History Channel's newest hit reality show, "Alone", which just concluded its first season last Friday, has been renewed for a second season, the network announced just days before the finale.
Alone puts 10 ordinary people, who are so-called "experts" at survival, and places them smack dab in the middle of one of the harshest environments known to man -- Canada's Vancouver Island.
On the remote location in the northwest, these 'survivalists' are left to fend for themselves with nothing but a backpack filled with a few items of their choosing, as well as, a few cameras to self-document the experience and a satellite phone that they could use when they wanted to quit or "tap out" of the show.
The only objective of course is to outlast the other nine contestants.
The winner gets US $500,000.
On the island, they are faced with harsh weather conditions including torrential rains, chilling sleet and snow, as well as the constant threat of predators such as black bears and cougars. Contestants must find their own food on the island, build their own shelter -- and basically survive.
The first season of Alone averaged 2.5 million total viewers and 936,000 adults 18-49 after nine weeks of airtime. It reached as high as the top three in new non-fiction cable series in 2015.
In the end, 40-year old Alan Kay, a Corrections Officer from Blairsville, Georgia, outlasted fellow top two finalist, 22-year old Sam Larson, a Customer Relations Rep from Lincoln, Nebraska to win the cash prize of half a million dollars.
And although the age gap between the two is nearly pushing 20, their common skill level is what kept them in the game for so long.
Larson started the season off strong, building a strong shelter while catching fish and finding various edible vegetation to harvest. He also had a very light attitude and a mental approach to the game that kept him strong psychologically. It wasn't until the harsh weather of Vancouver Island began taking its toll that Larson felt the ill effects of starvation and mental fatigue.
Kay on the other hand, seemed to thrive on the island from day one. He possessed extensive knowledge of the land and all its secrets, from the location and identification of edible flora and fauna, to how best to catch fish and other small creatures of the ocean.
By day 55, both contestants were still in it to win it, with Kay just a tad bit in better shape than Larson due to having a better diet. Ultimately, Larson tapped out and Kay was notified on day 56 when a rescue team picked him up.
"So soon?" Kay asked the rescuer, after being told that he had outlasted all nine of the other contestants.
As much of a hit the first season of Alone has been, the bar has been set for season two and it will be interesting to see how producers, Leftfield Pictures, can up the ante after a strong initial showing.
Production on Season 2 is set to begin later this year, in the same location -- Vancouver Island.