CBS Cancels a Star-Studded Show
Deadline reports that after just one season, CBS has canceled the celebrity-competition series Beyond the Edge. The show followed the Survivor model and featured nine celebrities who traded luxury to live in the dangerous jungles of Panama for two weeks as they tested their minds and bodies to their capacity. Unlike previous competitions, instead of eliminations, each celebrity had to rely on their inner fortitude, physical ability, and courage and have faith in their teammates to endure in the wild. Reportedly, low ratings is the cause of the show getting the axe. The show aired after Survivor. But despite many celebrity faces who participated in the competition, the show only averaged about 2.5 million viewers per episode through its final episode aired in the Spring.
For each day the competitors lasted and every challenge passed, the celebrities raised more money for their respective charities. If a player reached their breaking point, they could ring a bell to signal that they are ready to leave the competition. Participants included country singers Lauren Alaina and Craig Morgan; former star athletes Ray Lewis, Mike Singletary and Metta World Peace; supermodel Paulina Porizkova; actress Jodie Sweetin; and reality TV veterans Colton Underwood and Eboni K. Williams. Mauro Ranallo was the host.
In a Shadow and Act interview with Williams, the Real Housewives of New York alum spoke about why she participated in the show. She explained that she believes at the time, she was dealing with depression, and the show was a welcomed pick-me-up.
"All I know is I spent a lot of time on the couch, eating things I normally don't really eat, just trying to comfort myself, just trying to feel good and nothing was really working," she said. "And so I think from a mental space, despite the best efforts and having wonderful friends and people checking on me and a therapist, I just was in a struggling place emotionally. So when I got the call for Beyond the Edge, I knew it would kind of force me at least to get off the couch."
In the end, Underwood and Singletary were left standing. Underwood took home the grand prize, earning more than $100k for his charity, Changing Our Perspective.