58 •Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM
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TRSQ@KH@M 2TQUHUNQreboot to date, awareness of the show’s
schema is underdeveloped among the local target audience
compared to those watching the American series. Moreover, a
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been unfamiliar with the American series, with many expressing
discomfort about the ‘backstabbing’ aspect of the game. The
inclusion of the HII in 2016, for instance, was accompanied by
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the object, and led to an unintended outcome when it made
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cause possession of it exposed him as a strategic player. In sub
sequent interviews, Iadanza spoke of how openly being a fan of
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the game.^18 To be openly knowledgeable of the American game
in TRSQ@KH@M 2TQUHUNQmade one a threat, resulting in players
who presented as overly strategic being eliminated early.Heavy incorporation of sponsors5HDOLW\ WHOHYLVLRQ KDV DOZD\V EHHQ DQ DSSHDOLQJ YHKLFOH IRU QHZ
ways to market products to audiences. The/QNIDBS1TMV@X
and3NO ,NCDKfranchises, in particular,
employ branded products to enhance con
testants’ appearance. Baltruschat draws
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folktales to articulate how commodities
are examples of a ‘magical object’ used to
assist characters/contestants on their jour
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is to say, they achieve their goals through
the use of the aforementioned magical ob
jects. In these shows, the dramatic narra
tive is intertwined with product placement,
giving prominence to the exchange value
of these items rather than their use value.
This type of integration is a key part of
contemporary reality television, and a heavy reliance on spon
sorship was evident in the 2016 season of TRSQ@KH@M 2TQUHUNQ,
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sive segments of contestants exclaiming how much they loved
the food. This marketing strategy blurs the episodic boundaries
of television. Clips of the show were used in ad breaks, and
stills were used on social media, to further promote products- mirroring the approach used by many other Australian reality
shows, such as,X *HSBGDM 1TKDRand,@RSDQ"GDE, both of
which display extensive Coles branding. While this sponsor
ship strategy works for shows such as3NO ,NCDKand/QNIDBS
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audiences can achieve theirowntransformations using the
desired brands – the thematic connection to the brands is lost
in TRSQ@KH@M 2TQUHUNQ, as the experience can’t be replicated
through the consumption of its advertised products.
Challenges of format localisationThere are several issues at play when adapting franchises for
local audiences. According to Baltruschat:%NQL@S KNB@KHY@SHNM HR A@RDC NM @ LDCH@ DBNKNFX VGHBG HM-
UNKUDRŭKDMFSGXBNKK@ANQ@SHUDOQNBDRRDRADSVDDMSGDNVMDQRNE SGD OQNFQ@L KHBDMRDD @MC BNMSQ@BSDC OQNCTBSHNM BQDV VGN
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^20The production of a localised text thus requires an acute judge
ment of what can be considered ‘entertainment value’.^21
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and the American production company Castaway Television,
which offered initial guidance and provided key structures (such
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expectations of its entertainment and factual programming arm,
as seen in its other reality titles3GD !@BGDKNQ,3GD !@BGDKNQDSSD,
,@RSDQ"GDEand(L @ "DKDAQHSXw &DS ,D .TS NE 'DQDŪ
As
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long episode weekly (inclusive of advertising breaks), TRSQ@KH@M
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cessive schedule aligns with the Australian media ecology’s
demand for a heavy emphasis on advertising – something that
can’t be achieved with only one weekly episode.
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ences. Through the inclusion of relevant
stories, a local adaptation of a reality
show is able to inject itself into ‘the
symbolic matrix of national and cul
tural familiarities’.^22 The ostensible
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2TQUHUNQreboot was particularly evident
in the theme of ‘mateship’, which was
explored through the lens of masculinity.
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overly strategic players like Iadanza.
Their clichéd expression of Australian
identity was also contrasted with the
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by many fans on social media.$QG LW ZDV RQO\ DW WKH ĺQDO
tribal council – once she was free from the risk of being voted
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The progression of reality shows is heavily contrived through
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are not always apparent to the viewer. In the case of TRSQ@KH@M
2TQUHUNQ, key decisions regarding format have exhibited a lack
of foresight by the production team. The American2TQUHUNQ
regularly utilises tribal swaps, merges and double eliminations
to keep players on their toes. In contrast, during one reward
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volved the winning team selecting who they would want to join
them from the losing two tribes, with unselected contestants
having to merge and form their own new tribe. This reorganisa
tion created aRHFMHkB@MSKX RSQNMFDQtribe, leading to a complete
decimation of the tribe consisting of unselected contestants.
Further consequences of this production decision were the
elimination of several stronger strategic players and the birth
of a dominant alliance of players who were inexperienced in
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admit in confessionals that they did not want to play an overly
tactical game, meaning the second half of the season lackedTo be openly
knowledgeable of the
American game in
Australian Survivor
made one a threat,
resulting in players
who presented as
overly strategic being
eliminated early.