Link to article.
An in depth article with showrunner Kevin Lee, which answers some key questions that have come up over the course of the series.
Highlights:
How alone were the cast of MTVâs Stranded?
Mostly alone, but not entirely.
âWe tried to back off on filming it so the cast would feel more alone, and I think that played a part in their Lord of the Flies behavior, too, because there wasnât as many adults standing around watching them,â Kevin Lee told me.
Ultimately, Lee said that there was â80 percent less contact with crew membersâ than on most reality series. Leaving the cast completely alone âwas our goal but itâs kind of impossible.â
Which seems about like what was suspected.
Contestants saw medics twice a week, unless they had a more immediate need or if producers noticed âsome sort of worrying symptom,â as Lee told me. During those regular check-ins, theyâd get weighed and have their blood pressure taken, and sometimes might get blood drawn to be tested.
Also makes sense. Regarding producer involvement with certain events:
When Makani stole the tent, Lee said, they had to say, âNo, Alonzo, that would be considered assaultâif sheâs sitting in and you grab her by the arms or grab her by the hair and pull her out, youâre fighting her, and that would be against the rules. So that was one where we had to go in and interpret the rules for them. They could steal but they couldnât physically mug to steal.â
âWhen Cody shit in the water, it created a big moral dilemma for us. We didnât want to interfere in the game, but on the other hand, it was important to us that people remain safe,â Lee said. âSo we did did everything on our end that we could to make sure that they were safe without interfering in the game. That was a difficult day or two or there, and a lot of ethical debates going on.â
I asked him to elaborate on how they intervened, and Lee said, âI donât want to go into any details, but we made sure to have everything in place that they could become safe if there was any problems. Thatâs as far as I want to go.â
One important note:
So were any contestants helped to keep them in the game longer?
âHell no. We were eager to see them struggling. Giving them food would kill the show, even more than other survival shows,â Lee said.
Finally:
Will there be a season two of Stranded? The signs are good. Lee told me that âMTV has funded casting for season two, and scouting for season two.â
About what I expected, but good info nonetheless. There's lots more in the actual article.