Soon, you too will have the chance to go to space. As in outer space, with stars and all that. First, though, you’ll need to get cast on— and, well, win — Space Race, a new NBC reality television show Space Race, in which one lucky American will be given a seat on the Richard Branson-backed Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo.
The series will be produced by reality-TV producer Mark Burnett (pictured), who has an enviable track record in the genre with shows like Survivor, The Apprentice and The Voice. He’s also moved into scripted projects and recently scored a big hit with the History channel miniseries The Bible — a followup series, A.D., is in the works.
You can expect to hear the term “trip of a lifetime” tossed around just a wee bit on the new show, as Burnett continues his decade-long pursuit of basing a reality show about sending a commoner into a not-so-common locale. His original effort to send someone to the Russian space station Mir — Destination Mir — never got off the launchpad after Mir actually closed down. Burnett and NBC are betting on Branson coming through this time.
As is customary, reality shows come with a handsome prize. The bounty for the Space Race winner includes a seat on Branson’s ship, with tickets costing about $250,000. The partnership: helps Branson push his agenda, gives NBC a reality show like no other, and allows Burnett another chance to forge new ground in reality television, maybe even a trip of a lifetime.