This article needs additional citations for verification .(April 2019) |
Forged in Fire | |
---|---|
Genre | Reality competition |
Directed by |
|
Presented by |
|
Judges |
|
Composers |
|
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 10 |
No. of episodes | 240 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers |
|
Production locations | |
Cinematography | Jacob Goodwin |
Editors |
|
Running time | 42 minutes |
Production company | Outpost Entertainment |
Original release | |
Network | History |
Release | June 22, 2015 – present |
Related | |
Forged in Fire: Knife or Death |
Forged in Fire is an American competition series that airs on the History channel and is produced by Outpost Entertainment, a Leftfield Entertainment company.
In each episode, four bladesmiths compete in a three-round elimination contest to forge bladed weapons, with the overall winner receiving $10,000 and the show's championship title "Forged in Fire Champion". The series has a host (formerly Wil Willis for the first seven seasons, currently hosted by Grady Powell) and a three-judge panel consisting of J. Neilson (Jason Knight during portions of season 3 and 4; Ben Abbott during portions of season 4th, 5th, 6th and remaining in the 7th season), David Baker, and Doug Marcaida: experts in weapon making, history and use.
The History channel ordered an initial eight episodes of the series [1] with the first program premiering on Monday, June 22, 2015, at 10pm ET. [2] [3] Season two premiered on February 16, 2016, and increased to 10 episodes. [4] The third season premiered with a "Champion of Champions" match on August 23, 2016, and was announced as having 16 episodes. [5] The fourth season premiered on April 11, 2017, with a "Judges' Pick" episode in which the four judges (Neilson, Knight, Baker, Marcaida) each selected one smith from past seasons to compete again. The fifth season premiered on March 7, 2018. The sixth season premiered on February 6, 2019. The seventh season premiered on October 9, 2019, and expanded into May 6, 2020. The eighth season premiered on November 18, 2020.
The set, referred to as "The Forge," is stocked with a wide range of metalworking equipment, including propane forges, coal forges, grinders, power hammers, and hydraulic presses. Medical personnel are present to treat any injuries or other health problems and may, at their discretion, disqualify smiths who are unable to continue safely. At the end of each round, the smith whose weapon is judged to be the least satisfactory must surrender it and leave the competition.
In a typical episode, the four smiths are presented with a quantity of steel that they must use in the first round to forge a blade in a style of their choosing. In some episodes, they all begin with the same starting material; in others, they may choose from an assortment of metal objects or must salvage their material from a source such as a junked car or lawnmower. The host states one set of criteria concerning blade or blade/tang length, and often a second set for a feature that must be incorporated, such as serrations or a fuller groove. The smiths are given 10 minutes to sketch out their designs, followed by three hours to forge the blades; they need not adhere to their original designs. Once the time expires, the judges evaluate the blades based on the host's criteria and inspect their craft, quality, and design, then deliberate privately before announcing their decision. Any smiths who fail to meet the criteria or who fail to turn in a blade at all are subject to immediate elimination.
For the second round, the three remaining smiths are given an additional two (originally three) hours to turn their blades into fully operational weapons. They must attach a handle, choosing from a range of provided materials, and incorporate any additional special features stated by the host. They must also grind, sharpen, and polish the blades, and may address any flaws or issues pointed out by the judges in the first round, if they choose to do so. After the time expires, the judges put each weapon through a series of tests to gauge properties such as sharpness, durability, and ease of use. For these tests, the weapons are used to chop/slash/stab objects that include ropes, ice blocks, animal bones/carcasses, and metal plumbing pipes. If one weapon suffers a catastrophic failure, defined as damage that renders it unsafe or ineffective for further testing, its maker is immediately disqualified. In the case of catastrophic failure by multiple weapons, the worst performer is eliminated. The judges may, at their discretion, choose not to subject a weapon to a particular test if it is sufficiently cracked or flawed.
In the third round, the two remaining smiths are shown a historically significant (and technically difficult) weapon, mostly prepared by David Baker, [6] and are given four (originally five) days to create a version of it. They return to their home forges to do the work and must comply with any specifications set by the host. Afterward, they return to the Forge and submit their weapons for testing against objects and environments similar to the historical scenarios in which they were typically used. Based on the test results, the judges select one smith to receive the $10,000 prize and the day's championship title.
Some episodes have incorporated modifications to the rules, as follows:
Tim Healy and Steve Ascher are executive producers for History. [1] [7] Jodi Flynn, Brent Montgomery, David George, Shawn Witt and Simon Thomas are executive producers for Outpost Entertainment. [1] [7] Healy observed the demonstration, and later the filming, from the sidelines. Healy says that the inspiration for Forged in Fire came from his and other developers' love of food competition shows such as Chopped and Iron Chef . [3] However, in order to appeal to the History channel's audience, they decided to have the competition focus on historical weaponry. [3]
"[...] I reached out via email. We chatted back and forth for a few weeks. [...] Then I did a phone interview, which led to a video chat interview. They had me forge a certain length blade and document with photos as I did it. I submitted the photos, did a couple more interviews, and then they placed me on a show."
—Dustin Parrella (season 7 contestant),richlandsource.com article [15]
Typically, candidates for Forged in Fire episodes go through a casting call and screening process before appearing and competing on the show. For example, Doug Marcaida shared a casting call to his Facebook page on October 18, 2021, seeking "...metal workers to forge iconic edged weapons from History!". [16] After applying to be on the show, the potential competitors are interviewed by video and phone; asked questions about their metallurgy knowledge, experience, and skills; and undergo background checks. Sometimes, the entrants are asked to build a weapon with particular specifications, with progress pictures being sent to and analyzed by the show's producers before being considered to compete on an episode. [17]
On occasion, former contestants are invited back to the show to participate in another competition. As examples, bladesmiths have reappeared and competed in a military branch tournament, "Second Chance Tournament", or a broken blade "revenge" episode, just to name a few.
Forged in Fire episodes are filmed at Brooklyn Fireproof Stages in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, in a safe, professional environment. [18]
The set is composed of a large judge's table from where the judges spectate throughout the episode, a separate worktable for each contestant, large shelving units dubbed the "pantry" for various handle materials, and large quantities of various metal types, grades, sources, and shapes. The rest of the set floor is spotted with other work stations for tools and equipment such as Venturi forges (made and supplied by Majestic Forge [19] ), a variety of hammers, steel files, wire brushes, anvils, foot-operated power hammers, hydraulic presses, electric buffer wheels, grinding wheels, vises, welding machines, and other hand and electric tools. [20] Safety equipment is also found throughout the set and is used during construction and testing of weapons.
The winning blades from each episode are showcased on the "Winners Wall" of the filming studio. Some of those blades can be seen on the wall behind the standing contestants during testing portions of various episodes. As the show's sign of respect and gratitude for the participant's effort, time, and labor that went into making each weapon, non-winning blades are returned to the competitors after the respective episode has aired. [17]
Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | Network | |||
1 | 8 | June 22, 2015 | August 10, 2015 | History [21] | |
2 | 10 | February 16, 2016 | April 19, 2016 | ||
3 | 16 | August 23, 2016 | February 14, 2017 | ||
4 | 23 | April 11, 2017 | October 31, 2017 | ||
5 | 40 | March 7, 2018 | December 19, 2018 | ||
6 | 30 | February 6, 2019 | September 25, 2019 | ||
7 | 37 | October 9, 2019 | August 19, 2020 | ||
8 | 45 | November 18, 2020 | February 2, 2022 | ||
9 | 26 | March 30, 2022 | November 2, 2022 | ||
10 | 8 | October 4, 2023 | November 15, 2023 | ||
11 | TBA | May 29, 2024 | |||
Specials | 19 | March 28, 2017 | June 15, 2022 |
The "Master & Apprentice" episode in Season 4 featured four master/apprentice pairs of smiths. Only one member of each pair was allowed to work at any time, trading off every 30 minutes in the first two rounds and every day in the third. The non-working member was allowed to offer advice. For this episode, the forging time in the first round was extended to three and a half hours.
The "Ultimate Champions Edition" (Season 4) and "Rookies Edition" (Season 5) each featured five smiths instead of four. The smiths were required to forge a particular type of blade at their homes and bring those weapons to the studio for a preliminary test. One smith was eliminated based on the results of this test, after which the competition proceeded through the normal three rounds.
On October 3, 2018, a five-week Invitational Tournament premiered, consisting of four preliminary heats and a finale. Four smiths with a particular specialty (farrier, armorer, blacksmith, metalworker) competed in each preliminary heat, with the winners advancing to the finale for a $50,000 prize. Dave Parthemore of Connecticut won.
A "Battle of the Branches" tournament began on May 8, 2019, with four smiths from a different branch of the United States armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) competing in each preliminary heat.
During the 2019 season, Forged in Fire aired "enhanced" episodes called Forged in Fire: Cutting Deeper , which featured bonus scenes of older episodes with expert tips and techniques from the judges like Dave Baker explaining what happened to each blade during the weapon tests. Each episode was two hours long (made up of 2 older one-hour episodes), highlighting blade themes such as "Revolutionary War Swords" and "Curved Blades", etc.
On May 13, 2020, a special episode titled Forged in Fire: Meet the Judges aired at 8/9c on History. The judges J. Neilson, Dave Baker, and Doug Marcaida, were in the "hot seat" as fans asked them questions about the show, their personal lives, and bladesmithing techniques.
On November 24, 2021, a special episode titled "Bladesgiving" aired at 10 p.m. EST on History. Before the Thanksgiving fest, comes the hunt in which the Forged In Fire team showcased classic hunting weapons. The episode relived five showdowns between championship hunting blades, bows and spears made by some of the forge's bladesmiths.
Aside from viewing Forged in Fire episodes on History's cable channel and its internet website, there are other subscription options to watch the show. On October 1, 2021, seasons 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 were added to Discovery+, with season 4 being added to the streaming platform on February 1, 2022. [22] On November 21, 2021, Netflix began airing episodes, albeit one season at a time. [23] [24] There are three seasons (87 episodes) available on Hulu. [24] Episodes from all seasons are available on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and Vudu on a "Buy/Rent" basis. [24] There is also a Forged in Fire channel on Samsung TV
Award Association(s) / Media | Year [lower-alpha 1] | Category | Nominee(s) / Work | Result | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BLADE magazine | 2016 | Publisher's Award | Forged in Fire | Won | [25] |
In the city of Cohoes, New York near Albany, a man, inspired by the series, tried to forge a piece of metal over a fire in a barrel near his home. He caused a fire that destroyed three residential buildings and damaged 28 others. [26]
Several competition shows have been created as Forged in Fire spin-offs.
On April 17, 2018, a spin-off series titled Forged in Fire: Knife or Death premiered on History. This series is hosted by Bill Goldberg and co-hosted by Tu Lam, a martial arts expert and retired member of the Green Berets.
On June 3, 2020, another spin-off series titled Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges premiered on History, hosted by Willis. On each episode, three previous Forged in Fire champions return to compete for an opportunity to face one judge (Neilson, Baker, or Abbott) and win another $10,000. For the first round (level 1), the three smiths each brought one weapon to the Forge in a style of their choosing and created at their home forges, and submit them for testing by Doug Marcaida. The second round (level 2) follows the same format as the third round in a typical Forged in Fire episode. However, the two remaining smiths are given only three days to forge an example of the featured weapon at their home forges. In the third round (level 3), the last remaining smith and the competing judge are given eight hours to create a fully functional example of a particular weapon type in the Forge, including handle fitting and grinding/sharpening/polishing. The other judges then test the weapons and choose the $10,000 winner. The competing judge is announced at the start of the third round; if he wins, the prize is donated to the charity of his choice. J. Neilson (Melanoma Foundation), Dave Baker (Breast Cancer Research), and Ben Abbott (Black Horse Forge: free blacksmithing classes to First Responders and Veterans).
Color / Symbol | Description |
---|---|
1. name | A contestant's name preceded by the numeral 1 signifies the winner. |
2. name | A contestant's name preceded by the numeral 2 signifies 2nd place. |
3. name | A contestant's name preceded by the numeral 3 signifies 3rd place. |
4. name | A contestant's name preceded by the numeral 4 signifies 4th place. |
(S## E##) | The "S##" and "E##" (season and episode numbers, respectively) in parentheses showcases the contestant's previous appearance(s) on the show (win or lose). |
#. name | A name in bold denotes a competing Judge within a particular episode. |
No. in season | Title [27] | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Original air date [27] | U.S. viewers (millions) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Short Sword Damascus" | Signature blades (from home forge) | Khanda sword (using scrap metal) | Double-edged Short sword (using large & small pieces of high carbon steel) | June 3, 2020 | 0.93 [28] | |
Results: 1. Ben Abbott (S2 E9 & S3 E1) 2. John Summerhill (S6 E9); Bowie knife 3. Kelly Vermeer Vella (S3 E4 & S4 E21); Recurve fighter knife 4. Ethan Kempf (S5 E7); Bush knife | |||||||
2 | "Medieval Times" | Signature blades (from home forge) | Medieval knight's dagger (using steel from a suit of armor) | Medieval arming sword (using a variety of high-carbon steel) | June 10, 2020 | 1.00 [29] | |
Results: 1. Dave Baker 2. Steven Bryan (S4 E12); Recurve chopper 3. Josh Navarrete (S6 E19); Bowie knife 4. Mark Steele Knapp (S4 E20); Enep Machete | |||||||
3 | "Dual Swords" | Signature blades (from home forge) | Butterfly swords (using only 2 steel ball bearings) | Matched set of Fighting Knives (using 5160 coil springs with the San Mai technique) | June 17, 2020 | 0.80 [30] | |
Burt Foster is the ABS Master Smith who performed J. Neilson's Master Smith rating test. Results: 1. Burt Foster (S2 E7 & S3 E1); Recurve Camp knife 2. J. Neilson 3. John McNerney (S7 E2); Recurve Bowie 4. Jeff Wagenaar (S5 E2); Musso Bowie knife | |||||||
4 | "Smith's Choice" | Signature blades (from home forge) | Short Sword with a D-guard (either using a foundry to cast handle or canister Damascus to make entire blade) | Choice of Spadroon, Ida, or Kora Sword (using layered Damascus steel) (Tobin chooses for himself and Dave: the Ida) | June 24, 2020 | 0.80 [31] | |
Results: 1. Dave Baker 2. Tobin Nieto (S2 E8); Persian Recurve Fighter knife 3. David Goldberg (S1 E4 & S4 E1); Fantasy knife 4. Gene Hodges (S6 E12 & 14); Modified Bowie knife | |||||||
5 | "The No Can Can" | Signature blade (from home forge) | Falcata (using high-carbon steel from old tools) | Short Sword (using saw blades in a make-your-own "no-can" canister Damascus) | July 1, 2020 | 0.83 [32] | |
Results: 1. J. Neilson 2. Tony Fetters (S5 E3); Recurve Drop Point Bowie knife 3. David Roeder (S1 E5 & S3 E2); Recurve Bowie knife 4. Chris Farrell (S1 E2); Recurve Persian Chopper | |||||||
6 | "Rock Star Smiths" | Signature blades (from home forge) | 9-Ringed Broadsword | Cinquedea (using high-carbon steel bars in a twist and stack method with a handle from a guitar) | July 8, 2020 | 0.71 [33] | |
Ben Abbott
Ben Abbott entered seasons 2 and 3 as a contestant and won the "Champion of the Forge" title in both. He debuted as a judge in season 4 of Forged in Fire and later participated in the Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges challenge in 2020, winning the title twice more. Abbott then went on to win five more times in the "Beat the Unbeaten" challenge series in season 8 of Forged in Fire.
No. | Result | Record | Opponent(s) | Original air date | Series | S## E## | Episode title | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 | Win | 9–0 | Nicholas Cochiolo | February 2, 2022 | Forged in Fire | S8 E45 | "Beat the Unbeaten: The Final Showdown" | |
8 | Win | 8–0 | Brent Stubblefield | January 26, 2022 | Forged in Fire | S8 E44 | "Beat the Unbeaten: Back for Revenge" | |
7 | Win | 7–0 | Caleb Ledford | January 19, 2022 | Forged in Fire | S8 E43 | "Beat the Unbeaten: Broken Blade Revenge" | |
6 | Win | 6–0 | Rob Loveday | January 12, 2022 | Forged in Fire | S8 E42 | "Beat the Unbeaten: Scrap Steel Challenge" | |
5 | Win | 5–0 | Brandon Franklin | January 12, 2022 | Forged in Fire | S8 E41 | "Beat the Unbeaten: Round One" | |
4 | Win | 4–0 | Tyler Hackbarth | July 8, 2020 | Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges | S1 E6 | "Rock Star Smiths" | |
3 | Win | 3–0 | John Summerhill | June 3, 2020 | Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges | S1 E1 | "Short Sword Damascus" | Won money for his choice of charity |
2 | Win | 2–0 | Matthew Parkinson, Salem Straub, and Burt Foster | August 23, 2016 | Forged in Fire | S3 E1 | "Champions Edition" | Won $10,000 |
1 | Win | 1–0 | Tom McGinnis, Brent Stubblefield, and Nathan Zimmerman | April 12, 2016 | Forged in Fire | S2 E9 | "The Khanda" | Won $10,000 |
Jesse Hu Jesse Hu won eight times back-to-back in four episodes during the "Gladiators of the Forge" challenge in season 9. In the particular challenge series, contestants were given the choice to continue competing until eliminated. Jesse entered the contest in the third of ten total events, won against Kurt Komyati, chose to continue, and won seven more events thereafter.
No. | Result | Record | Opponent(s) | Original air date | Series | S## E## | Episode title | Note(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8 | Win | 8–0 | Kurt Komyati | August 3, 2022 | Forged in Fire | S9 E17 | "Gladiators of the Forge: The Final Battles" | Won $5,000 |
7 | Win | 7–0 | Eric Perrault | Won $5,000 | ||||
6 | Win | 6–0 | Matt Brando | July 27, 2022 | Forged in Fire | S9 E16 | "Gladiators of the Forge: A Champion's Quest" | Won $5,000 |
5 | Win | 5–0 | John Lachie | Won $15,000 | ||||
4 | Win | 4–0 | Jason Moscolick | July 20, 2022 | Forged in Fire | S9 E15 | "Gladiators of the Forge: Vikings vs. Gladiators" | Won $5,000 |
3 | Win | 3–0 | Eric Perrault | Won $5,000 | ||||
2 | Win | 2–0 | Ben Banister | July 13, 2022 | Forged in Fire | S9 E14 | "Gladiators of the Forge: The Battles Continue" | Won $5,000 |
1 | Win | 1–0 | Kurt Komyati | Won $5,000 | ||||
Pattern welding is the practice in sword and knife making of forming a blade of several metal pieces of differing composition that are forge-welded together and twisted and manipulated to form a pattern. Often mistakenly called Damascus steel, blades forged in this manner often display bands of slightly different patterning along their entire length. These bands can be highlighted for cosmetic purposes by proper polishing or acid etching. Pattern welding was an outgrowth of laminated or piled steel, a similar technique used to combine steels of different carbon contents, providing a desired mix of hardness and toughness. Although modern steelmaking processes negate the need to blend different steels, pattern welded steel is still used by custom knifemakers for the cosmetic effects it produces.
The kris or keris is a Javanese asymmetrical dagger with a distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (pamor). The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight blades as well, and is one of the weapons commonly used in the pencak silat martial art native to Indonesia. Kris have been produced in many regions of Indonesia for centuries, but nowhere—although the island of Bali comes close—is the kris so embedded in a mutually-connected whole of ritual prescriptions and acts, ceremonies, mythical backgrounds and epic poetry as in Central Java. Within Indonesia the kris is commonly associated with Javanese culture, although other ethnicities in it and surrounding regions are familiar with the weapon as part of their cultures, such as the Balinese, Sundanese, Malay, Madurese, Banjar, Buginese, and Makassar people. The kris itself is considered as a cultural symbol of Indonesia and also neighbouring countries like Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
A metalsmith or simply smith is a craftsperson fashioning useful items out of various metals. Smithing is one of the oldest metalworking occupations. Shaping metal with a hammer (forging) is the archetypical component of smithing. Often the hammering is done while the metal is hot, having been heated in a forge. Smithing can also involve the other aspects of metalworking, such as refining metals from their ores, casting it into shapes (founding), and filing to shape and size.
A kalis is a type of Philippine sword. The kalis has a double-edged blade, which is commonly straight from the tip but wavy near the handle. Kalis exists in several variants, either with a fully straight or fully wavy blade. It is similar to the Javanese keris, but differs in that the kalis is a sword, not a dagger. It is much larger than the keris and has a straight or slightly curved hilt, making it a primarily heavy slashing weapon.
Bladesmithing is the art of making knives, swords, daggers and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques similar to those used by blacksmiths, as well as woodworking for knife and sword handles, and often leatherworking for sheaths. Bladesmithing is an art that is thousands of years old and found in cultures as diverse as China, Japan, India, Germany, Korea, the Middle East, Spain and the British Isles. As with any art shrouded in history, there are myths and misconceptions about the process. While traditionally bladesmithing referred to the manufacture of any blade by any means, the majority of contemporary craftsmen referred to as bladesmiths are those who primarily manufacture blades by means of using a forge to shape the blade as opposed to knifemakers who form blades by use of the stock removal method, although there is some overlap between both crafts.
The Great British Bake Off is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, attempting to impress two judges with their baking skills. One contestant is eliminated in each round, and the winner is selected from the three contestants who reach the final.
The American Bladesmith Society, or ABS, is a non-profit organization composed of knifemakers whose primary function is to promote the techniques of forging steel blades. The ABS was founded by knifemaker William F. Moran, who came up with the concept in 1972 when he was Chairman of the Knifemakers' Guild; the following year, he introduced Damascus steel blades at an annual show. In 1976, he incorporated the organization, and it received non-profit status in 1985.
Junior Bake Off is a British television baking competition in which young bakers aged 9 to 12 tackle a series of challenges involving baking cakes, biscuits, bread, and pastries, competing to be crowned Junior Bake Off Champion.
The Pandat is the war sword of the Dayak people of northwest Borneo and is never used as a tool. On October 18, 2016, this weapon was featured in season 3 episode 9 of the American bladesmithing competition series Forged in Fire.
Bob Kramer is an American bladesmith, "widely considered the greatest American knifesmith working today". Some consider his kitchen knives to be "the best in the world". His first knife shop in Seattle, Bladesmiths, opened in 1993. As of 2017 he forges steel and makes knives in Bellingham, Washington.
Ink Master: Shop Wars is the ninth season of the tattoo reality competition Ink Master that premiered on June 6, 2017, on Spike with 16 episodes. The show is hosted and judged by Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, with accomplished tattoo artists Chris Núñez and Oliver Peck serving as series regular judges. The winning shop received $200,000, a feature in Inked magazine, the title of Ink Master, and the title of Master Shop.
The Boulet Brothers' Dragula is an American reality competition television series produced by Boulet Brothers Productions, hosted by the Boulet Brothers. The series originally aired on YouTube and has aired on Netflix in the United States, OUTtv in Canada, and Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom and Australia. Starting with season 4, the series moved to Shudder in all territories. The series will become a Shudder exclusive, with all seasons being hosted on the platform.
Knife or Death is an American competition series that airs on the History channel. It is a spin-off from the successful Forged in Fire television series.
The thirteenth season of RuPaul's Drag Race premiered on January 1 and concluded on April 23, 2021. The cast was announced via Twitter on December 9, 2020. The competition is broadcast on VH1 in the United States and showcases 13 new queens competing for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar". VH1 renewed both RuPaul's Drag Race and its spin-off RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars for a thirteenth and sixth season respectively on August 20, 2020. Casting calls for season 13 were opened in December 2019. In addition to airing on VH1, the premiere episode was simulcast across 5 other channels: Logo, MTV, MTV2, Pop, and The CW, becoming the most-watched episode in the franchise's history.
Legendary is an American voguing reality competition television series, exploring the world of ball culture. It premiered on HBO Max on May 27, 2020. The series follows LGBTQ house members—predominantly from eight to ten houses—as they navigate through nine balls, with US$100,000 prize for the winning house. As such, the series was praised by GLAAD for featuring queer and trans artists "from the New York ballroom scene."
The fifteenth season of the American reality television series The Real Housewives of Orange County premiered on October 14, 2020, on Bravo and concluded on January 27, 2021. It is primarily filmed in Orange County, California. Its executive producers are Adam Karpel, Alex Baskin, Douglas Ross, Gregory Stewart, Scott Dunlop, Stephanie Boyriven and Andy Cohen.
Top Chef: Portland is the eighteenth season of the American reality television series Top Chef. It was first announced by Bravo on September 28, 2020. The season was filmed in Portland, Oregon, and surrounding areas, including the Hood River Fruit Loop, Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, Tillamook Bay, Tualatin Valley, and Willamette Valley wine country. The winner received US$250,000.
Go-Big Show is an American competition series that aired on TBS from January 7, 2021, to March 10, 2022. In contrast to other talent shows, Go-Big Show focuses on bigger scale performances featuring monster trucks, horse riding and large stage acts. On each episode, performers compete for an opportunity to advance toward the season finale, with a grand prize of $100,000 at stake. The second season premiered on January 6, 2022.
Hands of Time is the seventh season of the animated television series Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu. The series was created by Michael Hegner and Tommy Andreasen. The season aired from 15 to 26 May 2017, following the television special titled Day of the Departed. It is succeeded by the eighth season titled Sons of Garmadon. Hands of Time was the only season released in 2017 and was the last season to be produced before the release of The Lego Ninjago Movie.