What would you do in the wake of a global catastrophe? How would you find the very basics of survival: food, water and shelter? THE COLONY is a controlled experiment that attempts to determine exactly what it would take to survive and rebuild a functioning new society when the world we know has been destroyed. From the producers of DEADLIEST CATCH, the 10-part series premieres Wednesday, January 13 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT.
In THE COLONY, a group of 10 volunteers – whose backgrounds and expertise represent a cross-section of modern society – are isolated for two months in an urban environment in downtown L.A. and tasked with creating a livable society. With no electricity, no running water and no communication with the outside world, all they have to work with are their skills and whatever tools and supplies they can scavenge from their surroundings.
Their world – an abandoned 4,650-square-metre rat-infested warehouse situated on 1.4 hectares near the Los Angeles River – was designed by experts in U.S. homeland security, engineering and psychology using elements from both real-life disasters and models of what the future could look like after a global catastrophe. Throughout the series, these experts comment on the challenges the Colonists would face in the context of real-world disasters as they work together to build the necessities of survival and society, such as a water filtration system, a battery bank for electricity, a solar cooker, a shower system, a greenhouse – and even some comforts of home (a coffee maker!). Certain elements, such as tools and sparse food items, were strategically placed to represent what might be viably available in a post-disaster urban landscape, based on actual event data from real-life catastrophes.
As part of the experiment, a hostile gang of looters and thugs challenges their resources and security, prompting the Colonists to devise a safety plan to protect themselves. Throughout the two-month experiment, their emotions are put to the test as they work through their feelings of isolation, desperation and interpersonal relationships with each other.
Highlights from the first episodes of THE COLONY include:
THE COLONY: “Arrival and Survival”
Wednesday, January 13 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
Ten volunteers enter an experimental world to see if they can survive and rebuild after a global disaster. Cordoned off in a downtown Los Angeles warehouse, they must secure shelter, filter water and defend their new home from thieves.
THE COLONY: “Power Struggle”
Wednesday, January 20 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
With the wood-burning generator starting to falter, the volunteers go on a search party to find more supplies to re-engineer their power grid. After finding solar panels on a nearby roof, the team spots a pair of new arrivals to the Colony, two people roaming freely in the outside world in search of food, shelter and a home… or so they think.
THE COLONY: “Comfort in Chaos”
Wednesday, January 27 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
After securing the basic necessities for survival, the group focuses on the one creature comfort they can’t live without: a hot shower. But concentrating on comfort leaves them vulnerable to a massive attack that threatens their long-term survival.
THE COLONY: “Safety and Security”
Wednesday, February 3 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
After an attack shatters the Colonists’ sense of security, they must focus on building weapons and fortifying the warehouse. But before they can finish, a truckload of gun-toting traders arrives to test their unity.
THE COLONY: “A Stranger Among Us”
Wednesday, February 10 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
The team takes the opportunity to increase their electricity and power capabilities when they scavenge a stock of abandoned solar panels. But the experiment takes a violent turn when a stranger breeches their security and tries to steal their supplies.
THE COLONY: “Loss and Communication”
Wednesday, February 17 at 8 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT
The group is rocked by the disappearance of one of their own during a search party mission. The loss spurs them to build a collection of communication devices in hopes that their missing member is out there somewhere… listening.
