Boot Camp

Imagine the worst day of your life and then multiply it by at least a hundred! Now, make your boss a growling mass of intimidation that's more pit-bull than human. Heap on a three-mile run, a hundred push-ups, and a free climb up a 60-foot rope. Take away a good night's sleep, a decent meal, and all your hair and replace them with mud under your finger nails, sweat on your brow, and tears of exhaustion. If you can roll all that into a 24-hour period and repeat the process for a number of gruelling weeks, then you're ready. Ready for Boot Camp, the latest show to pit ordinary people against extraordinary situations, and it's coming to your screens exclusively on Sky One.

Boot Camp invites 16 contestants, eight male and eight female, to surrender every aspect of their civilian lives in order to participate in a game of elimination set against the backdrop of a military-style training programme. United States Marine Drill Instructors Dave Francisco, Leo McSweeney, Tony Rosenbum, and Annette Taylor will be putting recruits through their paces. Every day, every hour, every minute, and every second will be dictated by the Drill Instructors.

So, why would anyone choose to put themselves through this gruelling challenge?

The outright winner at the end of the eight episodes gets a cool $500,000 cash prize.

So, how does it work?

In each episode the recruits are given one hour to elect a squad leader from amongst their ranks. The squad leader works in liaison with the Drill Instructors to train the squad for an elaborate combat mission. The military-style missions range from demolition, to reconnaissance, to hostage rescue. Each mission will test the recruits' ability to think under pressure and act together as a unit. Success is rewarded. Failure is punished. If the squad successfully completes the mission, the squad leader is granted "Amnesty" for that particular week. "Amnesty" means the recruit cannot be voted out (Dismissed) or taken from (Discharged) the game. Each week the recruits will vote and "Dismiss" a fellow recruit from Boot Camp. The "Dismissed" recruit must "Discharge" a fellow recruit, so two people face the axe in every episode.

In the end, the final two recruits compete in "The Gauntlet", a gruelling 48-hour non-stop competition. The events are based on physical, mental and endurance tests. Triumph in each event results in the awarding of a dog tag, and, at the last Dismissal Hill Ceremony, the six discharged recruits individually pledge their dog tags to the most deserving recruit. The grand prize of $500,000 is awarded to the recruit with the most dog tags at the end.