This is it. Returning to the solo format in which every man and woman is competing solely for themselves, The Challenge: Total Madnesswill pit 21 veterans and seven rookies against one another in the most insane challenges ever devised in the show's 22-year history. Each season of The Challenge usually involves the players traveling outside of the USA to compete. “They way they used the camera, the way they used the audio gear, the way they interacted with the cast — everything changed,” she says of her crew. But this season, the contestants are living in a Cold War bunker that once housed anti-aircraft missiles — and they are none too happy not to be sleeping in some kind of posh house. Season 36 eventually filmed for nine weeks in September, but filming during the worldwide pandemic did present some new challenges for the production team. Luckily, once you get past the spartan dormitories and less-than-posh bathrooms, there are a couple of common areas that have some nice features: a pool table, couches, a small swimming pool, a kitchenette, football turf, a full weight-lifting setup, and so forth. Suddenly the “stunning backdrop” of Iceland was only half the importance of filming there: the other half was how safe it would be for the cast and crew who were flying in from all over the world. I filmed this modified workout when I was 36 weeks pregnant with Arna. In the past, seasons of The Challenge have stuck to a pretty predictable schedule. “You’re underground in Prague in the dead of winter, so it’s already cold and with no windows. Cast members have people who run their social media when they are filming. Damit nicht alle im Müll versinken, lassen sich die Hufers etwas einfallen. “I feel like I just arrived at Hell. While the cold weather in Iceland sometimes made them grateful for the masks, which provided a little warmth, Harkin says, she also knows it was no easy feat. DISCLAIMER: All information comes from Vevmo and is updated accordingly. Harkin began pre-production on this season in January 2020, with plans to film in March. Typically, MTV airs two seasons of The Challenge per year, and Season 36 would likely have premiered in fall 2020 if it had filmed on time. “For everybody [in the cast], it was about getting [their] head wrapped around [the new] steps that would get us to the show, and then once they were in the house they could proceed as normal,” Harkin tells Variety. “Our security guards were wearing masks and PPE 24/7,” she says. On Nov. 12, the network announced that The Challenge: Double Agents will premiere on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 8:00 p.m. And this time around, the 36-season-old show even experienced a few major firsts, including building a club. As y’all know, I’m part of the #UnspoiledGang and therefore can’t be discussing everything that happens on Season 35. This time around, due to the need to keep them in their bubble, the show created that space separate from the house in which the challengers lived during filming. © Copyright 2021 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. We would tag camera crews out much more frequently to cover scenes,” she adds. 14+ Featuring ten champions from past “Challenge" seasons who go head-to-head against ten celebrities.Hosted by WWE superstar Mike Mizanin. The End of The Challenge As We Know It. That was the real challenge this season,” says Bananas. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets “When we arrived there was a 24-hour quarantine. Full credit goes to PinkRose and Gamer on Vevmo and @jaychallenge on Twitter. There was really no way we could execute our show otherwise.”, What will play out on-screen over the course of “The Challenge: Double Agents” looks like every other season, and one important gameplay was even carried over from the “Total Madness” season: the idea that to make it to the finals, a challenger had to earn a skull by competing in an elimination round. Double Agents is the thirty-sixth season of The Challenge. “Normally you go on and you’re living in this amazing villa or mansion in Thailand or somewhere tropical. Though we are probably a long way from learning an actual cast or theme, PinkRose and Gamer on Vevmo compiled a list of returning players and their shot of being on the next season. Noticeably absent is Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, a “Challenge” veteran who won “Total Madness.” But his absence is not intentional on the show’s part to “omit a previous winner,” Harkin says.