Total Drama Island

Did You Know?

• The season has two endings: Owen wins in Canada and the US, while Gwen wins in countries like Norway and Sweden.
• The winner's C$100,000 prize is eaten by a shark in the special 'Total Drama, Drama, Drama, Drama Island'.
• The show was originally developed in 2003 under the title 'Camp TV' and was rejected twice before being picked up.

Plot

Total Drama Island is set in the fictional titular reality show, which follows the competition of twenty-two unsuspecting and unwitting campers at Camp Wawanakwa, the most rundown, insect-infested, disgusting island in an unspecified area in Muskoka, Ontario. The campers are placed into two groups of eleven, the "Screaming Gophers" and the "Killer Bass". In each episode, the teams participate in a challenge, in which one or more campers can win invincibility for their team.

The losing team is called to the campfire that night, where they vote one member off the island. The camper with the most votes is eliminated. At this campfire, Chris passes out marshmallows to the campers who have not been voted off, while the one who does not get a marshmallow must walk down the Dock of Shame to the Boat of Losers, which will take them away to a hotel/resort quite close to the island. Chris says they will "never, never, never, ever, ever, ever, come back, ever", but this is proved a lie in Episode 15, "No Pain, No Game", when he brings Eva and Izzy back into the game.

In Episode 14, the teams are disbanded, so it is every camper for themselves. The winner of each challenge receives invincibility, and the rest vote one camper without invincibility off the island. This continues until two players remain, who then face a final contest. The winning contestant is said to receive C$100,000 (US$73,129.00).

The season finale, "The Very Last Episode, Really!", had two endings that changed whether Gwen or Owen won the season, with the winner depending on the country the season aired in. Owen is the original winner in Canada, while Gwen is the original runner-up in Canada.

Production

Development began in 2003 as a project called Camp TV. A later pitch was made in 2004; both pitches were eventually rejected. On February 15, 2006, it was announced that Tom McGillis and Jennifer Pertsch were working on a project called Camp TV. According to Tom McGillis, Fresh TV was approached by Teletoon to create the show.

On March 27, 2006, the project was renamed Total Drama Island and the franchise was also renamed Total Drama. Production began in June 2006. McGillis and Pertsch studied what tweens liked and disliked about reality television shows in the writing process, using a "countrywide online research project" to determine what 9-to-14 year olds were watching. It was found that Canadian tweens enjoyed watching Fear Factor, Survivor, The Amazing Race, American Idol, and Canadian Idol.

The season was animated at Elliott Animation and was directed by Todd Kauffman and Mark Thornton. The budget for the series was US$8,000,000. It was animated in Flash at Elliott Animation's studio in Toronto. All the characters were designed by Kauffman.

Every cast and crew member had to sign a confidentiality agreement not to disclose who the winner was. Voice actors from the series 6teen lent their voices, including Christian Potenza as Chris McLean, Emilie-Claire Barlow as Courtney, Julia Chantrey as Eva, Drew Nelson as Duncan, Megan Fahlenbock as Gwen, Adam Reid as Justin, Stephanie Anne Mills as Lindsay and Katie, Rachel Wilson as Heather, and Scott McCord as Owen and Trent.

Reception

Carole Bonneau, the Vice President of Teletoon, stated that Total Drama Island, along with 6teen, were "consistently top performers" for audiences of ages 6–11, and also helped to bring in older viewers. When Total Drama Island aired on Cartoon Network, it performed very well; The Toronto Star reported that "in some age groups [Total Drama Island showed] a 500% ratings increase in [its] time slot." On December 11, 2008, Total Drama Island garnered 3.5 million viewers.

That year, the series was the top "regularly scheduled Thursday night program at 9 p.m. on all television throughout third quarter among kids 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14," according to the Animation World Network. On Memorial Day weekend of 2009, a marathon of Total Drama Island increased viewership in age groups 2–11, 6–11, and 9–14, each by 20% or more compared to the same week in 2008. As of 2011, Total Drama Island has aired in over 188 countries. The series was nominated for a Gemini Award for "Best Animated Program or Series", shared by Tom McGillis, Jennifer Pertsch, George Elliott and Brian Irving.

Media

Warner Home Video released a DVD of Total Drama Island in the United States on August 18, 2009, containing all 27 episodes (including TDI Rundown) on a 4-disc set totaling 594 minutes. Bonus features include audition tapes of the 22 campers, played after their respective eliminations, plus Izzy's second audition tape and her exclusive interview with Chris. In Australia, the season is available on Region 4 DVD as separate volumes, featuring the widescreen version with uncut scenes and original dialogue as seen on Teletoon and ABC3.

Matthew Price of The Oklahoman reviewed the DVD, noting the show's slow start but praising its parody of reality shows. Jeffrey Kauffman of DVD Talk found the character development compelling and the parody very funny. Mac McEntire of DVD Verdict also praised character development but noted occasional lowbrow gross-outs. Both Kauffman and McEntire recommended the DVD.

An online game, Total Drama Island: Totally Interactive!, was produced by Xenophile Media and allowed players to earn marshmallows as currency. The player with the most points had their avatar appear in the season finale. The game was nominated for an Interactive Emmy Award in 2007, but the website is no longer available.