MTV Releases ‘The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies’ Trailer (TV News Roundup)
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MTV released a trailer for “The Challenge: Spies, Lies and Allies” and announced the first-ever “The Challenge: Fantasy League.”
The new season of the long-running franchise, which premieres Aug. 11 at 8 p.m., will showcase 17 international players alongside U.S. players. It will then roll out globally across MTV’s international networks in more than 190 countries throughout the coming months.
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The trailer, which you can watch below, starts off with contestants atop cars swerving around tracks. “The Challenge” host T.J. Lavin tells contestants that the competition will be more complicated than ever before. “Agents, here on ‘The Challenge,’ the missions are harder, my eliminations — tougher. So I’ve brought 34 of the most elite agents from around the globe to test every one of your skills,” he says.
Aside from physical competition, the trailer provides a sneak peek into the contestants’ personal lives, with dancing, partying and romance being showcased between the players. But not everyone is down for that this season. Over quick clips of kisses between Nany González and Kaycee Clark and a fight that once again catches Josh Martinez in the middle of it, there is uncredited voiceover: “I’m tired of people hooking up here. I’m here to fight, argue and win some money.”
While the international and U.S. players include a mix of veterans and rookies on both sides, the usual veterans’ alliance is put to the test in new ways. “All of us vets, we have to stick together because we’re going to be outnumbered,” says González. (Later González is also seen saying, “She’s a nasty person, she cannot be trusted,” though the trailer does not make it clear about whom she is speaking.)
“The Challenge: Fantasy League,” which kicks off today, allows diehard fans of the franchise to sign up to be entered to win prizes, become a “Challenge champion” and engage with the cast in brand new ways.
Also in today’s TV news roundup…
ACQUISITIONS
IMDb TV has picked up Season 1 of “Pretty Hard Cases,” available to stream starting Sept. 10. Starring Meredith MacNeill, Adrienne C. Moore, Tara Strong, Karen Robinson, Dean McDermott, Al Mukadam, Percy Hynes White and Katie Douglas, the buddy-cop comedy follows two radically different female detectives working on the same case. Created by showrunners Sherry White and Tassie Cameron, “Pretty Hard Cases” is produced by Cameron Pictures in association with CBC and NBCUniversal International Studios. Also serving as executive producers are Amy Cameron and Alex Patrick, with Wanda Chaffey and Caledonia Brown serving as associate producers. Watch a trailer below.
GREENLIGHTS
Acorn TV greenlit the Australian road trip mystery series, “Darby and Joan” from CJZ. The series stars Bryan Brown and Greta Scacchi. The show follows two lone strangers, retired detective Jack Darby (Bryan Brown) and widow Joan Kikrhope (Greta Scacchi), who unexpectedly meet each other and get drawn into the mysteries of Northern Australia’s outback — as well as each other. The show is described as one-part love story, “non-stop road movie” and “Outback odyssey,” in addition to being a mystery series. Created by Glenys Rowe and Phillip Gwynne, “Darby and Joan” is executive produced by Claire Tonkin, David Hannam, Matt Campbell, Bea Tammer and Catherine Mackin, with Pino Amenta serving as producer. Hannam, Beck Cole, Andrew Anastasios, Giula Sandler, Ainslie Clouston, Adam Zwar and Paul Bennett serve as writers. David Caesar is set to direct.
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