Expedition Impossible is a 2011 American reality television series. The series follows thirteen teams of three competitors as they "solve problems while racing across deserts, over mountains and through rivers" across the nation of Morocco.[1] The first team to cross the finish line after completing the ten stages of the competition was to receive US$150,000. In addition, each team member won a new Ford Explorer.[2]
Created by producer Mark Burnett and hosted by wildlife expert Dave Salmoni, the series premiered on ABC on June 23, 2011, to mild critical response. The show was canceled following its first and only season.
Expedition Impossible is run in ten stages, each of which has a series of checkpoints. At each checkpoint, teams receive instructions on how to reach the next checkpoint and at some checkpoints they face challenges that must be completed before heading to the next checkpoint. The last team in each stage to reach the final checkpoint is eliminated. If any member of a team quits, the team is eliminated.
The competition began in Merzouga and concluded in Marrakech, covering a course of around 2,000 miles including treks through the Sahara Desert and over the Atlas Mountains.[3]
ABC and producer Mark Burnett announced the series on November 4, 2010, with Burnett describing Expedition Impossible as "high adventure television" and "an epic Indiana Jones-style experience".[4] Open casting began later that month.[5] Prospective contestants were required to demonstrate proficiency in several skills, including horseback riding, righting a boat that had been capsized, compass reading and rappelling.[3]
After initially announcing a premiere date of June 21, 2011, ABC revised the date to June 23.[6]
On May 9, 2011, CTV Television Network announced that it had acquired Expedition Impossible for Canadian broadcast and that it would debut the series on June 21.[7] CTV pushed back the premiere to the 23rd, corresponding with its American debut.[8]
On July 16, 2011, Australia's Network Ten started to broadcast the show in the 6:30pm – 7:30pm timeslot on its main channel - 10.
An adaptation of the series premiered on the channel Cuatro in Spain on January 23, 2013. Hosted by Raquel Sánchez-Silva, Expedición Imposible features ten pairs of celebrities racing through Morocco.[9]
John Post, 25, Pensacola Beach, FL. Sustainable Farmer
Taylor Filasky, 31, San Diego, CA. Video Producer
Eric Bach, 26, San Francisco, CA. Entrepreneur
Group of friends that, collectively, have traveled to over 40 countries.
Erik Weihenmayer, 42, Golden, CO. Motivational Speaker/Writer
Jeff Evans, 41, Boulder, CO. Motivational Speaker/Physician Assistant
Aaron "Ike" Isaacson, 33, Topeka, KS. Soldier
Jeff is Erik's climbing guide on mountaineering expeditions because Erik is blind. Ike is a soldier.
Ryan Allen Carrillo, 36, Los Angeles, CA. Unemployed
Kari Gibson, 26, Los Angeles, CA. Model
AJ Gibson, 30, Los Angeles, CA. Mortgage Consultant
Kari and AJ are siblings. Ryan and AJ used to be a couple, but are now friends. All three are roommates.[10]
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, 31, Los Angeles, CA. Broadcaster
Robert Ortiz, 27, Solana Beach, CA. Business Owner
Ricky Sharpe, 31, Costa Mesa, CA. Health and Fitness Consultant
All three are former professional football players who first met while playing for San Diego State University.
Robert "Rob" Robillard, 43, Concord, MA. Police Lieutenant
Dani Henderson, 34, Marlborough, MA. Police Officer
James "Jim" Vaglica, 49, Billerica, MA. Police Sergeant
Cops who work together. In 2016, Jim Vaglica of The Cops would appear on the FOX reality show, American Grit.
Christina Chin, 24, Davis, CA. Corporate PR.
Brittany Smith, 24, Rancho Murieta, CA. Aspiring Pro Golfer
Natalie Smith, 25, Woodland, CA. Teacher/Coach
Friends who met while attending the University of California, Davis.
Nicholas Coughlin, 28, Clinton, MS. Internet Marketing/Entrepreneur
Jason Cronin, 37, Pensacola Beach, FL. Business Owner/Entrepreneur
Chad Robinson, 27, Bolton, MS. Real Estate Investor
Friends coming from Mississippi and nearby.
Gus Sanfilippo, 48, Gloucester, MA. Fisherman
Nino Sanfilippo, 43, Gloucester, MA. Fisherman
Joe Sanfilippo, 44, Gloucester, MA. Fisherman
Gus and Nino are brothers and Joe is their cousin. All three are crew on the fishing boat Captain Dominic.
Kevin "Fathead" Coursey, 39, Belle Harbor, NY. Firefighter
Rob Keiley, 34, Rockaway Park, NY. Firefighter
Mike Egan, 34, Rockaway Park, NY. Firefighter
Co-workers who are firefighters in New York
Lindsey Haymond, 27, Houston, TX. Teacher
Kelsey Fuller, 22, Overland Park, KS. Student
Mackenzie Fuller, 18, Overland Park, KS. Student
Three sisters who are originally from Kansas.
Dick Smith, 69, Normal, IL. Store Owner
Steven Smith, 48, Savoy, IL. Store Owner
Samantha Smith-Gibbs, 23, Thomasboro, IL. Store Manager
Samantha is Steven's daughter, Dick is Steven's father.
Eleanor "Ellie" Vanderbeck, 52, Reading, PA. Bookkeeper
Ruthie Vanderbeck, 28, Reading, PA. Realtor
Abbie Vanderbeck, 30, Norwalk, CT. Nanny
Ruthie and Abbie are Ellie's daughters. They were also in the military.
Dashia Imperiale, 44, New York, NY. Fitness Instructor
Raven Garcia, 30, Bronx, NY. Freelance Writer
Mai Reyes, 38, New York, NY. Manager
Friends and co-workers, all with Latino heritage.
Before its debut, Expedition Impossible drew comparisons to other reality television series, including The Amazing Race,[1] Pirate Master,[8] and Burnett's own adventure race series Eco-Challenge.[32] Burnett has repudiated the comparisons to TAR, saying "There’s no taxis. There’s no hotels. This is very, very different. Here, you actually need to put yourself on the line, really be willing to cross the deserts and the mountains and use the camels and the horses. So, it’s a very, very much more difficult competition."[32]
David Hinckley of The New York Daily News found the premiere to follow a familiar formula and wondered whether a "saturation point" for this style of entertainment had been reached. In saying so, he stressed that he in no way was diminishing the accomplishments of the participating teams.[33] Similarly, Brian Lowry for Variety, while calling the series a "transparent knockoff of The Amazing Race", complimented Burnett on his ability to create "a sense of jeopardy in the challenges" while finding that the series as a whole "travels such a familiar course" that it was tantamount to "recycling" the concepts of other series.[34]
Expedition Impossible was the top-rated program the night of its debut, pulling 2.4/7 in adults 18/49 and 7.18 million viewers. The premiere was the 8th most watched show that week.[35] In the second episode, Expedition Impossible pulled a 1.8/6 in adults 18/49 and 6.16 million viewers.[15] This drop was not unusual for a holiday weekend, as other shows also experienced a rating decline. Despite this, Expedition Impossible was the top rated program of the hour and the second top rated program of the night, as well as the 12th most watched show that week in the 18/49 demo.[36] Ratings however continued to slip when its fifth episode only garnered a rating of 1.3 for the 18/49 demo and 4.68 million in total viewers.[21] The show hit a season low for its eighth episode, with a demo rating of 1.1 and only watched by 3.83 million viewers.[37] The show's ninth episode was watched by 4.45 million viewers,[29] and the season finale ended with a rating of 1.3 for the 18/49 demo and 4.61 millions in total viewer number.[31]
The TV format was exported in Spain with the title Expedición Imposible when it was aired on Cuatro and hosted by Raquel Sánchez Silva on 2013.