Producer Stephen Yemoh Reveals Inspiration Behind ‘The Anonymous’ Series

Studio Lambert has been behind some of the most popular new reality shows of the past half-decade. They’ve given us “The Traitors,” an amplified game of Mafia that tests trust at its core. They brought “The Circle” into the world, which showcases how interaction only through profiles can affect perceptions. Their newest show, “The Anonymous,” ramps up that concept even more, as players test their skills both in-person and behind the scenes.

The series, premiering with its first three episodes on USA on Monday, August 19 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT, features a group of 12 people. Half the time each round, they’ll compete in challenges for a prize pool of up to $100,000 and interact with one another. Then they head underground into “Anonymous Mode,” don fake identities, interact with each other, and even vote for who should be eliminated. Additionally, they get the chance to guess the identities of the other players. Whoever eludes the guesses the most is the “Anonymous” that round. They can then choose from anyone who has been voted for to leave the game.

“We know what the possibilities are from ‘The Circle’ in terms of when you put people by themselves, and that people aren’t sort of watching everything that you do, it brings out interesting character traits in people,” said Stephen Yemoh, Executive Producer at Studio Lambert, in a conversation with Parade. “And sometimes that’s really funny character traits. Sometimes that’s quite duplicitous. And that was really interesting. We thought, if we took what we’ve learned from ‘The Circle,’ but put it into much more of a competition and made everyone a catfish, what happens? We aimed to create a really interesting game where we ask the question, ‘If nobody knows that it’s you, what will you say in order to win?'”

Studio Lambert’s always trying to do different things and new things. They’ve had some really fortunate successes with some of their formats, and their development team is always looking for the next big thing. But within that, of course, they learn from the shows they’ve done before. They know competition reality is really hot at the moment. There’s some really great competition reality shows out there, and they realized that if everyone is behind a profile and a catfish, it brings out different aspects of character and behavior.

The concept has been in the works for a couple of years, working with the guys at NBC to really hone it in and make it the show that it eventually became when they came to taping. As with every idea, it starts as one thing and evolves before turning into the final product.

Instagram versus reality is a big theme of the show. What people put out to the world on the screen differs from their actual life and behavior. The show aims to delve into that dichotomy: would people be more reserved if others didn’t know it was them? Would they be more overt? The anonymity pushes different people to behave in different ways. The goal was to make the show interesting, strategic, but not mean, ensuring the anonymity brought out different personality traits without encouraging mean behavior.

To achieve an interesting cast, they pursued individuals with compelling backgrounds suitable for this type of show. Notably, they included “Big Brother” winner Xavier Prather and “Australian Survivor” player Nina Twine, daughter of “Survivor” legend Sandra Diaz-Twine. They sought players known for their strategic gameplay, expecting them to excel in the show’s unique environment.

People familiar with Andy King from the Fyre Festival scandal may find his inclusion surprising. Reality TV often reveals different facets of a person’s character, and despite the infamous festival failure, King displayed drive, intelligence, and a kind heart. The producers saw in him warmth and kindness, making him a valuable addition to the show.

The structure of “The Anonymous” incorporates varied challenges to keep both players and viewers engaged. Challenges help build the prize pool and vary in skills tested, ensuring players remain on their toes and don’t get too comfortable with the format.

One intriguing aspect is the anonymous voting. Though everyone votes on who they want to eliminate, it ultimately comes down to one person’s decision. This dynamic aspect of the game showcases individuals’ strategies when they cannot overtly show they hold the power.

The editing format of “The Anonymous” follows a style similar to “The Circle,” with episodes ending on cliffhangers rather than on an elimination every time. This approach caters to the contemporary binge-watching culture, keeping viewers continuously invested in the outcomes of the game.

The choice to reveal the identity of the “Anonymous” after the elimination keeps the show fresh. By combining curiosity about eliminations and the identity of the anonymous player, it ensures continuous viewer engagement.

Producers were pleasantly surprised by how quickly the cast understood and adapted to the game. Despite it being a new format, the players formulated strategies and adapted them on the fly, showcasing their agility and strategic thinking.

Source: Parade