Top Shot host Colby Donaldson: “I certainly don’t want to rip Probst off” + reality blurred

On Sunday night, the History Channel debuts its first competitive reality series, and it’s hosted by three-time Survivor cast member Colby Donaldson, whose work as a host is admittedly influenced by Jeff Probst, and it has also given Colby “newfound appreciation and admiration” for the Emmy-winning host’s work.

Top Shot is a competition between 16 people with varying degrees of shooting experience, and they compete in two teams in challenges that test their abilities with various weapons (here’s a preview). Unlike some of History’s other reality series, this one actually has a connection to the past. As Colby explains to the contestants in the first episode, “over the next 30 days, you will travel through history, competing in challenges using the legendary weapons of the past and the present.” While the first two episodes feature rifles and handguns, Colby said future episodes will force the competitors to use everything from crossbows to throwing knives.

I’m about as interested in guns as I am interested in having a hole in my head, so watching the first episode, as the contestants shot at targets during the practice round, I thought it was going to be dreadfully boring. By the end, however, thanks in no small part to the Survivor-style elements, I was really into it, rooting for one of the contestants over the other in the elimination challenge and getting excited as targets exploded.

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