Immunity in reality television

Reality television

Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

 is a concept that is widely used in weekly elimination-type reality television shows by which a contestant participating in such a show may not be "kicked off" or eliminated from competition in a particular time period. This device has been used in different ways in shows including The Apprentice, Big Brother

Big Brother (UK)

Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...

, The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser

The Biggest Loser is an American reality game show that debuted on NBC October 19, 2004. The show features obese people competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight relative to their initial weight....

, RuPaul's Drag Race

RuPaul's Drag Race

RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...

, Last Comic Standing

Last Comic Standing

Last Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...

, Project Runway

Project Runway

Project Runway is an American reality television series on Lifetime Television, previously on the Bravo network, which focuses on fashion design and is hosted by model Heidi Klum. The contestants compete with each other to create the best clothes and are restricted in time, materials and theme...

, Survivor

Survivor (TV series)

Survivor is a reality television game show format produced in many countries throughout the world. In the show, contestants are isolated in the wilderness and compete for cash and other prizes. The show uses a system of progressive elimination, allowing the contestants to vote off other tribe...

, Top Model (Australia

Australia's Next Top Model

Australia's Next Top Model is an Australian reality television series, based on a franchise that was created by Tyra Banks with America's Next Top Model...

, Spain

Supermodelo

Supermodelo was a Spanish reality television show based on the American TV series America's Next Top Model which is broadcast on the Spanish television station Cuatro. Two seasons have already gone to air, and a third one began in April 2008...

, UK

Britain's Next Top Model

Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model is a British reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of Britain's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modelling industry...

 and US

America's Next Top Model

America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....

), Top Chef

Top Chef

Top Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants...

and Coach Trip

Coach Trip

Coach Trip is a reality show that was broadcast on Channel 4 with More4 and Pick TV showing repeats since 7 March 2005. The programme returned on 25 May 2009. The show's format consists of 4 to 7 teams of 2 undertaking a coach tour principally of continental Europe...

.

Achieving immunity

Immunity is usually achieved through success in a challenge created by the show. In The Apprentice, immunity is given to the team leader of the winning team, who cannot then be fired from the team should they lose the next task. In Survivor, immunity is achieved by finding an "immunity idol" hidden somewhere in the locale of the game or winning an Immunity Challenge. In Top Chef, Last Comic Standing, and Australia's Next Top Model, immunity for a given episode is achieved in a 'mini' competition occurring at the beginning of the episode. On WWE's program NXT

WWE NXT

WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...

 immunity is achieved by winning a contest. In MasterChef Australia

Masterchef Australia

MasterChef Australia is a Logie award winning Australian competitive cooking game show based on the original British MasterChef. It is produced by FremantleMedia Australia and screens on Network Ten. Restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan, chef George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston serve as...

 any chef who won the Celebrity Chef Challenge (Immunity Challenge from season 3, other challenge in some case) will win immunity after a blind taste test

Blind taste test

In marketing, a blind taste test is often used as a tool for companies to compare their brand to another brand. For example, the Pepsi Challenge is a famous taste test that has been run by Pepsi since 1975 as a method to show their superiority to Coca-Cola. Taste tests are also a tool sometimes...

.

Use of immunity

The freedom that participants have to use their immunity differs from show to show. In Survivor, immunity can be passed to another player, while in shows like The Apprentice it can not, although it can be waived. In one Apprentice episode, a participant chose to waive his earned immunity, and was immediately "fired" by Donald Trump

Donald Trump

Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...

 for giving up this powerful asset. In all cases, however, at some point towards the end of the series, where there are few or only two remaining players, opportunities for immunity cease, and any player can be eliminated.

Function within the show

The existence of immunity operates as a gimmick which introduces an additional element to the dynamic of the show in which it is used. In The Apprentice, for example, immunity is given only to team leaders. The possibility of obtaining immunity provides an incentive for players to take on that position, which exposes them to a greater risk of elimination if their team should lose a given task. Team leaders who obtain immunity and can not be fired the following week have frequently been observed to "slack off" during the task in which they have immunity. In most reality shows, the recipient of immunity is immediately known to all participants. In Survivor, however, the player who achieves immunity through finding a hidden totem that bestows it can keep this fact a secret from some or all other players, increasing the complexity of the strategy of some participants trying to oust others. The immunity process in Survivor was conceived for exactly this purpose at the show's outset by Mark Burnett

Mark Burnett

Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...

, who produced the American version of the series.