The Blox The Blox season 1
Wes Bergmann, longtime star of “The Challenge,” has released a new reality competition show and it couldn’t have come at a better time as both the flagship show and the “All Stars” spinoff are between seasons. Titled “The Blox,” the 17-episode series follows 20 entrepreneurs as they live together and compete against each other to become the sole winner of the show.
For “Challenge” fans, the format will be fairly familiar. The entrepreneurs will be facing off in “startup games” and the competition will be judged by “up-and-coming business celebrities,” Wes told Heavy of the competition docu-series. The two-time “Challenge” champion added that he’s “proud of how large of an impact this had on the entrepreneurs that competed.”
“We changed their lives for the better in a short amount of time,” he explained. “And as far as I’m concerned, that puts this whole project in the black before we even launch.” Beyond that, the MTV star is also proud that “Challenge” fans can see what he’s been working on outside of the show.
The entire series can be watched for free on The Blox mobile app, available on Google Play and the App Store. For a sneak peek, check out the trailer below:
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The Show Is Housed in an App of the Same Name Designed to Help Entrepreneurs
All 17 episodes are already available in The Blox app along with tools to help binge-watch the series. For those who want to go beyond the competition show, there are several tools in the app itself to help entrepreneurs with their own ideas, Wes explained:
[The app] holds a series of digital assets designed to empower entrepreneurs along their journey: educational talk shows, guided meditations for entrepreneurs, and functional music engineered to induce flow states while working.
It appears from the trailer as though the show, though focused on entrepreneurship, will have its own trials and tribulations, with high emotions. Fans might see Wes taking on a TJ Lavin-esque role as one of the competitors says in the teaser, “I feel like Wes has something up his beard.”
The show will see a second and third season released in the spring and summer, Wes also revealed, as they have already been filmed. However, interested entrepreneurs can apply to be on the show as it’s currently casting “for season four and beyond.”
Wes Opened Up About the Filming Process & Credited His Time on Reality TV With Preparing Him for This Project
The BloxBehind-the-scenes of ‘The Blox’
Wes, who’s been off “The Challenge” since his exit on “Double Agents” in 2020, told Heavy the idea for “The Blox” came around four years ago and he began developing the idea a few months before COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020. “It took about two years of work to get to where we’re at,” he said.
The concept of the show proved to be a hit with entrepreneurs as the Facebook ad for casting led to more than 5,000 applicants. “It took a year to comb through them all,” Wes revealed. “We processed their original application, a questionnaire, a submitted video, then a phone interview and some standard due diligence with semi-finalists. At each stage we cut about half the people.”
The coronavirus pandemic also had an impact on production, the “Real World” alum said. “We were forced to create a bubble around the compound where we filmed,” he explained. “With some safety-related exceptions, no one came or went once they entered the bubble.” On the bright side, filming the series in a bubble meant that competitors could focus on the show. “There were no sights to see, people to meet, bars to attend,” Wes said. “Nothing but the game. 24/7.”
The BloxBehind-the-scenes of ‘The Blox’
Wes also said he’s kept both MTV and BMP informed of his progress. “They’ve been incredibly supportive and helpful throughout,” he shared. Being on reality TV himself for around 15 years, watching “the best-of-the-best” helped him in creating “The Blox.” He told Heavy there were at least 20 strategies they adopted that came from his time learning “through mentors at MTV and [Bunim-Murray Productions] on every level from executives to audio engineers to talent.”
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