Total Drama All-Stars and Pahkitew Island

Did You Know?

• The 100th episode of the series, Zeek and Ye Shall Find, aired in Canada on February 27, 2014, as the 9th episode of this season.
• All episodes of the fifth season are 21 minutes and 20 seconds long, shorter than previous seasons, and this is the first season to feature a 20-second intro instead of a full one-minute intro.
• The 14 returning characters in Total Drama All-Stars include Alejandro, Cameron, Courtney, Duncan, Gwen, Heather, Jo, Lightning, Lindsay, Mike, Sam, Scott, Sierra, and Zoey.

Synopsis

The fifth season of Total Drama consists of two 13-episode segments, returning to the traditional 26-episode length of the first three seasons. The winning characters for All-Stars are either Mike or Zoey, and for Pahkitew Island either Shawn or Sky, depending on the region where the finale airs. Both parts offer a grand prize of C$1,000,000. Total Drama All-Stars, the first part, was announced by Christian Potenza in an interview with series creator Tom McGillis, noting its similarity to Total Drama Island and Total Drama: Revenge of the Island due to the latter's high worldwide ratings.

This part takes place back at Camp Wawanakwa in a single location, unlike Total Drama World Tour. It is an all-star season featuring fourteen contestants from the first and second generation casts, the first time characters from two generations compete together. The theme is Heroes vs. Villains, with competitors split into the Heroic Hamsters and the Villainous Vultures, inspired by Survivor seasons. Total Drama: Pahkitew Island, the second part, was announced on June 11, 2013, as a sixth season but remains part of the fifth.

It introduces a new third-generation cast and takes place on a new island because Camp Wawanakwa sank in the All-Stars finale.

Plot

Both parts follow a fictional reality show where fourteen animated teenagers compete on a fictional island. In Total Drama All-Stars, the original island from the first season is used, located somewhere in Muskoka, Ontario. The second part, Total Drama: Pahkitew Island, features a new island located somewhere in Western Canada. The campers participate in themed challenges and vote each other off; the last camper standing wins C$1,000,000.

The competition is hosted by Chris McLean, assisted by Chef Hatchet. At the start, fourteen campers are split into two teams. Each episode features a challenge where the winning team earns invincibility. The losing team votes one member off at a campfire ceremony, where McLean gives marshmallows to safe campers; the one without a marshmallow is eliminated and forced to leave the island permanently.

About halfway through, teams are disbanded, and individual challenges grant invincibility only to the winner, with the remaining campers voting off one of the non-immune players. This continues until two players remain, who face a final contest. The winner is determined by the finale, which has two endings: the winner in one region is the runner-up in another. The season parodies Survivor, with host Chris McLean resembling Survivor's Jeff Probst combined with the evil persona of Fear Factor's Joe Rogan.

Production

On June 28, 2011, Christian Potenza first mentioned an upcoming season of Total Drama. A year later, on July 19, 2012, he announced a fifth season in an interview with Tom McGillis, stating it would be like seasons 1 and 4, hinting at a return to an island setting. Fresh TV's website indicated 26 new episodes for Season 5 to air in 2013–2014. Tom McGillis later said the 26 episodes would be split into two 13-episode seasons: the first featuring existing cast, the second an entirely new cast.

Voice actors began recording in December 2012. On January 28, 2013, Cartoon Network confirmed the title Total Drama All-Stars for Part 1. Two days later, Christian Potenza and Drew Nelson confirmed the episode title Food Fright and the two teams: Heroic Hamsters and Villainous Vultures. Rumors of a Heroes vs. Villains theme had circulated since early 2010, but Tom McGillis confirmed it on December 19, 2012, on ABC3 Australia.

On February 1, 2013, Potenza released a video with episode titles, new voice actors, and plot details, including lines from Episode 4. On June 11, 2013, the airdate was set for early 2014, with McGillis tweeting that Canada would air in January 2014 and the US in September 2013. On August 19, 2013, Cartoon Network released a trailer and website revealing all characters. Lindsay and Jo's eliminations were leaked via scripts and trailers before the season aired.