The CW didn’t hesitate to cancel a ton of shows following the close of the TV season, with one dashing hopes for fans of classic Nickelodeon. The reboot of only lasted one season on The CW, ending its run as the lowest-rated scripted series in the 21-22 season.
The series was an adult tweak on the classic Nickelodeon game show that ran for three seasons from 1993 until 1995. The updated series featured host Cristela Alonzo and took action out of the studio to give the teams the challenge of navigating the jungle. Taking plenty of influence from Survivor‘s run on CBS, the updated version had tough challenges and some “peril” from time to time.
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Returning from the original was the classic moat crossings, The Steps of Knowledge and the frustrating Temple Run. Also returning were the classic team names like the Purple Parrots, the Blue Barracudas, the Orange Iguanas, the Red Jaguars, the Silver Snakes and the Green Monkeys.
The original series was hosted by Kirk Fogg, who returned for a TV movie inspired by the series back in 2016 and made cameo appearances in the 2020 series on The CW. Also returning was Olmec, with Dee Bradley Baker voicing the disembodied generic olmec head that seemed to control the hidden temple and the legends within.
The CW adaptation was a fairly accurate revival of the Nickelodeon original, with some changes getting added to expand the show for the newer challenges. The show expanded from half an hour to a full hour, with four teams of adults going against each other. Teams can be same-sex, with the legends for each episode expanding throughout the episode instead of just during one segment. The winning team would get $2,500 for just entering the temple in the final game, $10,000 if they reach the special artifact and a full $25,000 if they make it out of the temple before the time expires.
The reboot of the original Nickelodeon show was originally teased as a Quibi series. This ended prematurely when Quibi failed and the content was sold off or transferred. The CW picked up the series after Quibi went under, setting it to premiere on the network. The series becomes the latest CW property to find an end in 2022, including Charmed, 4400, Naomi, Dynasty, In the Dark, Roswell, Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow.