The Traitors US is an American reality game show hosted by Alan Cumming, a Scottish-American actor. He is also the executive producer of the show. It is an unscripted show that consists of 20 contestants. The main theme of the series is deception, conspiracy, and backstabbing. The Traitors US was recently released in 2023. The first episode aired on January 12, 2023.
The game consists of several tasks the contestants must perform to earn the prize money. The contestants are divided into two groups known as the loyalists and the traitors. They should work as a team. The team consists of three traitors. These traitors know each other, but the teammates do not know them.
The traitors meet secretly and try to steal the money. The viewers know the traitors. The loyalists complete the tasks given and protect the team, whereas the traitors try to obstruct their teammates. The prize money for the game is $250,000.
The goal of the traitor is to eliminate the loyalists, and the loyalists need to find out who the traitor is. The exposed traitor is banished from the game. If the loyalists win, they will share the prize equally among themselves. But if the traitor is not eliminated until the end, he gets all the money. The uniqueness of the show is that there can be multiple winners instead of a single winner.
This show is based on a survivalist theme. It is produced by Studio Lambert, a renowned television network. The US version has stars like Kyle Cooke, Kate Chastain, and Cirie Fields. Most of the contestants in the show are former reality TV stars. Season one of the show has 10 episodes and a final reunion episode. It is available on Peacock.
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Here are some interesting facts that you need to know about the show:
1. The show also has Dutch and UK versions.
The Traitors US is just an American version of the show. The original show is from a Dutch television format. The Dutch version is called De Verraders, which translates to The Traitors. The Dutch series was released in 2021, and it was a huge success. There are other versions called The Traitors British Version and The Traitors Australian Version.
The UK version has become very popular and has great weekly ratings. There are only slight differences between the versions. The differences are in terms of the number of contestants, challenges, number of episodes, and prize money. As of now, there are nine international versions of The Traitors.
2. The contestants are not allowed to bring any external communication devices.
The team’s rule prohibits the use of any external devices, such as laptops, watches, or phones, in the game. It is one of the most stringent rules of the game.
The main goal of this rule is to prevent contestants from getting any external help or assistance. It also aids in preventing unfair benefits for one participant over another. By isolating the contestants from the outside world, it also helps the rivalry become more intense.
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3. The producers of the show hire psychologists to analyze the moves of the contestants.
The Traitors is a psychological show. So the producers of the show hire professional psychologists to analyze the behavior of the contestants. Through this analysis, they provide insights into their motives.
Most of the audience criticized the show for the mistreatment and manipulation of the contestants. But the show’s production team said that the contestants’ safety is their top priority, and everything is done under the supervision of experts. There is a team of survival safety experts who monitor the contestants’ safety.
4. The location of the show is not revealed until just before the filming begins.
The location where the filming is about to happen is not revealed to the contestants. The location is kept a secret until just before the filming begins. This is done to prevent the contestants from preparing for the show beforehand. The filming of the US version took place at Ardross Castle, which is an ancient castle in the Scottish Highlands. This is a private space, and outsiders are not allowed during the shoot.
Some of the members of the audience complained about the contestants not using their seat belts in the game. The traffic rules don’t apply here as it is an enclosed space, and there is no sign of harm. There is no violation as such.
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5. All the episodes of “The Traitors” are released at once.
Despite being a reality show, the makers of the show released all the episodes at once. You can binge-watch all the episodes instead of waiting for the next one. The episodes were released all at once, but the hype remained for many days.
This is due to the strategic and unique nature of the show. Even though the episodes were released all at once, the show gained the attention of the audience and remained among the top reality shows for many days. The unique format of the show made it a legitimate phenomenon.
6. The challenges of the show are designed to test both the physical and mental strength of the contestants.
The Traitors show it is famous for its challenges. The contestants are selected based on their survival and deception skills. The challenges are very different and are designed to test not only physical strength but also creativity and problem-solving skills. Every decision the team makes affects the prize money. So it is a test of both mental and physical strength.
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7. The rounds of the show include a banishment round and a murder round.
The show has two different rounds to eliminate the contestants. The loyalists find the traitors and banish them at the roundtable meeting. They discuss their theories and ideas about the traitor and banish him or her. They calculate all the possibilities and banish the traitor.
The traitors have the privilege of eliminating the contestant who they think is getting close to finding out about the traitors. In a secret meeting at midnight, the traitors discuss the murder of this particular person. They select that one player and murder them silently by slipping a note under the person’s door.
Also read: The Traitors Episode 7: Release Date, Preview & Where To Watch
8. Unlike other shows, this one has multiple winners.
In most reality shows, there is a single winner at the end. But this show has multiple winners, which makes it different from the other shows. There are two teams in the game, out of which one team wins.
No matter who wins, the prize money is shared equally among the winning team. The prize money keeps increasing as the challenges are completed. Finally, the winning team receives a cash prize at the end of the season.
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9. The editing of the show takes up to 6 months.
The entire season’s episodes are released at once. As it is a reality show, the editing takes a lot of time. The editors of the show take up to 6 months to complete the whole editing process. They carefully observe all the episodes and edit the most suspenseful and intriguing scenes out of them. They include dramatic clips in every episode. So this takes a lot of time to complete.
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10. The show uses infrared cameras.
The show is filmed throughout the day. It is one of the first reality shows to use infrared cameras. These cameras are used to capture the footage at night and help the viewers watch what is happening throughout the day.
11. The show was heavily criticized by viewers for its psychological torture.
The Traitors is a very interesting psychological show. But some viewers and media outlets criticized the show for its psychological torture of contestants. The contestants were given tough challenges, but some of them shocked the audience.
However, the production team of the show mentioned to the media that the safety of contestants is their topmost priority. The show’s production team also has a strict policy against physical violence, and any contestant who violates the rules is immediately disqualified.
12. The Traitors US has been renewed for a second season.
The Traitors US aired its first season in January 2023. The show became an instant hit and remained at high stakes for a very long period. The team announced Season 2 along with the reunion episode of Season 1, which is the 11th or final episode of the season.
The reunion episode of Season 1 is hosted by Bravo’s Andy Cohen. The host of Season 2 is once again Alan Cumming. The second season is likely to be released in 2024.
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