User reviews

This show is clearly run by producers expecting the contestants to overcompensate the reality and bring out the Hollywood. The hour long show (42 min) could be chopped in half and not lose a step. Too damn drawn out. No thumbs up, CBS.

The are choosing players that have such limited skills, too! As much as CBS tried making this like Survivor, they failed. Why is it so hard to make a reality show REAL? It's interesting that the same lack of tactics plays out on this show as well. Men vs. Women, color vs. Caucasian, strong vs. Week, straight vs. Gay, etc. Why can't it be human vs. Human? Because, once again, producers are involved!

The concept is good, but none of the show makes sense.

The "overwatch view" helicpoter thing is silly.

Having participants vote out the strong rather than the slow makes no sense. They make just as much money getting to top with strong person as slow. But with a slow person they may not make it at all.

The Host told participants they wont make the top if they dont speed up. So what do they do, they vote out a fast person. Crazy.

They are trying to copy Survivor with the back stabbing and alliances, but you cant in this scenario, its clumbsy and not working.

Then having the show take back money is funny, guess they dont want to give out a full million. Remember the last guy at the bridge crossing, they chopped the rope bridge. The host said they were taking the money back, there was nothing the participants could do about it. The shows just did not want to give the money away.

But I have to keep watching as my wife likes the show. LOL.

I'm not sure what it is with aussie reality shows but they feel the need to stretch way too long.

This could have been a good show (albeit with a lot of seemingly random eliminations) if it was maybe hour long episodes. But no, every single challenge or discussion is dragged out till you just wanna fast forward huge chunks of it.

The scenery is awesome - that's why i picked it up. Jai seemed to be playing an emotionless character (or just didn't want to be there) which was weird - no reason he couldn't have been a bit more fun like say the aussie amazing race host.

All in all, was enjoyable enough to keep watching but i did skip chunks.

The said in the beginning the ability to win 1 million dollars and the at is not true. The script forces them to vote people and money off during, and with 10 check points only 4 can make it too the top. Also the show is unrealistic in so many ways they spend show much time relaxing and talking and crossing bridges. The map in not a actual map it's a google maps print out😂 They should not vote people out the whole idea is it's so hard to get to the top they need to make them actually go the distance (90 miles) or whatever they said a start of the show. They should self select out quit or unable to do it. It's cringe and just a DEI popularity contest. If they were really moving that far through that terrain they would not be standing around drinking at each checkpoint. None of this is fault to the players but to the producer. The players should be able to show what this challenge is all about PAIN, GRIT, DETERMINATION! Instead we got a he said she said, do I have people to vote with me , vote out the strong so my weak ass that did not prepare for this has a shot. People that aren't as in shape would still have a shot and that be a personal battle of mind over matter and actually inspire people to do this. Not be a cringe fest of hating on men. The show could of been great.

It's such a shame that this show format has great potential, but is woefully let down by the so called host who adds nothing, and just comes across as a smug half wit. Also the challenges faced by the competitors could be much more diverse and enhance interest by incorporating basic survival tasks like shelter building, fire making and at the very least cooking food, rather than arriving to a ridiculous banquet of meals and booze. It doesn't have to rival or copy Survivor and Alone, but surely it would benefit by being more authentic and interesting by exploring some other elements of traversing this amazing environment.

This reality show is actually quite tense and interesting, showing how far people will push their physical and mental limits whilst also disregarding their basic moral principles and back stabbing each other, especially their closest friends all for some cash that's not even guaranteed in any way whatsoever to the most physically fit, mentally capable, honest or respectful person in the group. This show does one thing right and that is keeps us on the edge of our seats. I can't believe how much of a gamble these real life contestants are willing to make on their mind, body, reputation and their souls, all for a little bit of cash that's far from guaranteed - for these reasons I find the show very interesting because it is a test of one's character and what one is willing to do for just a chance of a few hundred thousand dollars. Some of the activities the hikers are required to complete to move on forward are also very tense and creates an entertaining element to the show. I've been hooked to the show from the beginning and will be finishing it off this week. Looking forward to the finale and seeing which hikers make it to the top of the mountain summit in the New Zealand Southern Alps range.

The following review contains information about the first half of the first episode - which I do not consider to be a series spoiler. I have actual mountaineering experience, and am trained in search & rescue.

In real mountaineering, SAFETY is the TOP PRIORITY, and NO LIVING PERSON is left behind. People compete against the mountain, and NEVER against each other.

"THE SUMMIT" is erroneously couched in actual mountaineering, and infected with hypocritically self-conflicting objectives. The show should be presented as a team race, on a controlled closed course, and not disguised as a mountaineering quest.

+ Unlike "Survivor," contestants are told that this is a unified team effort, for everyone to complete the journey. That is a blatant lie.

+ Some contestants are chosen, who are obviously out of shape, plainly unable to perform in the hike or "challenges," and subject to real life threatening health emergencies. That is not legitimate competition. A better show would be the TRAINING of contestants to challenge their own personal limitations, and those who successfully train, then climb a mountain as a unified team. That would be the "Survivor" equivalent of merging the tribes.

+ Similar to "Survivor," contestants are implicitly encouraged to align in opposing "aliances," and forced to eliminate their fellow competitors. That never really happens on a mountain. By contrast, elimination happens on an Olympic competition rock climbing wall. Or even earlier, when one gives up training.

+ In my opinion, this show is offensive to the sport; and, falsely leads people to believe that they can just put on a backpack, and start walking up a mountain. That is less realistic than a cartoon.

Enjoyable Aussie trash reality TV set in the stunning Southern Alps of New Zealand. Might have been contrived at times but overall good dynamics between the cast, heart pounding tests and and manipulative but enjoyable narrative.

Interesting to see Jai Courtney with his native twang and he added a cool host with a little menace to the proceedings.

Some cast acted against others early and paid dearly later on in the episodes. Some of the cast you'd think we're capable ended up exhausted. How one of the "most capable" survived to the end was a real head scratcher...

Best thing on TV in ages..... Worth a watch!

So the object is to try to eliminate those with strong hiking skills so lesser people can get to top of mountain and win lots of money. This was not the premise that the producers provided the audience; i.e., get to top of mountain. The Selection of people who had no idea how difficult it is to summit any substantial mountain, much less an New Zealand high summit is an insult to the audience. One can only surmise that whoever thought this would be an interesting show totally missed the boat; mostly because people who are overweight, unskilled in hiking should not have been selected to climb a really big mountain.

Are you kidding me?? Gave this show a go because it looked different. Different?!?! It is the same tosh as every other Australian show. What do we have...?? A bunch of contestants from different walks of life, different demographics, different abilities, but oh boy do they AAAAALLLLL have that same old "life has been hard" montage to bleed out. Same thing over and over. Introduce contestant, slow motion montage hiking/walking/climbing/surfing/playing with their dog/whatever. They've got three kids (tick), a loving relationship (tick), great job (tick)... and here it comes... quick switch from upbeat music to sad piano... here we go... "... but life hasn't always been easy..." And boom. Here we go again. Every two minutes there's a slo mo montage on TV of someone who looks perfectly fine on the outside, but *cue sad piano* "... life hasn't always been easy". They lost this, they lost that, they fought, they rebuilt, they blah blah blah. How are people still switching this rubbish on?? Summit, jungle, kitchen, island, city, dog pound... no TV show format is safe from this same old dried up bottom of the barrel nonsense of the real life DRAMA every single show wants to ram down our necks. Uplifting orchestra flips to sad piano flips back to uplifting orchestra over and over for sixty minutes. It's DONE, DONE, DONE. Honestly, how can people still care?? Every year new seasons of the same drivel just in a different format. This time people "who haven't always had it easy" climb a mountain. Oh great. Cue tears, sad piano, life montage. There seriously can't be anyone left in Australia with a sob story to tell to a slo mo montage anymore. Just stop.

Truly one of the worst shows I have ever watched, legitimately.

Horrible, horrible over production on it. I understand you need to find a way to make some random people going for a hike interesting but the way this show goes about the editing is painful to watch. Not even sure how to describe it honestly but to me 'over produced' seems to fit. It's like being hit in the head with a 2x4, just over the top and over done to the point the show is ruined. Essentially, the level the producers went to manufacture suspense in this show is an irritant and spoils the experience of seeing what happens - not sure who exactly is responsible but I never want to see tv made by them again.

I'm enjoying The Summit reality show where 14 Australian contestants are trying to reach the top of a mountain, but then I like a lot of bad reality TV. I mean like the cooking shows, not Big Brother and such. I realy dislike the way they make it so the contestants have to backstab each other, but even Survivor does that. I like watching how contestants react to the challenges. The Keeper of the Mountain is just ridiculous, but you know they are going to manufacture drama. They went overboard on the production of this, but I do want to know who wins what in the end, if anyone does. Only up to episode 6, will finish it this week.

The show summit is somewhat irritating to watch. Because some of the people on the show are so out of shape and that contestants vote off the strong means the week are never gonna make it to the summit. And then when they have a choice to vote off the week, the strongest are voted off and the week slow the rest of the contestants down. How dumb is that? Yeah, the people are letting their emotions overshadow the strategy of the goal of the game which is getting to the summit, but they are not going to get there when they keep voting off strong people. And then the host doesn't really let the contestants vote. He basically picks 2 people and then they vote on the two people he picks.

I was so grateful to have such an amazing time as the winner of Season 1. But I am truly loving watching this new season, some great characters, amazing egos and awesome adventures. Can't say who my favourites are yet, but time will tell! Compelling viewing if you want to see people being pushed to their limits and overcoming adversity. As a previous participant, I can assure you, the pain is real, and so is the exhilaration! I know that there are going to be some people who think that everything is a set-up, but, having taken part my self, I can tell you that what you see is what you get! Love it!

They dragged this show out trying to make it all emotional but it was hard to watch so many fake people with terrible characters. I hated Jans and Brooke the most, she was the female version of that snake Jans. I'm sorry I don't like watching crap float to the top.

It would have been better if decisions to oust someone was made anonymously by paper vote instead of voting with the group b/c a lot of ppl had no backbones and went with the majority.

Do these ppl get to watch the show after and see how they were taken in by that liar Jans? He laughed at them on camera cause he faked crying to fool brooke and told alot of other lies and faked being nice to ppl just to get ahead.

Not something I would ever watch again.

Doesn't make sense. At least have these contestants make you wander if they even knew what show they signed up for! Then they expect you to believe that these people who have no clue are really traversing the most dangerous terrain. They spend more time on their conversations than showing them actually doing the course. The ideas is to make it to the top within 14 days. However, these contestants vote off the strongest people. This is a wannabe Survivor using ignorant drama that makes to sense toward the final objective. The contestants continue to keep others on the show that are slowing them down. Just stupid!

While I really enjoy trash TV particularly Australian and British TV this one was kind of shocking. I watched the first episode with interest and started on the second but when they cut the bridge on that poor unsuspecting man it was game over for me. Reminded me of leading some unsuspecting innocent into the wrong shower during WWII. Besides, what was the point that some unsuspecting hand took part of the pot and then put this person unnecessary danger? Let's add dumb to the list, too. They went too far with this one. I think the producers need to rethink their strategy and try an approach that makes sense logically and doesn't exploit people and take advantage of them in a a cruel way.

The concept of a show where untrained people help each other achieve the summit and try to get everyone to the top would've been amazing. They should've made the reward higher for each additional person who makes it to the top.

The cinematography really highlighted this beautiful location, and the challenge for the contestants is fascinating. I had such high hopes.

The show is just undermined completely by this gameplay This 'game' of alliances and perceiving others as 'threats to their game' didn't work here. I've watched every episode of Survivor and that show makes sense and is fun. This show wants to be Survivor but it should've been something completely different. It could've been inspiring.

The Mountain's Keeper helicopter is one of the dumbest devices I've ever seen. Dennis represented everything that is wrong with people and this kind of gutter show.

I don't understand why they vote off the capable people. If you need to make it to the top of a mountain to win cash, vote off the weak. Duh. Am I missing something??? It sounds like everyone who makes it, gets paid. Why vote off the people who can make it happen? None of this makes sense.... Unless, you are trying to learn who has common sense or not. In that case, none of the people left should win. I say bring back the strong players and let's see who should really win. Have them fight for the first to arrive to the peak. That would be more interesting and I think the winner would definitely be more deserving.

It's unbelievable that the producers could ruin this program. It had everything: physical challenges, competitions, beautiful scenery, eliminations, deceit, loads of cash, strong athletes, everything. And yet, ruin it they did. The last episodes were unwatchable for the boredom and can be fast forwarded through the weeping from letters from home, the weeping from zoom chats (do they really need zoom chats at the top of a mountain?) and the repetition of the previous scenesafter the commercials. Honestly, this program became so disappointing after the initial episodes draw you in. It's as if they wanted to incorporate every reality series ever done and failed miserably in the doing.

This is just a really really really bad show. It's a mean premise, skill or ability has nothing to do with it - it as like the producers didn't actually have the prize money and needed to find excuses to keep it.

Really really really bad.

Jai Courtney. Omg. Just randomly cutting people - and keeping their share of the money. It was like lotto each week. And the Keeper of the Mountain??? It's a helicopter. So so so so bad.

Away for 12 days and they need the "strength of their loved ones". It wasn't even that hard. Even filling the review is hard. I should have just written terrible terrible terrible on repeat.