Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fast-paced survivalist challenge with bickering, stress.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
72 Hours
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
72 HOURS is a competition series that challenges contestants to navigate through remote, rugged locations to find a major cash prize. Each episode, hosted by R. Brandon Johnson, features three teams of three motivated competitors who are dropped off in the wilderness with a single bottle of water and a GPS tracking device that will lead them to supply caches with gear that can potentially help them. It also provides coordinates for each leg of their journey, which can only be traveled between sunrise and sunset. The teams then have three days to figure out how to get to a hidden briefcase containing $100,000. It isn't easy, and throughout it all they must make difficult survival choices, including when to call for a relief drop in exchange for time penalties. They must keep their teams together while pushing themselves to the limit if they want to make it to the winning destination.
Is It Any Good?
Traveling from the Yasawa Islands in Fiji to the American Southwest, this action-packed race is full of physical challenges in exotic places. Not surprisingly, 72 Hours capitalizes on the filming regions' remoteness by using helicopters and dramatic music to enhance the drama. But what makes the show interesting are the various ways that the teams cope with the natural obstacles that arise when they're navigating these areas, most of which are more grueling than they originally appear.
There are lots of tense moments, especially when contestants make bad decisions or struggle with one another's decision-making. Watching them succumb to heat exhaustion and dehydration—especially when being so close to reaching the prize—can also be frustrating to watch. But the show's primary focus on the actual race, rather than personal drama, makes it a fun viewing choice.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the reasons why people choose to participate in extreme competitions like 72 Hours. Is it the money? The fame? Or to challenge themselves for personal reasons? Would you participate in an extreme challenge or race?
Competitions like this one take a long time to complete. How are they produced to make them feel fast-paced and interesting for a reality show? Are the challenges you see real? What are the real dangers associated with them?
The teammates on 72 Hours don't know one another before the show begins. How might that add to the difficulty of the challenge, in contrast to shows where players apply as teams? Would you sign up for something like this, not knowing who you'd be teamed with? What issues might that present?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 6, 2013
- Cast : Brandon Johnson
- Network : TNT
- Genre : Reality TV
- Topics : Competition
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 16, 2026
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