favorite gets eliminated there is a pretty good chance that you'll see them take another shot at it next season or the season after.

The game has evolved significantly over the years as viewership has aged and the contestants themselves have gotten better. Watching early seasons (1-15) seems like a completely different experience than the later seasons (16-36). The Challenges are significantly harder in the later seasons and the competitors are much more sly about their political and social games.

The challenge is one of the only reality tv shows that I could still watch and enjoy till this day. It brings a whole roster of Real World, Big Brother, Survivor and other reality tv shows to compete for a hefty amount of money. Challenges and drama are why I enjoy this show and how it managed to keep my attention after all these years. The amount of real life drama and confrontation are unfathomable. The alliances that are formed add to this drama and are cutthroat. You hooked up with my chick? Guess what, lets settle it in an elimination. Two challengers get to fight for their right to stay in the house and whoever wins stays in the house. Whoever loses in an elimination goes home empty handed. Win a Challenge and you're blessed with power which comes in anyway shape or form for that season.

I have been a fan of this show sense the very beginning! I've seen every season and the shows TV station on Pluto TV is always on. It's insane how much I know about all the contestants and if you want to diss on my show you can leave no joke! I heard today on Facebook that this shows ratings are falling and I was shook because this is the best show I have ever seen and I don't know what I would do without it. I may not be able to watch it live because I'm always working but if I need to start arranging my work schedule to watch this show live to save this shows ratings I will do it. I honestly can't think of a season that I didn't absolutely love. I mean every contestant is a celebrity in my eyes if I ever met one of them if probably faint. I grew up with this show and it's a big part of my life.

Favorite show ever! So many seasons of intense challenges. More people need to watch this!

Cara Maria makes me puke. Just watch season 34 and see if u wouldn't feel the same.

I've been watching the challenge for at least 20 years. In the past it wasn't ever a bunch of people in peak condition. It was more of a reality show with and having challenges. Some of the people on there just wanted a nice vacation and to be around everyone just relaxing and drinking lol. It did make for good tv though. Clearly that isn't the case now. These challenges they have them doing is difficult and and some bravery such as being extremely high in the air. Nearly everyone now is running and lifting or yoga/looks like stretching. The finals they run now!?! They food they have to eat/drink absolutely disgusting. I could never. Running 16 miles and solving puzzles along the way. If you wanna watch this, it's not a game show/ it's called the challenge for a reason. It's not one of those things where you can watching and think oh I could do that easily. Either you're a moron and think you could or you're lying. Just watch. It won't disappoint you.

This show was unfair to individuals because they were randomly paired up every week with some one else. No comradeship, or lasting team work. The finale was horrible, teams were changed constantly. Also one player had to play alone in each. Game. In a physical challenge, how do you expect one per son do the work of two. This was the only season I watched this shoe, and, only watched it because there were Big Brother & Survivor. Contestants on it. Unlike those two shows, this did not hold your interest , because you could not identify with any team. Also good players were eliminated because their assigned team-nmate quit. I will mot watch anoyher season.

As a lifelong Challenge fan from the first challenge when Real World cast members from different season drove a RV across country (Yes that was how the challenge started and it was on at the same time Road Rules aired), to my personal favorite challenge season Rivals 2, the challenge has seen a deep decline in entertainment. The reason why the challenge is not entertaining anymore is mostly due to the cast! MTV needs to work on bring back or in people that its audience will recognize, this season of Spy's was bad, 85% of the cast was either new or somebody that pretty much not worth TV time. CT, Cory, Amber, Amanda and newcomer Emily (The Rapper) are pretty much the only individuals that audiences can relate too, the others from this season are pretty much attention seekers looking to extend their 15 minutes of fame and 20 minutes of social media fame. Fessy, Josh, and Tori are pretty much "Puppy Dogs" to the show, and you can tell they have some type of political power with productions and the newcomers from this season are "Dreadful" to watch. Maybe it time to face it this show is not for me anymore and All Stars is more of a show for me to watch since those cast members are what I've been used to watching. This season of the challenge is only 4 out 10 Porkchops watchable.

Dumb fake drama with somewhat beautiful people that aren't even allowed to fight it out.

I really do enjoy watching the show. The competition among the characters is very intense and sometimes brutal. Very believable! Every challenge seems to be planned out to show the best of these contestants. I enjoy the idea of after a challenge is won by an individual, they can switch teams. Most of the time the players will revert back to their original team, but some players will pick a team where they feel, they have the most chance of winning. But, the 'CHALLENGE' for me is to be able to hear the conversations when that HELLISH music is blasting in the background. Production needs to get a clue and tone it down a bit!!!! 📣📢🔈🔊🔉🔇🎶🎼🎵🎤

I don't know when it all changed. But I watched season 12 and really liked it! It was fun, with complex and creative challenges, so I started watching season 25. On the first episode, I saw challenges that not only accept violence but instigate it. It was really disappointing. I don't know why a TV network plays shows like that.

Your in a bunker get over it, not scary a bunker....why are you freaking out.

who cares..not scary at all.

So stupid, can see all the network wires running around.