Paradise Run
Paradise Run is an American children's reality competition television series produced by Nickelodeon, in which teams of two kids—typically best friends or siblings—compete in a series of physical and mental challenges set at a luxurious Hawaiian resort, aiming to win a four-day all-expenses-paid dream vacation along with spending money.[1][2] The show, hosted by actress and singer Daniella Monet, features three teams named Makani, Nalu, and Ahi, who race across the grounds of the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort on Hawaii's Big Island, tackling obstacle courses, puzzles, and resort-themed activities that test teamwork, agility, and perseverance.[1][3] Aired from February 1, 2016, to January 26, 2018, the series spanned three seasons and a total of 70 episodes, with each installment showcasing high-energy competitions designed to appeal to young audiences while promoting positive values like fair play and collaboration.[4][5] Challenges often incorporate elements of the tropical environment, such as water-based races, animal-themed rescues, and interactive games using resort amenities like pools, beaches, and lagoons, creating an adventurous "no vacation" atmosphere that blends excitement with educational undertones.[1][2] The program received a TV-G rating and was praised for its family-friendly content, stunning Hawaiian scenery, and encouragement of physical activity, though some critics noted its promotional ties to the host resort.[1] Special episodes in later seasons featured Nickelodeon celebrities competing alongside kids or in themed showdowns, adding variety and star power to the format.[6] Overall, Paradise Run captured the spirit of youthful adventure, becoming a staple of Nickelodeon's lineup for promoting fun, inclusive competition.[3]Premise and Format
Overview
Paradise Run is an American reality competition television program that aired on Nickelodeon, featuring three teams of two children—typically best friends or siblings—competing in a series of physical and mental challenges set in a luxurious tropical resort.[7] The show emphasizes teamwork as contestants navigate obstacle courses, water-based adventures, and puzzles in an exotic, vacation-like environment designed to test their speed, strategy, and coordination.[8] Filmed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort on Hawaii's Big Island, the program transforms the expansive property—complete with lagoons, beaches, waterfalls, and waterslides—into a dynamic playground for the races.[9] Host Daniella Monet provides guidance to teams through video tablets, directing them to challenge locations and offering clues along the way.[7] The winning team secures a grand prize that varied by season, typically a four-day tropical vacation along with spending money for the family in earlier seasons, escalating to cash prizes worth over $5,000 in season 3, while runners-up receive consolation prizes such as Nickelodeon merchandise.[10][11][12][13] The series ran for three seasons and a total of 70 episodes, premiering on February 1, 2016, and concluding on January 26, 2018.[4] Each season builds on the core format with escalating challenges, including longer zip lines and larger obstacles in later installments, to maintain high-energy competition.[14]Challenges and Rules
In Paradise Run, three teams of two children each—typically best friends or siblings—compete, with the teams designated as Makani (Hawaiian for "wind"), Nalu (Hawaiian for "wave"), and Ahi (Hawaiian for "fire").[1][15] Each team begins the episode equipped with a tablet that delivers instructions from the host, guiding them through the resort's grounds.[10] The format emphasizes teamwork, as pairs must collaborate on every task to progress. The gameplay unfolds in a three-stage progression designed to test physical agility, mental acuity, and speed. In Stage 1, teams tackle three distinct challenges scattered across the Hawaiian resort, involving a mix of obstacle courses, water-based activities such as diving for clues, and puzzles that incorporate local culture, like matching hula outfits or building tiki structures.[1][16] Representative examples include wearing oversized sumo sponge suits for a slippery relay or participating in a simulated turtle rescue to promote environmental awareness.[17] Upon completing each challenge, teams must collect a souvenir item and take a selfie with it using their tablet to submit proof of accomplishment to the host, ensuring verification while advancing the narrative.[1] Stage 2 requires teams to analyze the selfies from the prior challenges, which contain hidden clues forming a riddle that reveals the location of the finish line, often a suite within the resort.[1] This puzzle-solving phase adds a layer of deduction, rewarding observant teams that connect the visual elements from their photographs. In Stage 3, all remaining teams race directly to the finish line, with the first pair to arrive declared the winner and earning a vacation prize; teams that fail to complete stages or arrive last are eliminated from contention.[16][1] A key unique element is the selfie mechanic, which not only serves as proof of task completion but also integrates multimedia clues to drive the riddle, fostering a blend of digital interaction and traditional racing without head-to-head confrontations until the final stage.[1] The rules prioritize speed and cooperation over individual prowess, with no penalties for minor errors but strict elimination for incomplete stages, maintaining high stakes throughout the resort-based competition.[18]Production
Development
Nickelodeon announced Paradise Run on December 27, 2015, as a new daily competition series set to premiere in February 2016.[19] The show was produced by Nickelodeon Productions in association with Stone & Company Entertainment.[20] Scott A. Stone and Marcus Fox served as executive producers, with oversight from Nickelodeon executives.[14] The initial order was for 20 episodes in Season 1, drawing inspiration from adventure game shows like The Amazing Race but adapted specifically for children aged 9-13, emphasizing teamwork in physical and puzzle-based challenges. The casting process targeted pairs of child contestants, such as best friends or siblings, selected for their enthusiasm toward physical challenges and ability to collaborate under pressure.[21] Producers sought teams from varied relationships, including cousins, neighbors, and twins, to highlight diverse dynamics among the young participants.[22] Concurrent with the announcement, Nickelodeon revealed plans to film in Hawaii to capture an authentic tropical paradise theme, and selected Daniella Monet—known for her role in Victorious—as host to leverage her familiarity with the network's audience.[19][23]Filming and Locations
Principal photography for Paradise Run took place entirely at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, a 22-acre resort on the Big Island of Hawaii, where the production utilized the property's pools, beaches, lagoons, man-made volcanoes, slippery slides, mud pits, zip lines, and expansive grounds to stage the show's physical and puzzle-based challenges.[9] The first season was filmed in May 2015, followed by the second season in May–June 2016, and the third in a block from May 13 to June 6, 2017, with two episodes shot daily during each production window to complete the series' total of 70 episodes across three seasons.[24][25][26] Host Daniella Monet delivered instructions and interacted with contestants via tablet screens provided to each team, with her segments recorded separately to integrate seamlessly into the on-location footage.[19] The production employed a crew of approximately 120, including about 20% local hires from Hawaii, and for Season 3 featured 180 child contestants sourced from islands including the Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai.[9] Filming adhered to Hawaii's guidelines for productions in sensitive locations, ensuring minimal environmental disruption by confining activities to the resort's established infrastructure while respecting local cultural elements in challenge designs.[27]Broadcast
United States
Paradise Run premiered in the United States on Nickelodeon on February 1, 2016, as a weekday series airing at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (6:00 p.m. CT).[18] The show featured three teams of children competing in physical and puzzle-based challenges set in Hawaiian resorts, with each episode running approximately 23 minutes.[28] During its initial run, episodes aired in daily strips on weekdays, often supported by promotional marathons and specials that included guest appearances by stars from other Nickelodeon series, such as the casts of The Thundermans and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn.[29] Season 1 consisted of 20 episodes, broadcast from February 1 to February 29, 2016.[26] Season 2, also comprising 20 episodes, began on November 14, 2016, and concluded on January 26, 2017, incorporating themed weeks like charity runs and celebrity crossovers.[30] The third and final season expanded to 30 episodes, airing from November 13, 2017, to January 26, 2018, and featured additional specials such as a WWE-themed week with professional wrestlers participating alongside contestants.[31] The program ended after Season 3, with no renewal announced by Nickelodeon.[32] Following its conclusion, episodes occasionally aired in reruns on sister networks Nicktoons and TeenNick through at least 2020.[33] As of 2025, Paradise Run is available for streaming on digital platforms such as Prime Video and Apple TV, though no physical home media releases, including DVDs, have been produced.[28]International
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Paradise Run premiered on Nickelodeon UK on July 24, 2017, marking the channel's highest-rated program since November 2016 according to Viacom International Media Networks.[34] The second season aired weekdays at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and weekends at the same times, contributing to strong viewership among young audiences in the region.[34] The program aired on Nickelodeon channels across other international markets, including Latin America, where a Spanish-dubbed version was broadcast starting in 2016–2017.[35] Episodes were also available in dubbed formats for audiences in Asia and Australia during the same period, expanding the show's reach through Nickelodeon's global network.[36] As of 2025, reruns continue on TeenNick Europe, with Season 3 episodes airing weekly and described as "brand new" to the region, such as "Big Run, Big Prize" on July 21 and "A Prize Packed Run" on July 22.[37] These airings, scheduled at 11:55 a.m. CET, underscore the show's enduring popularity in Europe, though no localized adaptations or spin-offs have been produced.[37] Internationally, Paradise Run has been noted for its family-friendly appeal but has not received major awards outside the United States. Its performance in European markets supported Nickelodeon's success in kids' demographics, with ongoing availability through local apps and platforms like Pluto TV in select regions.[34]Episodes
Series Overview
Paradise Run is an American children's reality competition series that aired on Nickelodeon, featuring three teams of two kids—typically best friends, siblings, or relatives—competing in physical and mental challenges across a luxurious Hawaiian resort to win an ultimate family vacation prize.[8] Each episode follows a standard format without two-part installments or standalone specials, aside from occasional marathon event tie-ins, with teams navigating obstacle courses, water-based adventures, puzzles, and scavenger hunts in a tropical setting.[1] The series maintained a consistent structure throughout its run, hosted by Daniella Monet, and episodes were produced in blocks to facilitate efficient filming on location.[38] The show spanned three seasons totaling 70 episodes, each running approximately 23 minutes, with Seasons 1 and 2 comprising 20 episodes each and Season 3 expanding to 30 episodes.[26][39][40] Season progression included subtle thematic evolutions, particularly in later seasons with increased integration of celebrity guests from other Nickelodeon properties, such as stars from The Thundermans, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, and Game Shakers, adding crossover appeal.[41][42] Airing gaps occurred between seasons, with a hiatus of about nine months from the Season 1 finale on February 29, 2016, to the Season 2 premiere on November 14, 2016, followed by a roughly ten-month break from the Season 2 finale on January 26, 2017, to the Season 3 premiere on November 13, 2017.[26]Season 1 (2016)
Season 1 of Paradise Run premiered on February 1, 2016, on Nickelodeon, marking the debut of the competition series hosted by Daniella Monet.[26] The season consisted of 20 episodes aired in a daily strip format, primarily on weekdays, culminating on February 29, 2016, during the leap year.[26] This inaugural run established the core format of the show, where three teams of two children competed in three physical and mental challenges at a Hawaiian resort, followed by solving a riddle to reach the finish line for prizes including trips to Hawaii.[43] No major format changes occurred during the season, focusing instead on introducing the rules and gameplay mechanics through varied obstacle courses, water-based adventures, and teamwork tasks.[1] The premiere episode, titled "Besties," aired on February 1 and introduced the competing teams of best friends, setting the stage for the resort-based competitions.[26] Subsequent episodes built on this foundation, with the season finale, "What's Apple-Pine?," airing on February 29 and concluding the initial adventures at the resort.[26] The production for Season 1 was filmed entirely at the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort in Hawaii in May 2015, prior to the on-air debut.[9] The episodes of Season 1 are listed below with their titles and original air dates:| No. | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Besties | February 1, 2016 |
| 2 | Dig, Slide and Toss | February 2, 2016 |
| 3 | Girl Power | February 3, 2016 |
| 4 | Puzzled Tiki | February 4, 2016 |
| 5 | Splish-Splash and Dash | February 5, 2016 |
| 6 | Panic Under the Falls | February 8, 2016 |
| 7 | Cabana-Rama Adventure | February 9, 2016 |
| 8 | Hidden Zodiac | February 10, 2016 |
| 9 | Where's My Charger? | February 11, 2016 |
| 10 | What a Mess | February 12, 2016 |
| 11 | Riddle Me This | February 16, 2016 |
| 12 | Hula What? | February 17, 2016 |
| 13 | Moving Statues | February 18, 2016 |
| 14 | Raging Falls | February 19, 2016 |
| 15 | Going Coconuts for Sand Dollars | February 22, 2016 |
| 16 | Mix N Match | February 23, 2016 |
| 17 | Water Wonderland | February 24, 2016 |
| 18 | Are We There Yet? | February 25, 2016 |
| 19 | Puzzles in Paradise | February 26, 2016 |
| 20 | What's Apple-Pine? | February 29, 2016 |
Season 2 (2016–17)
The second season of Paradise Run consisted of 20 episodes, airing daily from November 14, 2016, to January 26, 2017, marking the show's return after a summer hiatus following the first season's conclusion in February 2016.[44] Produced in the wake of the inaugural season's success, which prompted Nickelodeon to renew the series in November 2016, filming took place from May to June 2016 at the Hilton Waikoloa Village resort on Hawaii's Big Island, maintaining the luxurious tropical setting central to the show's format.[8][45] The season reintroduced teams through initial challenges in crossover episodes featuring child actors from other Nickelodeon series, such as The Thundermans and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, before shifting to everyday kid contestants for the remainder, emphasizing physical obstacles like zip-lining, puzzle-solving, and water-based races across the resort grounds.[44] These early celebrity-involved episodes highlighted refinements to the format by integrating familiar Nickelodeon talent to draw in audiences, while later installments varied challenges for added diversity, such as incorporating island-themed elements like lei-making and fish-catching without altering the core three-challenge structure per episode.[44] The season's winter airing schedule subtly aligned some challenges with holiday vibes through playful themes like ice cream treats and festive parties, though the focus remained on high-energy competition.[44] The finale on January 26, 2017, wrapped the winter broadcast arc with teams navigating snorkeling lingo, zip-lines, and lei construction to claim victory.[44]Episode List
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | It's All About the Thunder-man! | November 14, 2016 |
| 22 | 2 | NRDD Run for Charity | November 15, 2016 |
| 23 | 3 | Thundermans in Paradise | November 16, 2016 |
| 24 | 4 | NRDD in the House | November 17, 2016 |
| 25 | 5 | A Nick Showdown in Paradise | November 18, 2016 |
| 26 | 6 | Whose Underwear is That? | January 2, 2017 |
| 27 | 7 | I Scream for Ice Cream | January 3, 2017 |
| 28 | 8 | Lava Reception | January 4, 2017 |
| 29 | 9 | Forgive You Not! | January 5, 2017 |
| 30 | 10 | Crazy Lei, Crazy Time | January 9, 2017 |
| 31 | 11 | Rocketing Rainbow Scoops | January 10, 2017 |
| 32 | 12 | Something's Fishy | January 11, 2017 |
| 33 | 13 | The Butt Squeeze | January 12, 2017 |
| 34 | 14 | Zip, Launch, & Fly | January 17, 2017 |
| 35 | 15 | Paradise Express | January 18, 2017 |
| 36 | 16 | Skip, Drip & Zip | January 19, 2017 |
| 37 | 17 | Salute Your Frozen Butt | January 23, 2017 |
| 38 | 18 | Very Important Party | January 24, 2017 |
| 39 | 19 | Volcano a Go-go | January 25, 2017 |
| 40 | 20 | Can You Hear Me Now? | January 26, 2017 |
Season 3 (2017–18)
The third season of Paradise Run consisted of 30 episodes, airing from November 13, 2017, to January 26, 2018, and marking the longest season in the series' run.[26] Nickelodeon renewed the show for this capstone installment on March 9, 2017, allowing production to expand the format as the series' conclusion.[14] The season premiered with a two-week sneak peek event featuring Nickelodeon stars, such as Jack Griffo, Kira Kosarin, and Addison Riecke from The Thundermans, teaming up with superfans in high-energy challenges.[46] With the extended episode order, the season introduced greater variety in obstacles and themes, including a longer zip line, a 40-foot volcano climb, and integrations with celebrity teams from Nickelodeon properties like Game Shakers, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, and School of Rock, as well as WWE superstars such as the Usos and Naomi, and athletes like Olympic gymnast Danell Leyva.[47] These guest appearances, often paired with fans or competing casts, heightened the competitive stakes and built toward the series finale in the final episode.[48] Later episodes shifted toward standalone kid teams tackling supersized prizes, emphasizing the show's tropical resort races with obstacle courses and water adventures.[26] The season's episodes are listed below with their original air dates:| Episode | Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thunder on the Run | November 13, 2017 |
| 2 | Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Run | November 14, 2017 |
| 3 | Run Shakin' | November 15, 2017 |
| 4 | A Run Rockin' with Thunder | November 16, 2017 |
| 5 | Game on Game Shakers | November 20, 2017 |
| 6 | Paradise Quad Clash | November 20, 2017 |
| 7 | Thunder-Quad, Assemble! | November 21, 2017 |
| 8 | School of Rockin' in Hawaii | November 21, 2017 |
| 9 | Clash of the Nick Celebs | November 22, 2017 |
| 10 | Game Shaking Up the Run | November 22, 2017 |
| 11 | Shark Tooth Island Run | January 1, 2018 |
| 12 | Island in Paradise | January 2, 2018 |
| 13 | Paradise Island Run | January 3, 2018 |
| 14 | Shark Tooth Surprise | January 4, 2018 |
| 15 | Outrigger Run | January 5, 2018 |
| 16 | Paradise on the Ropes | January 8, 2018 |
| 17 | Paradise Raw-n | January 9, 2018 |
| 18 | Punching in Paradise | January 10, 2018 |
| 19 | A Superstar Showdown | January 11, 2018 |
| 20 | Rumble Run | January 12, 2018 |
| 21 | Fresh Off the Run | January 16, 2018 |
| 22 | Athletes in Paradise | January 16, 2018 |
| 23 | Big Time Run | January 17, 2018 |
| 24 | Going for the Gold | January 18, 2018 |
| 25 | A Modern Wimpy Fuller Run | January 19, 2018 |
| 26 | Supersized Prizes in Paradise | January 22, 2018 |
| 27 | A Prize Packed Run | January 23, 2018 |
| 28 | Big Run, Big Prize | January 24, 2018 |
| 29 | A Supersized Run | January 25, 2018 |
| 30 | High Octane Run | January 26, 2018 |