Your New Favorite Reality-TV Stars Are…Bears

Step aside Omarosa, Boston Rob and Countess Luann, there are hot new reality-TV stars on the scene and they’re deadly. Literally. That’s because the stars of Peacock’s new three-part original reality TV sensation, The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge, are… Alaskan brown bears. Yes, you heard me right, we’re finally getting a legitimate reality tv show with animals as the competitors. In what is being dubbed the “first natural history competition show” a group of bears will compete over 150 days to see who can gain the most weight before hibernation. Think of it as a less problematic version of The Biggest Loser. 

While this may seem like a snoozefest where you just watch bears gobble down salmon for three hours, let me tell you this is anything but boring. The character-driven show (because, yes, these bears have personalities, backstories and families), will make you laugh, cry and scream “GO BIGBOI GO” at your television. It’s the easiest binge of 2024 and must-watch TV. 

Related: 75 Paw-Some Bear Puns and Jokes That Are Wildly Funny

Here’s everything you need to know about The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge: 

What is The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge? 

Every year in Alaska, brown bears, awakening from hibernation, have half the year to gain as much weight as possible before hibernation starts the following winter. This reality TV show from Peacock is a gamified version of this gorgefest with a group of bear competitors fighting to see who can get the chonkiest in 150 days. 

The bears have been followed by a documentary film crew and their actions are scored on beefiness, ingenuity and grit with the highest-scoring bear taking home bragging rights. They’ll eat close to 3 million calories and gain about 200 pounds in just 150 days in a race against the clock. Will your favorite be the fattest? You’ll have to watch to find out. 

Related: Will ‘The Bear’ End With Season 4? Everything We Know About What’s Next for the Show

Who’s in the cast of The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge? 

It’s the first reality TV show with an all-bear cast. Thank god for that kind of representation. Here are your competitors: 

Bernie

Hometown: Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Sex: Male
Age: 15
Personality: Swaggy to the max

Bigboi

Hometown: Point Douglas, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Sex: Male
Age: 8
Personality: Feasting on whale blubber is his jam

Boldface

Hometown: Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Sex: Female
Age: 6
Personality: Protective mama to cubs Raccoon, Bandit and Scamp 

Casanova

Hometown: Hallo Bay, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Sex: Male
Age: 4
Personality: Single and ready to mingle

Denali

Hometown: Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Sex: Male
Age: 20
Personality: A real behemoth and expert salmon hunter…and he loves a jacuzzi

Quadmom

Hometown: Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Sex: Female
Age: 5
Personality: #bigfamily momfluencer to cubs Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello, she’s got her paws full

Redback

Hometown: Geographic Harbor, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Sex: Male
Age: 12
Personality: Rival to BigBoi who enjoys reflecting on life’s mysteries 

Rizzo

Hometown: Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska 
Sex: Female
Age: 18
Personality: A veteran matriarch who commands the plentiful sockeye salmon

Scarface

Hometown: Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park, Alaska
Sex: Male
Age: 19
Personality: The picture of resilience and ambition—he’s seen it all

When does The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge premiere? 

The three-part miniseries drops all its episodes on July 11 only on Peacock. 

What is the prize on The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge?

The bear who scores the most points wins a million dollars. JKJKJKJK They are bears, so unfortunately for them, their only prize is the fish they ate along the way. But they’ll be sleeping fat and happy once they’ve won.  

Is there a trailer for The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge?

You bet! Peacock dropped the trailer on June 26, 2024 ahead of the premiere in July. 

How do I watch The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge?

You can watch The Hungry Games: Alaska’s Big Bear Challenge only on Peacock starting on July 11, 2024. 

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