Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Beyond The Edge’ On CBS, A ‘Survivor’-Style Reality Competition Where 9 Celebrities Rough It In The Jungles Of Panama

In Beyond The Edge, nine celebrities spend two weeks in the jungles of Panama, facing a number of different physical challenges as well as the fact that, well, they’re roughing it in the jungle. The host is UFC, boxing and wrestling announcer Mauro Ranalo, and the celebrities are country singers Lauren Alaina and Craig Morgan, NFL legends Ray Lewis and Mike Singletary, model Paulina Porizkova, NBA champion Metta World Peace, actor Jodie Sweetin and reality stars Eboni K. Williams and Colton Underwood.

BEYOND THE EDGE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Scenes from the first season of Beyond The Edge, where we hear Metta World Peace say he’s never had to sleep in the jungle before.

The Gist: The contestants are all playing for various charities, and there’s a $750,000 pot of money available. Before the first challenge, two captains volunteer to pick teams: Sweetin and Porizkova volunteer to captain their teams. The teams are tasked to follow an arduous course that includes pulling a box with heavy puzzle pieces in it, hiking a thick jungle path, rowing a raft to the other side of a lagoon and slogging through a muddy marsh. Then they get to a decision point where they can take a direct route or a more circuitous route, but with a clue to the puzzle they need to put together in hand. Then they need to put together a vertical puzzle. The winning team gets to split $20,000.

One other twist to this contest: No one gets eliminated. At the end of the day, Ranalo convenes a “lantern meeting” with the contestants and ask if anyone wants to leave. If they do, they go back to the campsite, ring a bell, pack up and go.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of?: It’s in the headline: Beyond The Edge is basically Survivor with celebrities.

Our Take: The “celebrities roughing it” genre of reality series isn’t new, of course; there’s the various Bear Grylls series, and celebs have been contestants of Survivor for years. But having them tough it out in one big group is something somewhat unusual.

Yes, it’s a blatant rip-off of Survivor, and there are moments that are overly dramatic given the fact that the stakes are relatively low for the contestants (besides raising money for their charities, of course). But there’s something about seeing everybody’s vulnerabilities that makes us get past some of the hiccups of the format.

For one, Ranalo is completely wrong as host. He seems like a good guy, and he’s been public about his struggles with mental illness, but his booming announcer voice doesn’t allow viewers to see him connecting to the contestants, especially during the lantern meeting every night. The best hosts of challenge-heavy reality competitions sound like they’re slogging along with the contestants and that they have walked in their shoes. Ranalo sounds like, well, he sounds like a boxing announcer doing a reality competition.

For two, the rules aren’t completely clear. What does the ultimate winner get? The two biggest earners face off in the finale, but there is actually no word on what kind of bonus the winner gets.

But, as clunky as the format is, we like seeing people like the confident attorney and RHONY cast member Eboni K. Williams doubt her ability to contribute, especially panicking after getting stuck in the mud. But we also saw the leadership skills that someone like Lewis displayed during his Hall of Fame career, or the motivational ability that Singletary displayed as both a Hall of Fame middle linebacker and leader of the Bears’ “46” defense, as well as a college and NFL coach.

Also surprising: World Peace’s fear of wild animals, which seriously makes him think he’ll go home; Sweetin’s propensity for injury, which comes to fruition during the first minutes of the challenge; Morgan wanting to take a back seat despite having served in Panama when he was in the Army. Porizkova’s strength isn’t a shock if you follow her Instagram, but it’s fun to see it in action here.

Sex and Skin: None.

Parting Shot: The nine celebs settle down for their first night in their jungle lean-tos.

Sleeper Star: Mike Singletary, mainly because he’s a religious man who refuses to walk around without a shirt on.

Most Pilot-y Line: There’s a little bit of overreliance on dramatic music and slow-motion shots, especially when everyone is slogging through the mud. It’s a reality show, not Apocalypse Now.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Despite the fact that Beyond The Edge is essentially Celebrity Survivor. seeing a group of legends (and not-really-legends) giving it their all in less than ideal conditions is fun in enough spots to recommend.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.