‘Buddy Games’: Watch Josh Duhamel Rally Contestants in Exclusive Series Premiere Clip

The Buddy Games reality competition series is coming soon to CBS, and PopCulture.com has an exclusive special sneak peek at the new show. In the above series premiere clip, host — and executive producer — Josh Duhamel uses “the sound of my bugle” to rally the contestants in a race. Duhamel hurries off, eventually sounding the trumpet, which seems to ignite a fire under the contestants.

The teams quickly hurry down the beach toward their challenges, which they must all accomplish together, as Duhamel makes a fast getaway on a bicycle. Given the option to choose what they do, multiple teams opt for the “Drag” challenge. For this, the team must work as a group to drag a bag that weighs the same as them, collectively. However, as one contestant puts it, trying to haul those bags is “a kick in the ass.”

The Buddy Games competition series is based on Duhamel’s Buddy Games, which were in turn based on the actor’s real-life experience of going away with friends for one week and a year and competing in a series of games and challenges together. The first film was released digitally in 2020 and quickly became a fan-favorite comedy flick. A sequel — Buddy Games: Spring Awakening — was released earlier this summer, and is scheduled to debut on Showtime, and Paramount+ with Showtime, on Sept. 14.

Per a synopsis of the new series, the Buddy Games TV show “unites six teams of four deep-rooted friends, who met at various stages of their lives, at a stunning lakeside location for a nostalgic adult summer camp adventure. ‘Ride or dies’ get the chance to play ‘buddy games’ where they will relive their glory days and compete in an assortment of absurd physical and mental challenges in the outdoors while bunking together in the same lake house. Friendships will be rekindled, and rivalries reignited, when these friends are challenged to prove which bonds are strong enough to withstand the competition. The last buddy team standing will be crowned champion and take home a cash prize plus the coveted Buddy Games trophy, and of course bragging rights.”

“Being able to bring Buddy Games to CBS is truly a dream come true for me,” Duhamel previously said of the series. “This is something my buddies and I have wanted to share with the world for a long time as we knew there was a relatability to it with other people doing similar things to strengthen their friendships. For me, getting to executive produce and host Buddy Games while observing these groups of friends let loose and become part of this big family has been an honor and will be a lot of fun for viewers to watch.” Buddy Games premieres Thursday, Sept. 14 at 9 p.m., ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. It will also be available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.