99 To Beat Is So Ridiculous, But That's Its Charm. Let Me Explain

As someone who loves competitive reality TV shows, I will watch almost any of them to see if I want to add them to my yearly rotation. It’s even better when a show features some familiar faces. That’s initially what drew me to 99 to Beat. I heard a former Big Brother player or two would be on it, along with reality TV people from similar reality competition shows. I tuned in for the familiar faces, but stayed for the art of ridiculous reality TV.

99 to Beat originated from Belgium but has several international versions; the US version is just the latest. I knew very little about the show before viewing it, but found myself pleasantly surprised by the concept, format, and charming oddness of it all. Let’s discuss.

I Love How 99 To Beat Treats Itself Like A Serious Competition Reality Show

Usually, competition reality TV shows, by nature, are quite serious. The stakes are high, the hosts are intense, and the pressure can be overwhelming. It’s partly why so many of them produce some of the greatest reality TV moments. 99 to Beat understands the mechanics, and draws on some of the best reality TV shows with a ridiculous package. It delivers its storylines like a serious TV show.

The show gives us heroes, villains, high stakes, situations that feel life or death, and even heartbreaking and triumphant moments. However, these 99 people are doing things like stacking nails, searching for shirts, looking for balloons, and so many other low-stakes tasks. These are things you could do at home, but it’s put on a grand scale like a major sports show. It reminds me a little bit of one of my favorite TV shows, Taskmaster. That series involves comedians competing by doing tasks that are kind of ridiculous, but in a brilliant way.

You watch as they get overly invested in trying to complete these tasks; some deliver genius performances, while others just become insane. 99 to Beat has a similar feel but in a dramatic way. These tasks aren’t that serious but the investment in them becomes very high pressure. You want these people to just find the right shirt or whatever the task may be at that moment. The audience and the contestants become engulfed in the success or failure of these competitors. However, at the end of the day, they’re really just doing something silly to possibly win a lot of money. That’s the beauty of 99 to Beat: it puts the absurdity of it all on a lofty stage and makes you care.

I Find It Charming That Most Of The Competitions Are Stuff You Can Play At Home

While watching 99 to Beat, I often think about how I would perform at these challenges. I want to believe I would be good at many of them. Sometimes they’re skills-based but many are just luck. The whole concept is not finishing first but not finishing last. Therefore, a contestant just needs to keep their composure enough to finish before the last person. So, I would like to believe I wouldn’t come in last ever.

I could also easily test this because many of these challenges can be replicated at home. It’s something to do at the next family or friend’s gathering. Set up some challenges, like the ones on 99 to Beat, and see who would actually win. This is so different from many competitive reality TV because the competitions are usually too complex to copy at home.

I could never do some of the things on these competition reality shows because I would need a whole set design crew to even create them. That isn’t needed for 99 to Beat. Most can be done with household items. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be any stress or medical assistance needed, but everything should, at least, be an easy cleanup and setup.

I Think It's Commendable How 99 To Beat Builds Character Arcs With So Many Contestants

Squid Game: The Challenge, Beast Games, and similar shows involve a lot of contestants. That means there are just too many people to tell all their stories. One of the things that I think Squid Game: The Challenge Season 1 did well was which contestants it picked to follow. I think 99 to Beat also succeeds in doing this well. I care about the people it focuses on, even if they don’t make it that far. The reality show also focuses on more than expected, because, at the time of writing this, only four episodes of Season 1 have aired, and I feel like we meet a few new people each episode. We care about them, invest in them, and follow until the wheels fall off.

Obviously, sometimes it’s just because they’re about to be eliminated, but often it’s because they’re about to have a moment that makes you cheer and support their journey. It’s not easy telling compelling stories with so many contestants, but this Fox show knows how to give you just enough info and storylines to care about these contestants' successes or failures.

I Am Also Intrigued By The Preexisting And New Relationships On 99 To Beat

Many people compete with a partner (or against a partner). The show features married couples, siblings, whole families, friends, and dating couples in an array of relationships. Therefore, that adds to the emotions of things. Sometimes people are heartbroken when their family members leave. However, occasionally, we witness an epic moment because of the preexisting relationships, like a husband and wife against each other for survival.

99 to Beat has shown some of the developing relationships. People have formed bonds and become allies and friends during this whole ordeal. There is even a hint of a romance brewing. I am intrigued to learn more about the newly forming bonds and how the competition will help or hinder these ties. We have already seen how they hurt and heal some of the preexisting relationships, so now we need to see what happens with the new ones.

I Can't Help But Laugh And Love How Erin Andrews And Ken Jeong Provide Commentary Like It's An Intense Sports Show

Ken Jeong is a comedian who I have watched host other Fox reality TV shows. 99 to Beat is the first one in which he’s acting a little more seriously while hosting it. The premise of the show encourages reporting like serious sports commentary. Erin Andrews is someone I wasn’t familiar with before, but now I know the basic highlights of her background in sports commentating. She’s perfect for this show.

I imagine in my head that Jeong and Andrews laugh at the pure ridiculousness here. That image adds an extra layer of absurdity that I admire.

99 to Beat is a really fun show that I hope makes it to Season 2, but maybe with a few changes. It’s the type of silly competitive reality TV that the world needs right now.

Stream 99 to Beat on Hulu.