Tough as Nails
| Tough as Nails | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reality competition |
| Created by |
|
| Presented by | Phil Keoghan |
| Theme music composer | Andrew Keoghan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production companies |
|
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | July 8, 2020 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | International versions |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Production website | |
Tough as Nails is an American reality competition television series that premiered on CBS on July 8, 2020. The show is hosted by Phil Keoghan and features contestants competing in challenges at job sites that test their toughness, with one participant eliminated in each episode. On April 14, 2021, the series was renewed for a third and fourth season.
Format[]
Twelve contestants are tested in competitions at real-world job sites with tasks that test their strength, endurance, life skills and mental toughness. Contestants compete in 6-on-6 team challenges, individual competitions, and elimination battles, referred to as 'Overtime'. Unlike other reality competitions, contestants who lose elimination challenges do not leave the game and still have the opportunity to win additional prizes during team competitions. Each team competition gives the winning team $12,000 ($2,000 per member) and earns the team that challenge's Badge of Honor. The team that has collected the most Badges of Honor by the end of the season receives an additional cash bonus of $60,000 ($10,000 per member). If both teams have the same number of Badges of Honor, then they will hold a tiebreaker.
In each episode, contestants compete in individual challenges in order to stay in the running for the grand prize. The lowest performers in each individual challenge are sent to Overtime, with the loser of the Overtime challenge eliminated from the individual competition (referred to in the show as 'punching out'). At the end of the season, one contestant is crowned the Tough as Nails champion and wins the grand prize of $200,000 and a Ford Super Duty truck.[1][2]
Production[]
On October 3, 2019, it was announced that CBS had ordered Tough as Nails with a 10-episode order. Phil Keoghan hosts the series and serves as executive producer alongside his wife, Louise.[3] In early November, a nationwide casting search took place in the cities of St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Cincinnati, and Las Vegas.[4] On April 29, 2020, it was announced that the series would premiere on July 8, 2020,[5][6][7] later making it a two-hour premiere.[8][9]
On August 12, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season,[10][11] which premiered on February 10, 2021.[12][13] On April 14, 2021, it was announced that the series was renewed for an additional two seasons,[14] with the third season premiering on October 6, 2021.[15][16]
Episodes[]
Series overview[]
| Season | Contestants | Episodes | Originally aired | Winner | Runner-up | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||||||
| 1 | 12 | 10 | July 8, 2020 | September 2, 2020 | Kelly "Murph" Murphy | Danny Moody | ||
| 2 | 10 | February 10, 2021 | April 14, 2021 | Scott Henry | Cyril "Zeus" Ontai III | |||
| 3 | 10 | October 6, 2021 | December 8, 2021 | Lia Mort | Dequincey "Quincey" Walker | |||
Season 1 (2020)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [17][18] | Original air date [17][18] | Prod. code [17] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Redefining Toughness" | July 8, 2020 | TAN101 | 4.09[19] |
| 2 | 2 | "Get the Job Done" | July 8, 2020 | TAN102 | 4.09[19] |
| 3 | 3 | "Heavy Metal" | July 15, 2020 | TAN103 | 3.45[20] |
| 4 | 4 | "Release the Bull!" | July 22, 2020 | TAN104 | 3.44[21] |
| 5 | 5 | "Mind Over Matter" | July 29, 2020 | TAN105 | 3.46[22] |
| 6 | 6 | "Game of Telephone" | August 5, 2020 | TAN106 | 3.64[23] |
| 7 | 7 | "Trash Day" | August 12, 2020 | TAN107 | 3.05[24] |
| 8 | 8 | "Trust Your Gear" | August 19, 2020 | TAN108 | 2.64[25] |
| 9 | 9 | "Cut It Up" | August 26, 2020 | TAN109 | 2.86[26] |
| 10 | 10 | "Finish the Job" | September 2, 2020 | TAN110 | 3.11[27] |
Season 2 (2021)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [17][28] | Original air date [17][28] | Prod. code [17] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Just Another Day On the Job" | February 10, 2021 | TAN201 | 3.49[29] |
| 12 | 2 | "Keep on Baitin" | February 17, 2021 | TAN202 | 3.41[30] |
| 13 | 3 | "The Roller" | February 24, 2021 | TAN203 | 3.30[31] |
| 14 | 4 | "It's Gonna Be a Sheep Show" | March 3, 2021 | TAN204 | 3.47[32] |
| 15 | 5 | "Pour Your Heart Out" | March 10, 2021 | TAN205 | 2.84[33] |
| 16 | 6 | "True Colors" | March 17, 2021 | TAN206 | 2.94[34] |
| 17 | 7 | "Orange You Glad You're Tough" | March 24, 2021 | TAN207 | 3.18[35] |
| 18 | 8 | "Running on Empty" | March 31, 2021 | TAN208 | 3.03[36] |
| 19 | 9 | "Nothing Personal, It's Business" | April 7, 2021 | TAN209 | 3.00[37] |
| 20 | 10 | "Everything Is On the Line" | April 14, 2021 | TAN210 | 3.30[38] |
Season 3 (2021)[]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [17][39] | Original air date [17][39] | Prod. code [17] | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "Ready for Battle" | October 6, 2021 | TAN301 | 3.11[40] |
| 22 | 2 | "Fight Tooth and Nail" | October 13, 2021 | TAN302 | 2.93[41] |
| 23 | 3 | "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Freight Train" | October 20, 2021 | TAN303 | 2.75[42] |
| 24 | 4 | "Facing Fear" | October 27, 2021 | TAN304 | 2.82[43] |
| 25 | 5 | "Pressure Don't Scare Me" | November 3, 2021 | TAN305 | 2.64[44] |
| 26 | 6 | "Mud and Mayhem" | November 10, 2021 | TAN306 | 2.79[45] |
| 27 | 7 | "Mic Drop" | November 17, 2021 | TAN307 | 2.80[46] |
| 28 | 8 | "Battle Lines" | November 24, 2021 | TAN308 | 3.06[47] |
| 29 | 9 | "Bull In a China Shop" | December 1, 2021 | TAN309 | 2.84[48] |
| 30 | 10 | "Dreams Never Die" | December 8, 2021 | TAN310 | 2.89[49] |
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Critics' Choice Real TV Awards | Best Competition Series | Tough as Nails | Nominated | [50] |
International versions[]
| Country | Name | Host | Network | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | De Sterkste Handen | Natalia and Sergio Quisquater | VTM | [51][52] |
References[]
- ^ Mike Bloom (May 28, 2020). "Meet the Cast of the New Reality Show Tough as Nails". Parade. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Dalton Ross (July 6, 2020). "Pint-size ticket agent inspires fear in Tough as Nails premiere". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
- ^ "CBS Orders New Competition Series Tough as Nails, From Emmy Award-Winning Executive Producer Phil Keoghan and Louise Keoghan" (Press release). CBS. October 3, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ "Nationwide Casting Search Begins For Tough As Nails, Hosted By Phil Keoghan On CBS". CBS. October 24, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
- ^ Joe Otterson (April 29, 2020). "Amazing Race Season 32 Premiere Pushed Back as CBS Sets Game On, Tough as Nails Dates". Variety. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
- ^ Peter White (May 5, 2020). "CBS Pushes The Amazing Race To Later In 2020, Sets Premieres For Reality Series Game On! & Tough As Nails". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ "CBS Announces Premiere Dates for Two New Reality Series, Game On! and Tough as Nails" (Press release). CBS. April 29, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ "Tough as Nails Premiere Moves to 8:00-9:00 PM, Wednesday, July 8" (Press release). CBS. June 15, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ "CBS Program Advisory - Tough as Nails Will Now Have a Two-Hour Series Premiere on Wednesday, July 8" (Press release). CBS. July 1, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ Peter White (August 12, 2020). "Tough As Nails Renewed At CBS For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
- ^ "CBS Renews Competition Series Tough as Nails for a Second Season" (Press release). CBS. August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ Tough As Nails [@ToughAsNailsCBS] (November 16, 2020). "It's official! @PhilKeoghan has blown the whistle on #ToughAsNails Season 2, coming to your screens in 2021! Drop a