MTV Unpacks More Than Two Decades of Its Blockbuster Franchise “The Challenge” with First-Ever Documentary Series
MTV today announced the greenlight of The Challenge: Untold History, the first-ever Challenge documentary featuring an in-depth look into the franchise that invented the reality competition genre in 1998. The six-part documentary series, set to premiere later this summer, explores its conception, evolution and legacy, enlisting competitors, producers, media analysts, and famous fans to reveal the untold history of the greatest competition series on television. Fans can catch a sneak peek of the limited series during the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards on June 5th at 8PM ET/PT; More details to be announced at a later date.
In its 37 seasons and over 500 episodes, The Challenge has not only set the bar in the reality competition landscape, but has raised it repeatedly since its inception. Known for its ability to reinvent the wheel and heighten the competition season after season, over 30 competitors and Challenge icons including Wes Bergman, Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, Aneesa Ferreria, Mark Long, CT Tamburello, Darrell Taylor, Laurel Stuckey and Kam Williams will return to share behind-the-scenes stories from their extraordinary time competing in “America’s fifth major sport.”
The Challenge
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The Challenge was created for MTV by Bunim/Murray Productions. Julie Pizzi, Bradley Tiemann, Jacob Lane and Danny Wascou serve as Executive Producers and Kristin Bihr is Co-Executive Producer. Dan Caster and Leanne Mucci serve as Executive Producers for MTV.
About MTV Entertainment:
MTV Entertainment Group is one of the preeminent youth media companies in the world that connects with global audiences through its nine iconic brands – MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, CMT, Pop, Logo, Smithsonian, Paramount Network and TV Land – as well as MTV Entertainment Studios which produces acclaimed series and movies and the award-winning, Oscar nominated MTV Documentary Films.
About Bunim/Murray Productions
Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP) is the leading producer of innovative entertainment content. The Emmy Award-winning company is widely credited with creating the reality television genre with its hit series The Real World, which had moved to Facebook after 32 seasons on MTV. BMP continued to innovate with the first reality game show, Road Rules (MTV), in 1995; the first reality sitcom, The Simple Life (E!), in 2003; and the first reality soap opera, Starting Over, in 2003. BMP’s current programming includes Total Bellas (E!), The Challenge (MTV), Born This Way (A&E), Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project (Oxygen), Ball in the Family (Facebook Watch), Endless (Snapchat), Miz and Mrs. (USA Network), Emily’s Wonder Lab (Netflix) Challenge All-Stars (Paramount +), Don’t Forget The Lyrics (FOX) and Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls (Amazon). BMP, through BMP Films, has also produced Transhood (HBO) They Call Us Monsters (PBS), Valentine Road (HBO), Pedro (MTV) and the Emmy Award-winning Autism: The Musical , and Autism: The Sequel (HBO). Based in Glendale, CA, the company was founded in 1987 by Jonathan Murray and the late Mary-Ellis Bunim, who were inducted into the Television Academy’s Hall of Fame in 2012. The company joined Banijay Group in 2010.
