The most recent trend in television is to craft a fictional dystopia and then attempt to make it a reality. Squid Game transformed playground games into life-threatening competitions, and then dramatized the drama. Reality shows depicted in works such as The Running Man are mirrored in the brazen real-life reality competition . Presently, Fallout is making an effort to convert its satirical wasteland into a reality show, yet the odds might already be stacked against this peculiar concept.
Prime Video declared that it has greenlit Fallout Shelter, a reality competition series situated in the universe of its popular Fallout show. “Set within Vault-Tec’s bomb-proof vaults, Fallout Shelter drops a varied group of contestants into an immersive, high-stakes world inspired by the games’ distinctive dark humor, retro-futurism, and post-apocalyptic survival storytelling,” the press release states. “Over a series of escalating challenges, strategic conundrums, and moral crossroads, contestants must demonstrate their ingenuity, teamwork, and resilience as they compete for safety, power, and ultimately a substantial cash prize.”
Although the name Fallout Shelter has already been taken by a mobile game, this seems like a Survivor-style competition that merges physical challenges with a social game of trust and alliances. But does anyone truly desire this?
One of the greatest attractions of Fallout is its elaborate, convoluted story, something that is simply not feasible in an unscripted reality series. Then there is the issue of worldbuilding. People collapsing in Squid Game: The Challenge was already absurd enough, and watching people pretend to live underground after a nuclear apocalypse might be going too far. It is not even Amazon Prime Video’s first attempt at turning one of its properties into a reality competition, but 007: Road to a Million did not make a big impact among Bond fans.
The other problem confronting Fallout Shelter is that it will only be available for streaming. More and more people may be cutting the cord, but competition shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Amazing Race still thrive on broadcast television. The only comparable streaming show is the Emmy-winning Danish import The Traitors, but that series is brimming with celebrities, many of whom gained fame on broadcast competition series.
If Fallout Shelter still appeals to you, the series is . But for now, I think I’ll let Lucy MacLean do the surviving for me.