Dear reader,
A new reality show is coming to Toronto, and there’s already drama before the cameras have started rolling. The Prime Video production Beast Games will be filmed on a massive set in North York, where 1,000 contestants will face off for a whopping $5 million (US)—the single biggest cash prize in the history of television. The series is the brainchild of American YouTube creator Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, who has amassed a following of 300 million subscribers by hosting and filming elaborate, high-stakes challenges with hefty rewards.
The 26-year-old is YouTube’s most popular content creator, but he hasn’t made headlines only for trapping contestants in nuclear bunkers or leaving them stranded on deserted islands. Donaldson’s rise to fame has been marred in controversy, including allegations that he’s made racist and homophobic comments, hired a convicted sex offender, and failed to ensure safe working conditions for his contestants.
When it airs, Beast Games could become the most explosive reality show filmed in Toronto, the pinnacle of an industry that has been booming for more than a decade. Series like Donaldson’s may not be highbrow, original or even ethical, but viewers can’t stop tuning in.
As Emily Landau put it in her 2013 feature, “The Real World”: “These shows are entertaining and addictive—even scandalous—and millions of us are watching them. When was the last time you said that about a Canadian show?”
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