The Sims Spark'd
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Sims_Sparkd_poster.jpg
| image_size = 300
| image_alt = A man looks up imaginatively at a Sims "plumbob" (green octahedron) which has lots of Sims imagery drawn around it
| caption = Promotional poster
| genre = Reality competition
| creator = {{ubl|Evan Denbaum|Michael Duke}}
| inspired_by = {{Based on|The Sims 4|Electronic Arts}}
| presenter = Rayvon Owen
| judges = {{ubl|Dave Miotke|Kelsey Impicciche|Tayla Parx}}
| country = United States
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 4
| executive_producer = {{ubl|Joseph R. Lynch|Evan Denbaum|Michael Duke|Sheila Judkins|Allison Tom|Richard Hall|Michael Hughes|Greg C. Lake}}
| camera = Multi-camera
| runtime =
| network = TBS
| first_aired = {{start date|2020|7|17}}
| last_aired = {{end date|2020|8|7}}
}}
The Sims Spark'd is a reality competition television series that premiered on the TBS network on July 17, 2020.{{Cite web |last=Webster |first=Andrew |date=2020-07-08 |title=The Sims 4's new reality show has players compete to tell the best stories |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/8/21316493/the-sims-4-sparkd-tbs-reality-tv-show |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726065041/https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/8/21316493/the-sims-4-sparkd-tbs-reality-tv-show |archive-date=2020-07-26 |access-date=2021-01-31 |website=The Verge}} The first season of the series, filmed from December 9 to 14, 2019, features 12 contestants, selected from those known to feature The Sims in their online gaming channels, tasked with challenges within The Sims 4 to create characters and stories following the challenge's themes and limitations. Each competitor's creation is judged by a panel consisting of EA Maxis developer and The Sims 4 producer Dave Miotke ({{a.k.a}} "SimGuruNinja" within the Sims Community), YouTube personality Kelsey Impicciche (known for her "100 Baby Challenge"), and singer-songwriter Tayla Parx, who is also a voice actress in The Sims 4. The series is hosted by American Idol season 14 finalist Rayvon Owen.{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=2020-07-08 |title='The Sims' Reality-Competition TV Show Coming to TBS, BuzzFeed |url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/sims-sparkd-reality-competition-tbs-buzzfeed-1234701044/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928014204/https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/sims-sparkd-reality-competition-tbs-buzzfeed-1234701044/ |archive-date=2020-09-28 |access-date=2020-11-09 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
Each episode of the first season premiered on TBS on Friday nights at 11pm ET/PT in the United States, and was later uploaded on YouTube channel BuzzFeed Multiplayer the following Monday for international audiences at 8am Eastern.{{Cite web |last=Mercante |first=Alyssa |date=2020-08-11 |title=The Sims Spark'd team reflects on the revolutionary reality competition after its first season |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-sims-sparkd-interview/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112063125/https://www.gamesradar.com/au/the-sims-sparkd-interview/ |archive-date=2020-11-12 |access-date=2020-11-12 |website=GameRadar}} Challenges were posted to The Sims 4 website following the series premiere to seek potential contestants for a second season.
Format
At the beginning of the competition, all 12 contestants were assigned to teams via random draw. Each team is composed of a Stylist (handling the designs), Builder (in charge of buildings), and the Storyteller (invents the stories related to Sims). For every episode, they have to fulfill specific challenges as a team based around several scenarios.{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Alice |date=2020-07-28 |title=EA will never let The Sims reality show become the hot mess it needs to be |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ea-will-never-let-the-sims-reality-show-become-the-hot-mess-it-needs-to-be |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213225255/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/ea-will-never-let-the-sims-reality-show-become-the-hot-mess-it-needs-to-be |archive-date=2021-02-13 |access-date=2021-02-12 |website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun}}{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Sean |date=2020-07-16 |title=Sims Spark'd offers a unique spin in the competitive gaming space |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29476446/sims-sparkd-offers-unique-spin-competitive-gaming-space |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212184333/https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/29476446/sims-sparkd-offers-unique-spin-competitive-gaming-space |archive-date=2021-02-12 |access-date=2021-02-12 |website=ESPN}}{{Cite web |last=Schiesel |first=Seth |date=2020-07-15 |title=The Sims Is Bringing Its Inclusive Spirit to TV |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/arts/television/sims-sparkd-reality-tbs.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213230243/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/arts/television/sims-sparkd-reality-tbs.html |archive-date=2021-02-13 |access-date=2021-02-12 |website=The New York Times}}
Cast
| class="wikitable"
!Contestant !Team !Skill !Result |
| xMiraMira
| rowspan="3" |Team Llama |Stylist |
|---|
| SimLicy
|Builder |
| DrGluon
|Storyteller |
| LittleSiha
| rowspan="2" |Team Cowplant |Stylist |rowspan="3" {{Runner-up}} |
| Doctor Ashley
|Builder |
| The English Simmer
|Team Gnome Ep1-2 |rowspan="2"|Storyteller |
| Steph0Sims
|Team Cowplant |{{quit|Withdrew}} |
| Plumbella
| rowspan="2" |Team Gnome |Stylist |rowspan="2" {{Eliminated}} |
| Simproved
|Builder |
| xUrbanSimsx
| rowspan="3" |Team Freezer Bunny |Stylist |rowspan="3" {{Eliminated}} |
| SpringSims
|Builder |
| DeeSims
|Storyteller |
= Notes =
- {{note | TeamChange | a | Due to Steph0Sims' withdrawal from the competition, the producers invited the previously-eliminated Storyteller, the English Simmer, to join Team Cowplant.}}
Challenge Results
| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Team ! colspan="2" |Episode 1 ! colspan="2" |Episode 2 ! Episode 3 ! Episode 4 |
| Skill
!Elimination !Skill !Elimination !Skill !Final |
|---|
| Llama
|{{Safe}} |{{No|Bottom 2}} |{{CFinalist|3rd}} |{{Won}} |{{Won|5/9 votes}} |
| Cowplant
|{{Safe}} |{{Safe}} |{{Won}} |{{No|Bottom 2}} |{{Safe|4/9 votes}} |{{Runner-up}} |
| Gnome
|{{Won}} |{{Won}} |{{Runner-up|2nd}} |{{Eliminated}} |
| Freezer Bunny
|{{Safe}} |{{Eliminated}} |
Episodes
Each episode premiered on TBS on Friday nights at 11pm ET/PT and on YouTube channel BuzzFeed Multiplayer the following Monday at 8am Eastern.
{{Episode table|overall=|airdate=|title=|altdate=|altdateT=YouTube air date|episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| RTitle = Episode 1
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date |2020|7|17}}
| AltDate = July 20, 2020
| ShortSummary = Twelve Sims influencers are divided into four teams and must work together to compete in their first skills and elimination challenges.
- Skills Challenge - Inspiration: Teams must create a story inspired by items chosen by racing against each other on foot. (Time limit: 90 minutes)
- Elimination Challenge - Family: Teams must create a family of 4 Sims and build their house within the Willow Creek neighborhood. Teams must then create a short video presentation showing the backstory of their family. The winning team in this challenge gets their family featured in The Sims 4. (Time limit: 5 hours)
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| RTitle = Episode 2
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|7|24}}
| AltDate = July 27, 2020
| ShortSummary = The three remaining teams compete in the second round of challenges.
- Skills Challenge - Parenthood: Teams must create 3 Sims and show each of them growing up in the toddler, child and teenage life stages, with unique rooms to match their personalities. (Time limit: 2 hours)
- Elimination Challenge - Supernatural: Based on the ranking from the Skills Challenge, teams took turns choosing content packs to use. Using these packs alone, teams must create a video inspired by science fiction or fantasy. (Time limit: 6 hours, split across 2 days)
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| RTitle = Episode 3
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2020|7|31}}
| AltDate = August 3, 2020
| ShortSummary = The two remaining teams compete in head-to-head Skills Challenges.
- Stylist Challenge - Gender Not Required: Stylists must create six Sim models of various shapes, sizes, genders and ethnicity and create a cohesive gender-fluid fashion collection for the Sims to showcase. (Time limit: 45 minutes)
- Builder Challenge - Unconventional Build: Builders must create a mode of transportation with unconventional materials. (Time limit: 45 minutes)
- Storyteller Challenge - Sell That Fixer-Upper: Storytellers must improvise their way through a live real-estate walk-through of a house with messes, broken objects and other surprises, controlled by judge Dave Miotke.
Note: In between the Builder and the Storyteller challenges, Steph0Sims withdrew from the competition, unable to handle the pressure of the challenge and not wanting to continue without her friends in Team Gnome who were eliminated in the previous episode. As a result, the producers invited The English Simmer to join Team Cowplant.
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| RTitle = Episode 4
| AltDate = August 10, 2020
| ShortSummary = The two remaining teams compete in their final challenge.
- Final Challenge - Play With Life: Teams must find a common thread with each other among the reasons why they play The Sims, and use that to create a video narrative with three Sims and a build. (Time limit: 15 minutes prep time, 6 hours to create the video)
}}
}}
Development
As a project in planning, Spark'd had a long lead time as Electronic Arts wanted to combine the players' personal stories with a TV reality format filled with challenges. The company decided to make the show in-house instead of outsourcing it to anyone else. EA was worried about the specifics of translating a video game into another medium, and thus tried not to diverge from the main aspects of The Sims while putting an effort to represent diversity.{{Cite web |last=Dealessandri |first=Marie |date=2020-08-17 |title=How EA turned The Sims into a reality TV show |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-08-17-how-ea-turned-the-sims-into-a-reality-tv-show |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213230555/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-08-17-how-ea-turned-the-sims-into-a-reality-tv-show |archive-date=2021-02-13 |access-date=2021-02-12 |website=Gamesindustry.biz}} The initial idea was to develop Spark'd as a short-length show for the millennials. However, after the initial filming in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted EA to retool their marketing plans from scratch. The Sims Spark'd was found to be a fit for a TBS's ELeague Friday programming block change to include shows that are not just aimed at dedicated gamers.{{Cite web |last=Laporte |first=Nicole |date=2020-08-26 |title=EA has seen the future of esports, and it's shorter, celeb-filled, and for more than just dudes |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90543555/ea-has-seen-the-future-of-esports-and-its-shorter-celeb-filled-and-for-more-than-just-dudes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213231302/https://www.fastcompany.com/90543555/ea-has-seen-the-future-of-esports-and-its-shorter-celeb-filled-and-for-more-than-just-dudes |archive-date=2021-02-13 |access-date=2021-02-12 |website=Fast Company}}
During and following the broadcast of the first season, EA posted Spark'd challenges on The Sims 4 website for players to complete in-game and upload to the website for the opportunity to be selected for a potential second season of The Sims Spark'd.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
- {{IMDb title}}
{{Sim series|thesims=yes}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sims Spark'd, The}}
Category:Reality competition television series
Category:Television shows about video games
Category:2020 American television series debuts