The competition series, Stars On Mars, takes celebs to ‘outer space’, so here’s what you need to know about it – from trailer to cast members.
If you’re a fan of space and a reality TV lover, then get ready for your worlds to collide in Fox’s new competition series, Stars On Mars.
We’ve seen celebrities travel deep into jungles and endure sub-zero temperatures for the sake of TV, but taking things to “outer space” has been unheard of. So if you’re wondering ‘what on Earth the show is about’, here’s the lowdown.
What is Fox’s Stars on Mars about?
Fox‘s new show sends 12 celebrities into a simulation of Mars, as they participate in a series of grueling challenges to become the “brightest star in the galaxy”.
The competitors are required to complete missions in bulky spacesuits since they’ll be completing the games in Mars-like surroundings, away from their cozy space station.
One thing is for sure: the celebrities are stepping out of their comfort zone as they discover the life of an astronaut.
Here’s hoping that the 12 stars are compatible. According to Fox, they will “live, eat, sleep, strategize, and bond with each other in the same space station.” Each celeb will vote to eliminate one of their crewmates each week, sending them back to Earth.
Stars on Mars trailer
The trailer hints that the stars will be getting down and dirty to win the title, including abseiling down a gigantic cliff, speeding through the Mars desert in their buggies, and withstanding the harsh windy environment:
Stars On Mars cast
Season 1’s celebronauts range from athletes to actresses, and one star who is often confused with real astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first person on the moon.
- Lance Armstrong: Former professional road-racing cyclist and seven-time Tour De France winner. He is not related to Neil Armstrong.
- Richard Sherman: Football cornerback
- Ronda Rousey: Professional wrestler, MMA fighter, and actress
- Natasha Leggero: Comedian and actress, known for starring in the sitcom Another Period.
- Tom Schwartz: Vanderpump Rules star
- Adam Rippon: Ex–Olympic figure skater
- Tinashe: R&B singer
- Porsha Williams Guobadia: The Real Housewives Of Atlanta star
- Tallulah Willis: Entrepreneur and artist.
- Ariel Winter: Actress, known for Modern Family.
- Marshawn Lynch: Former football running back for the Seattle Seahawks.
- Christopher Mintz-Plasse: Actor, known for portraying Superbad’s Fogell.
With some being athletes by day, we can already expect Lance, Richard, Ronda, Adam, and Marshawn to excel in the physical challenges.
Stars On Mars host is an iconic ‘captain’
Fox was unable to bag a NASA astronaut, but they have recruited Star Trek star William Shatner as host, or Mission Control in space terms. Shatner, 92, portrayed the USS Enterprise’s fearless commander, Captain James T Kirk, in the sci-fi franchise.
first interracial kiss on TV – star trek paved the way – had to do repeat take several times
The iconic actor played the role in 11 different Star Trek productions, including films, TV series, and video games. Shatner briefly experienced the life of Kirk when he was aboard the second crewed flight of Jeff Bezoz’s Blue Origin New Shepard rocket in 2021.
New Shepard launched 66 miles upwards – four miles beyond the edge of space – and experienced a few minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth.
Shatner broke down in tears as he stepped off the rocket, telling witnesses: “I’m so filled with emotion about what just happened,” he recalled. “It’s extraordinary, extraordinary. It’s so much larger than me and life. It has to do with the enormity and the quickness and the suddenness of life and death.”
One year after his space voyage, the actor claimed the eye-opening experience “felt like a funeral”, he wrote in his book. “I love the mystery of the universe…but when I looked in the opposite direction, into space, there was no mystery, no majestic awe to behold … all I saw was death.”
At age 90, he became the oldest human in space and was likely selected due to Bezos’s lifelong admiration of Star Trek.
Where is Stars On Mars filmed?
Participants took a trip Down Under for their Mars simulation. Stars On Mars was filmed in Coober Pedy, an opal-mining town in South Australia. The name is an Aboriginal term for “white man in a hole”.
The rust-colored location is reportedly one of Australia’s harshest and most isolated environments, due to its scorching summer temperatures and low vegetation. Temperatures average about 100F and can exceed 110F, meaning many of the buildings are partially or completely underground. It has a population of about 2,500.
Coober Pedy is believed to have been formed after sea water receded, causing silica solutions to be transported down into the fracture and cavities of the ground. 150 million years later, the silica solutions have formed into opal, making it the “opal capital of the world”.
Coober Pedy has been used as a backdrop for 2021’s Mortal Kombat, and 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome among others.
Stars On Mars: Start date and how to watch
Stars On Mars premieres on Monday, June 5 on Fox at 8pm ET/PT. It will run for one hour.
If you miss episodes, they can be streamed the next day on Hulu.