MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, merged his digital-minded “Beast Games” series with legacy reality competition series “Survivor” for a special crossover episode.
Getting “Survivor” host Jeff Probst on board for the crossover was a shock even to Donaldson. “The whole time I didn’t really believe it,” the most-followed YouTuber said in a Q&A for “Beast Games” Season 2, set to premiere Jan. 7.
The Prime Video series left Beast City to head to Survivor Island for a special one-off episode, the fourth in the upcoming second season. Ten contestants had the chance to win a $1.8 million private island by completing a series of physical and mental challenges. The winner of the private island would still have the chance to compete for the final cash prize of $5 million.
MrBeast’s YouTube videos and Prime Video series are known for their elaborate stunts and flashy challenges. For this crossover though, MrBeast let the “Survivor” team take charge.
“It was literally their crew, their camera people, their everything,” Donaldson said. “That’s why it feels a little different than our other episodes.”
The team even implemented iconic challenges from the legacy competition show, like Get a Grip and the twisted net. Each “Beast Games” competitor got a buff of their own. One “Survivor” alum reunited with Probst and the team, while another competitor confronted Probst about not casting him on his show.
To decide which of the final two contestants would win the private island, the “Beast Games” players conducted a “Survivor”-style tribal council meeting.
“That was the same set they used for tribal,” he said. “It allowed us to keep the essence of what makes ‘Survivor’ really cool, and then take what makes ‘Beast Games’ cool and merge them.”
A newly minted host, Donaldson said that working up close and personal with Probst was a master class in television hosting.
“It was honestly a very surreal experience,” he said. “The whole time I wasn’t in front of the camera, I was just watching how he interacts with contestants.”
“I realize sometimes I ask questions where it’s a little obvious what they’re going to answer whereas he will say something very open ended, so the contestant just starts blabbing about something instead of leading them,” he said.
The YouTuber learned that the “Survivor” host is much more comfortable with awkward silence than he is, letting fights between contestants play out rather than interjecting with his own opinions.
Donaldson added he would take notes on his phone during filming about how Probst interacted with contestants and crew.
“He was the most experienced host I’ve ever been around by a mile,” the 27-year-old said. “I kind of just make it up as I go. That was the first time I got to see someone who has been doing it for longer than I’ve been alive.”
With 454 million subscribers on YouTube alone, Donaldson’s videos reach nearly 100 million views consistently on the platform. MrBeast said he found putting his creative twist on long-form content for a streamer more freeing than the YouTube format.
Rather than adhering to the confines of a clickbait title or thumbnail, the “Beast Games” has allowed Donaldson to embrace traditional storytelling, perfecting the opening moments of each episode and leaving viewers on a cliffhanger.
“I prefer this version of storytelling much better than having to conform a story to an image,” he said said.
“Beast Games” Season 2 scaled down to 200 contestants rather than the first season’s daring undertaking of 1,000. This season MrBeast brought 100 of the strongest people in the world and 100 of the smartest people in the world to compete for the cash prize of $5 million.
With fewer competitors, the team was able to eliminate contestants faster while paying more attention to how the prize money could change each contestant’s lives.
The reality competition series was renewed for Season 2 and 3 at the streamer following its massive viewership. Within 25 days of its premiere, the competition show became Prime Video’s most-watched unscripted show ever with 50 million viewers.
“Beast Games” Season 2 premieres Jan. 7 on Prime Video. The special crossover episode will air Jan. 14.
