American Grit

American Grit
Genre	Reality[1]
Starring	John Cena Rorke Denver Noah Galloway Tawanda "Tee" Hanible Nick Irving
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	10
Production
Executive producer(s)	John Cena Brent Montgomery David George Adam Sher Will Nothacker Jon Kroll
Running time	43 minutes
Distributor	Leftfield Pictures Hard Nocks South Productions
Release
Original network	Fox
Picture format	720p (16:9 HDTV)
Audio format	Dolby Digital
Original release	April 14, 2016 – present
External links
Official website

American Grit is an American reality television series filmed at the foothills of Mt. Rainier in Eatonville, Washington that premiered on Fox on April 14, 2016.^[2][3][4] The series stars WWE wrestler John Cena.^[5] Fox ordered ten episodes for the first season of the competition series.^[5][6] On July 29, 2016, Fox renewed the show for a second season.^[7]

Premise

Sixteen competitors are divided into four teams of four, each led by a military veteran who is designated as the team's cadre. The teams compete in a series of challenges called "Evolutions," modeled after military training exercises, and must cope with both the physical rigors and demands of the outdoor wilderness setting. All members of the winning team are safe from elimination and advance to the next round, while the leaders of the other three teams each choose one member to participate in "The Circus," an elimination challenge consisting of a grueling obstacle course followed by an endurance test. As long as a team has at least two members, the same person cannot be sent to the Circus on two consecutive episodes. The obstacle course remains constant, but the endurance test changes from one episode to the next. The endurance test begins once all three participants have completed the obstacle course, with the first- and second-place finishers receiving an advantage over the third-place finisher. The Circus continues until one person quits, fails the endurance test or becomes physically unable to continue, at which point he/she is eliminated from the competition. Eliminated competitors ring a ship's bell on the site before departing, after the tradition of Navy SEAL trainees "ringing out" when they choose to withdraw from the program.

In the season finale, all competitors take part in an extended Circus. This Circus continues until all members of three teams have dropped out of the endurance portion, and the remaining members of the fourth team each receive a $250,000 cash prize. Clare Painter and Mark Bouquin from Team Noah were both awarded this prize as the winners of this season.

Cast/hosts

• John Cena
• Rorke Denver, a US Navy SEAL Commander who led assault teams worldwide. He is notable for starring in Act of Valor.
• Noah Galloway, a US Army member of the 502nd Infantry and 101st Airborne Division, awarded the Purple Heart when he lost his left arm and left leg in a roadside bomb attack
• Tawanda "Tee" Hanible, a US Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant
• Nick Irving, a US Army sniper with the 3rd Ranger Battalion with thirty-three confirmed kills

Contestants

The contestants range in age from 22 to 54.^[8]

Team Nick      Team Noah

Team Rorke      Team Tee

Contestant		Nickname	Age	Hometown	Occupation	Placement
	Clare Painter	The Fisherman	47	Omak, WA	Horse trainer and fisherman	Winners
	Mark Bouquin	The Lumberjack	26	Colden, NY	Timbersports athlete
	Tony Simmons	Touchdown Tony	41	Chicago, IL	Sports performance coach and former NFL player	3rd Place
	Jim Vaglica	The Boston Cop	54	Billerica, MA	Police officer	4th Place
	Tabatha "Goldie" Chandler	The Roller Girl	39	Chattanooga, TN	Registered nurse	5th Place
	David Neville	The Olympian	31	Fort Wayne, IN	College track and field head coach and former Olympic medalist	6th Place
	Ashley "Haze" Hazlett	The Marine's Daughter	31	Cincinnati, OH	Event coordinator	7th Place
	Mario Robinson	The Triathlete	25	Queens, NY	Personal Trainer	8th Place
	Cameron Zagami	The Wrestler	22	Salem, NH	Professional wrestler	9th Place
	Kimberly Joy "KJoy" Lipson	The Yogi	38	Houston, TX	Yoga instructor	10th Place
	Ivette Saucedo	The Equestrian	35	Los Angeles, CA	Model	11th Place
	Lisa Traugott	The Bikini Bodybuilder	42	Austin, TX	Trainer and author	12th Place
	Maria Kang	The No Excuses Mom	35	Elk Grove, CA	Nonprofit founder and author	13th Place
	Marc Lobliner	The Machine	35	Elgin, IL	CEO of nutrition company	14th Place
	Brooke Van Paris	The Obstacle Course Junkie	25	Indianapolis, IN	Sales Rep	15th Place
	Chris Krueger	The Hollywood Trainer	32	Los Angeles, CA	Strength and performance coach	16th Place

Contestant progress

Contestants		Episodes
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Finale
	Clare	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	WINNER
	Mark	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	WINNER
	Tony	SAFE	SAFE	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	CIRCUS	WIN	WIN	OUT
	Jim	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	SAFE	SAFE	WIN	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	SAFE	CIRCUS	OUT
	Goldie	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	OUT
	David	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	SAFE	WIN	WIN	SAFE	CIRCUS	OUT
	Haze	SAFE	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Mario	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	OUT
	Cameron	SAFE	SAFE	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	WIN	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	KJoy	SAFE	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	SAFE	WIN	SAFE	OUT
	Ivette	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	CIRCUS	EXEMPT	OUT
	Lisa	WIN	WIN	WIN	WIN	OUT
	Maria	SAFE	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Marc	SAFE	SAFE	OUT
	Brooke	SAFE	OUT
	Chris	OUT

     The player or players were the winner(s) of American Grit.

     The player was on the winning team in an Evolution and automatically advanced to the next stage of the competition.

     The player was on a losing team, but was exempt from the Circus due to having been chosen for it in the previous episode.

     The player was on a losing team in an Evolution, but was not chosen for the Circus.

     The player was on a losing team in an Evolution, competed in the Circus and advanced.

     The player competed in the Circus and was eliminated.

Episodes

No.	Title	Original air date	U.S. viewers (million)
1	"Ruck Up"	April 14, 2016	2.35[9]
Sixteen ordinary people are split into teams of four. Led by the mentors, four retired military members, the teams face the Evolution, which challenges their team skills. Team Noah wins the Evolution, an obstacle course where a log must be carried through holes in walls, carried over three miles, and placed in a locked hole. The other three teams pick Chris (Tee), Tabatha (Rorke) and Jim (Nick). The three must hold a rope weighted with a sandbag. Chris drops the bag first, and rings out.
2	"Ice Cubed"	April 21, 2016	2.17[10]
After Chris' departure, Team Tee finds themselves one person down. The Evolution involves collecting a raft after climbing over a wall. They must row across a cold lake. Once on the other side, the teams must get a paddle back across the lake, either by opening a locked box, or bringing the 100-pound lockbox. Team Noah wins again, followed by Team Tee. Tee sends Brooke to the Circus competition, Nick send Kimberly, and Rorke sends Ashley. Ashley sets the record for the fastest time in the Circus. The endurance test is to do ten burpees, then submerge themselves in ice water. After many cycles of doing this Brooke passes out and is eliminated.
3	"Moving Camp"	April 28, 2016	2.10[11]
The teams are challenged to move a full camp and set it up exactly the way they found it. Tee's group, being two members down, finds an advantage because they only have to set up two tents, while the other teams set up four. After packing the equipment into big suitcases, the teams must swim across the lake, build a wheelbarrow, and take all the wheelbarrow parts to the new campsite. Team Noah wins, follow by Team Tee, in the closet finish so far in the season. Tee sends Tony to the Circus, Rorke sends Marc, and Nick sends Cameron. The endurance test is to stand on a wooden post, then switch to a higher and narrower post fifteen minutes later. Marc falls off while transitioning to the third and final post, and is eliminated.
4	"Charlie Foxtrot"	May 5, 2016	1.77[12]
The teams must find and remember eight pictures to put on a board. Team Noah wins once again, extending the winning streak to four. In the Circus, Ivette must go because Tony went the previous week. Nick sends Maria, and Rorke sends Ashley (who was the only person to previously face the Circus). Ivette arrives first after rolling over and passing Ashley. The endurance portion is to hold onto a band of a pole, then switching to a lower band after 20 minutes. Maria is eliminated after slipping while adjusting back to the higher post.
5	"Double Time"	May 12, 2016	1.78[13]
The teams must show survival skills by setting up a tent, purifying water, and making fire tall enough to ignite two flares. Cena then reveals there are two paths: a longer one with easier steps, and a shorter one with harder, longer steps. Team Nick breaks Team Noah's winning streak, by finishing first. In the Circus, Tony is forced to enter, Rorke chooses Mario, and Noah chooses Lisa. The endurance portion is to run laps between logs in under twenty seconds. The time shortens to 15 seconds after the fifteenth lap, and 10 seconds after the twentieth lap. After lap 25, Lisa is unable to touch the log in under ten seconds. She rings out and leaves. In the preview of the next episode Cena reveals he will participate in some way.
6	"Squat Till You Drop"	May 19, 2016	1.88[14]
The Evolution involves the teams using supplies to build bridges across various obstacles strewn across a 60-foot long field without their feet touching the ground. If a member's feet touch the ground, they must restart that portion of the obstacle. Team Noah wins the event and regains their confidence. They win a weightlifting workout with Cena as a reward. For the Circus, Team Tee is forced to send Ivette, Team Rorke sends Goldie, and Team Nick sends Jim. The endurance portion involves squatting to fit inside of a three-foot by five-foot frame while balancing a small cylinder on a plank. The first person to drop the cylinder or leave the frame is eliminated. Eventually, Ivette's cylinder falls, and she rings out and leaves.
7	"Dawn Patrol"	May 26, 2016	1.73[15]
All the teams receive land navigation compasses, and most teams struggle to learn to use them, but Mark from Team Noah has land nav experience and teaches the rest of the team how to use the device. Early the next morning, the teams are all blindfolded and taken to an unknown location in the woods. From there, they must use the compass and gear they are supplied to locate a checkpoint, solve a navigation problem at the checkpoint to get a map, then carry their gear to the finish. In a close finish, Team Noah wins again and is rewarded with massages. Rorke gives his team gifts of custom ammo shells to help inspire them. At the Circus, Tony is forced to go, while Rorke sends Mario and Nick sends KJoy. The endurance challenge involves carrying sandbags uphill and over a set of steps, and they must move at a constant pace. If a contestant stops or slows down too much, they will be eliminated. After over an hour of this endurance, KJoy cannot go any further and she quits, ringing out and going home.
8	"Barricade the Bunker"	June 2, 2016	1.96[16]
At base camp, the teams are told the winners of the next Evolution will win visits from their loved ones. The Evolution involves one team member building a barricade with various materials in thirty minutes around a bunker with flags inside it. After thirty minutes, another team member must attempt to breach an opponent's bunker with a pair of pliers and retrieve their flag. Tony, on his own, barely beats out Mario and wins immunity and a visit from his family. Cameron and Haze have a date and Nick is concerned that Haze is playing with Cameron's emotions. Tony surprises Haze by sacrificing his reward so that she can visit her father instead. For the Circus, Nick chooses Cameron, Rorke chooses Goldie, and Noah chooses Mark. Cena reveals that for this Circus, the military cadre cannot assist. The endurance challenge involves stilts held together at the top with chains and three sets of increasingly smaller footholds on them. The contestants must climb the stilts and switch to the higher and narrower footholds at Cena's signal. After 45 minutes of this endurance, Cameron slips and falls, and he is forced to ring out and go home.
9	"Tired Out"	June 9, 2016	2.11[17]
The Evolution involves obstacles over a five mile course: a tire shuffle, freeing a tire from a puzzle, crawling through a mud pit, and solving another tire puzzle, while each time grabbing a tire and carrying it back to a post at the start/finish line, and teams with multiple members must travel together. Tony wins his second Evolution in a row, guaranteeing him a spot in the finals. The cadre each bring in a guest military member to give inspirational stories to their teams. Jim is forced to go to the Circus, while Noah sends Mark and Rorke sends Mario, which means by default that Clare and Haze are automatically in the finals, while Mark and Goldie are also automatically in due to being exempt from the Circus this week. The endurance trial involves a ladder that contestants must constantly climb down, under, up, and over within one minute. At the top of the ladder is a button which must be pressed, and the contestants must wait for all other contestants to press the button before the next cycle begins. In a rain-soaked Circus, Mario finishes the course first, but after over 71 rotations, he forgets to hit the button and is eliminated, ringing out and going home. Cena then reveals that the remaining contestants have only 30 minutes to gear up and get ready for the next challenge.
10	"Over the Falls"	June 9, 2016	2.11[17]
The contestants must cross a suspended traverse line hand-over-hand that spans over a 125-foot high waterfall, and for teams with multiple members, the average time of the team will be what counts, with the winning team earning an advantage in the final Circus. Team Noah wins this challenge. Cena explains that the final Circus has been expanded, and he spends some time thanking the remaining contestants before bringing in their family members for a visit. Cena explains that all seven remaining contestants must run the tougher Circus twice, with a fifteen-minute endurance in between the two runs. The endurance involves a rope suspended from a pole with two knots tied into it. After the first run, contestants must hold on via the top knot, and after the second run, they must hold on via the bottom knot. Contestants will be eliminated one after another until one team remains and the remaining members of that team will be the winners. Team Noah's advantage is a one-minute head start in the first run, which they use to gain the advantage in the first endurance. All teams make it through to the second run, and Tony from Team Tee finishes it first, Jim from Team Nick finishes second, Team Noah is third, and Team Rorke finishes fourth. Haze drops out in seventh place, David finishes in sixth, Goldie drops out in fifth and eliminates Team Rorke. Jim drops out next in fourth and eliminates Team Nick. After over 90 minutes of endurance, Tony drops out in third place eliminating Team Tee, and giving the win and the $250,000 prize to both Clare and Mark from Team Noah.

Reception

Ratings

No.	Title	Air date	Rating/share (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)
1	"Ruck Up"	April 14, 2016	0.8/3	2.35[9]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2	"Ice Cubed"	April 21, 2016	0.7/2	2.17[10]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
3	"Moving Camp"	April 28, 2016	0.7/2	2.10[11]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
4	"Charlie Foxtrot"	May 5, 2016	0.6/2	1.77[12]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
5	"Double Time"	May 12, 2016	0.6/2	1.78[13]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
6	"Squat Till You Drop"	May 19, 2016	0.6/2	1.88[14]	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
7	"Dawn Patrol"	May 26, 2016	0.5/2	1.73[15]	0.2	0.53	0.7	2.26[18]
8	"Barricade the Bunker"	June 2, 2016	0.6/2	1.96[16]	0.3	0.55	0.9	2.51[19]
9	"Tired Out"	June 9, 2016	0.7/3	2.11[17]	0.2	0.47	0.9	2.58[20]
10	"Over the Falls"	June 9, 2016	0.7/3	2.11[17]	0.2	0.47	0.9	2.58[20]

References

1. Conway, Tyler (November 18, 2015). "John Cena Announces He'll Host 'American Grit' Reality TV Series". Bleacher Report. Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved December 2, 2015.
2. "AMERICAN GRIT SERIES PREMIERE SET FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 14". Fox.com. Fox. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
3. Welch, Alex (February 10, 2016). "'Bones' returns in April, paired with 'American Grit' on Thursdays". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Digital Ventures. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
4. "All-New Military-Inspired Competition Series "American Grit" to Debut Following Return of "Bones" on Thursday, April 14, on FOX". The Futon Critic. Futon Media. February 10, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
5. "AMERICAN GRIT STARRING JOHN CENA TO AIR IN 2016". Fox.com. Fox. November 18, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
6. Paul, Tyson (November 19, 2015). "JOHN CENA TO HOST "AMERICAN GRIT" TV SHOW". Kaboom Magazine. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
7. Petski, Denise (July 29, 2016). "John Cena's 'American Grit' Renewed For Second Season By Fox". Deadline.com.
8. Eng, Joyce (February 24, 2016). "Exclusive: Meet the Competitors on John Cena's American Grit". TV Guide. NTVB Media (magazine) and CBS Interactive (CBS Corporation)
   (digital assets). Retrieved March 13, 2016.
9. Porter, Rick (April 15, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'The Blacklist' adjusts up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
10. Porter, Rick (April 22, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Bones' adjust up, '2 Broke Girls' and 'Legends of Tomorrow' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
11. Porter, Rick (April 29, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Big Bang Theory' adjust up, 'Odd Couple,' 'Mom' and 'The 100' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
12. Porter, Rick (May 6, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' adjusts up, 'Mom' and 'Rush Hour' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
13. Porter, Rick (May 13, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'The Catch' and 'Legends of Tomorrow' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
14. Porter, Rick (May 20, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Bones' adjusts up, 'The Catch' finale and 'Game of Silence' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
15. Porter, Rick (May 27, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Bones' and 'Modern Family' rerun adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
16. Porter, Rick (June 3, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: NBA Finals tops 2015's Game 1, 'Big Bang' adjusts up, 'American Grit' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
17. Porter, Rick (June 10, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: Stanley Cup Finals rise". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
18. Porter, Rick (June 13, 2016). "Broadcast Live +7 ratings: 'Blindspot' leads for May 23-29 as summer slowdown begins". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
19. Porter, Rick (June 24, 2016). "Broadcast Live +7 ratings: 'Bachelorette,' 'America's Got Talent' premiere lead the week of May 30-June 5". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
20. Porter, Rick (June 27, 2016). "Broadcast Live +7 ratings: 'Bachelorette' and 'America's Got Talent' top the week of June 6-12". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 27, 2016.

General references

• "Shows A-Z – american grit on fox". The Futon Critic. Futon Media. Retrieved April 14, 2016.

External links

• American Grit at the Internet Movie Database
• American Grit at TV Guide