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The Traitors (also known as The Traitors US outside of the United States) is an American reality competition series based on the Dutch series De Verraders. It is hosted by Scottish actor Alan Cumming.[1] The first season was released on Peacock on January 12, 2023. In February 2023, the series was renewed for a second season, and the first three episodes were released on January 12, 2024.[2][3] In February 2024, the show was renewed for a third season.[4] In August 2024, the show was renewed for two additional seasons taking it through season 5.[5]
| The Traitors | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | The Traitors US |
| Genre | |
| Based on | |
| Presented by | Alan Cumming |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 23 (including 2 reunion episodes) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Production company | Studio Lambert |
| Original release | |
| Network | Peacock |
| Release | January 12, 2023 – present |
Following the premise of other versions of De Verraders, the show features a group of contestants participating in a game similar to the party game Mafia – in which a small group of contestants become the titular "Traitors" and must work together to eliminate the other contestants in order to win the grand prize. The remaining contestants are "Faithfuls" and are tasked to discover and banish the Traitors by voting them out in order to win the grand prize.
The American show is closely related to its British counterpart, with both being produced by Studio Lambert for the BBC and Peacock. They share the same location, props, and missions, with the main difference being the hosts.[6]
Format
edit
A group of contestants arrive at a castle in the Scottish Highlands with hopes of winning a large cash prize that is built up through missions. In season one there were 20 contestants, while in season two there were 22 contestants. The players are referred to as the "Faithful" but among them are the "Traitors" – a group of contestants selected by the host, whose goal is to eliminate the Faithfuls and claim the prize for themselves. Should the Faithful contestants eliminate all the Traitors, they will share the prize fund, but if any Traitors make it to the end, they steal the money.
Most nights, the Traitors come together and decide upon one Faithful contestant to "murder" and that person leaves the game immediately. The remaining Faithful contestants do not know who has been eliminated until the following day when that person does not enter the castle for breakfast. The first murder takes place before the first banishment. After that the murders usually take place after the banishments. The group then takes part in a mission to add money to the prize fund. Some challenges also offer an opportunity for players to visit the Armory where one player is secretly awarded the shield which gives the player immunity from being murdered, but not from the banishment vote. An attempted murder on the shield holder will result in no player being eliminated.
At the end of each day, the players participate in the Round Table, where they discuss who to vote out before individually voting for a player to be banished. Players cast their votes privately then reveal their votes in turn to everyone. They may give a brief rationale for their vote. The person who received the most votes is eliminated and reveals their affiliation. When a Traitor is eliminated, the remaining Traitors are given the opportunity to recruit another player.[8][9]
Once the game has reached the final four, the remaining players participate in the final challenge. The players are given a choice to "Banish Again" or to "End Game." A unanimous "End Game" vote concludes the game, while a single vote to "Banish Again" results in another banishment vote, followed by another choice between "Banish Again" or "End Game." When the game ends, if all remaining players are Faithful, then the prize money is divided evenly among them. However, if any Traitors remain, they win the entire pot.
Episodes
editSeries overview
edit| Season | Contestants | Episodes | Originally aired | Winner(s) | Runner(s)-up | Prize | Traitors | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||||||
| 1 | 20 | 11 | January 12, 2023 | February 28, 2023 | Cirie Fields (Traitor) | Quentin Jiles & Andie Vanacore (Faithfuls) | $250,000 | Christian de la Torre Cirie Fields Cody Calafiore Arie Luyendyk Jr. (from ep. 7) | |
| 2 | 22 | 12 | January 12, 2024 | March 7, 2024 | Chris "CT" Tamburello & Trishelle Cannatella (Faithfuls) | Mercedes "MJ" Javid (Faithful) | $208,100 | Dan Gheesling Phaedra Parks Parvati Shallow (from ep. 2) Kate Chastain (from ep. 9) | |
| 3 | 21 | TBA | January 9, 2025 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Season 1
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Game Is Afoot" | January 12, 2023 |
| 2 | 2 | "Buried Alive" | January 12, 2023 |
| 3 | 3 | "Murder They Wrote" | January 12, 2023 |
| 4 | 4 | "Life or Death Situation" | January 12, 2023 |
| 5 | 5 | "Getting Away With Murder" | January 12, 2023 |
| 6 | 6 | "Suspicion and Sabotage" | January 12, 2023 |
| 7 | 7 | "The Mask is Slipping" | January 12, 2023 |
| 8 | 8 | "Cabins in the Woods" | January 12, 2023 |
| 9 | 9 | "Trust No One" | January 12, 2023 |
| 10 | 10 | "The Grand Finale" | January 12, 2023 |
| 11 | 11 | "Reunion" | February 28, 2023 |
Season 2
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | "Betrayers, Fakes and Fraudsters" | January 12, 2024 |
| 13 | 2 | "Welcome to the Dark Side" | January 12, 2024 |
| 14 | 3 | "Murder in Plain Sight" | January 12, 2024 |
| 15 | 4 | "The Funeral" | January 18, 2024 |
| 16 | 5 | "A Killer Move" | January 25, 2024 |
| 17 | 6 | "Backstab and Betrayal" | February 1, 2024 |
| 18 | 7 | "Blood on Their Hands" | February 8, 2024 |
| 19 | 8 | "Knives at Dawn" | February 15, 2024 |
| 20 | 9 | "A Game of Death" | February 22, 2024 |
| 21 | 10 | "The Weight of Deceit" | February 29, 2024 |
| 22 | 11 | "One Final Hurdle" | March 7, 2024 |
| 23 | 12 | "Reunion" | March 7, 2024 |
International broadcasts
editIn the United Kingdom, the series was acquired by the BBC as a companion to its British version, with episodes released on BBC iPlayer the day after the American release, January 13, 2023, and linear television airings for BBC Three and BBC One.[10][11]
In Australia, the series was made available to stream on 10 Play in March 2023, as a companion to the Australia version broadcast by Network 10.[12]
In Canada, the show is available to stream on Crave.[13] The Canadian version of the series began on Oct. 2nd, 2023 on CTV.[14]
Companion series
editThe Traitors Postmortem
editSponsored by State Farm, it was announced that during the second season that a new web program named The Traitors Postmortem would be introduced, an after-show program featuring additional footage and interviews with eliminated contestants that would air on Peacock and on Peacock's YouTube channel.[15]
Reception
editTelevision ratings
editThe Traitors became the number one original reality series on the streamer,[2] with the premiere of the season being BBC Three's most-watched show since the relaunch of its linear television.[16]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Nominees | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Real TV Awards | Best Competition Series | The Traitors | Nominated | [17] |
| Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Streaming Reality or Competition Series | Nominated | [18] | ||
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Competition Series | Nominated | [19] | ||
| TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Reality | Nominated | [20] | ||
| 2024 | Outstanding Achievement in Reality | Won | [21] | ||
| 2023 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program | Erin Tomasello, Jazzy Collins, Moira Paris and Holly Osifat |
Won | [22] |
| 2024 | Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program | Siggi Rosen-Rawlings and Matt Wright (for "The Funeral") | Nominated | [23] | |
| Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program | Ben Archard (for "Betrayers, Fakes and Fraudsters") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program | Alan Cumming | Won | |||
| Outstanding Reality Competition Program | Mike Cotton, Toni Ireland, Sam Rees-Jones, Stephen Lambert, Jack Burgess and Tim Harcourt, Ben Cook, Joe Evans, Laura Gallen, Chris Mannion, Emma Carroll and Deena Katz, Zoe Duerden and Alan Cumming | Won |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Alan Cumming To Host Psychological Competition Series 'The Traitors' For Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. April 22, 2022. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Tinoco, Armando (February 2, 2023). "'The Traitors' Renewed For Season 2 At Peacock As Andy Cohen Hosts Season 1 Reunion Special". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Cher (January 12, 2024). "The Traitors US Season 2 Full Schedule - When New Episodes Release, What Time & How To Watch". ScreenRant. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ "'The Traitors' Renewed for Season 3 at Peacock". February 7, 2024.
- ^ https://deadline.com/2024/08/the-traitors-renewed-season-4-5-peacock-1236039834/
- ^ Bryan, Scott (January 12, 2023). "'The Traitors' Was a Sensation in Britain. Can It Conquer the U.S.?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ Rhymes, Shameika (January 17, 2023). "Can You Stay At The Scottish Highlands Castle In 'The Traitors?'". USA Insider Official Site. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
- ^ SYFY Wire (April 29, 2022). "Peacock nabs psychological thriller competition 'The Traitors' hosted by 'Bond' vet Alan Cumming". SYFY Wire. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ USA (December 7, 2022). "Alan Cumming Hosts Peacock's 'The Traitors' In Remote Scottish Castle – What To Know". USA Network. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
- ^ "BBC acquires The Traitors US". BBC. January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (February 3, 2023). "'The Traitors' U.S. Premiere Becomes Most-Watched BBC Three Show Since Linear Relaunch". Deadline. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ "Sleep with One Eye Open: Traitors US and Traitors UK Now Available on 10 Play". March 23, 2023.
- ^ "U.K., U.S. & Australian Versions of "The Traitors" Now Streaming on Crave". April 9, 2023.
- ^ "Trust No One. Suspect Everyone. Casting Revealed for New CTV Original Reality Series The Traitors Canada, Beginning Oct. 2". Bell Media (Press release). September 18, 2023. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Busch, Caitlin (December 14, 2023). "The Traitors Season 2 Trailer Teases "Betrayal, Sabotage & Murder" with an All-Star Celebrity Cast". NBC. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (February 3, 2023). "'The Traitors' U.S. Premiere Becomes Most-Watched BBC Three Show Since Linear Relaunch". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
- ^ Coates, Tyler (June 16, 2023). "'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars,' 'Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi' and 'Top Chef' Lead 2023 Critics Choice Real TV Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 23, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Moye, Clarence (July 11, 2023). "2023 Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards: 'Yellowjackets,' 'The Boys' Lead All Nominees with 14 Nominations". Awards Daily. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Schepp, Calie (May 7, 2023). "MTV Movie & TV Awards 2023: See the complete list of winners". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 23, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Schneider, Michael (August 7, 2023). "'Succession' and 'The Bear' Dominate TCA Awards; Mel Brooks and 'The Carol Burnett Show' Honored (FULL WINNERS LIST)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Longeretta, Emily (July 12, 2024). "'Shogun' and 'Hacks' Dominate TCA Awards, Andre Braugher and 'Twin Peaks' Receive Top Honors: Full Winners List". Variety. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ "Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program Nominees / Winners 2023". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on September 24, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ "The Traitors - Emmy Awards, Nominations and Wins". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 18, 2024.