The Challenge Season 39 Has One Of The Worst Themes Ever

During the course of its almost 40-season run, MTV's "The Challenge" refined its formula for success: Isolate attractive people in a mansion, make them perform grueling feats of athleticism, and reward those left standing at the end with a hefty cash prize. "The Challenge" is half sport, half soap opera, and it's a credit to the show's production team that this formula remains as successful now as it did when the series first aired back in 1998. It's also why it's so puzzling that, one season shy of Season 40, "The Challenge" decided to basically remove one of the key elements to this formula's success: the series' veteran players.

Season 39 of "The Challenge" will focus on the "Battle for a New Champion," thus ensuring that whichever male and female competitors win this season will be first-time champions. In order for this to happen, production had to limit the involvement of the show's beloved veteran players, and since most viewers tune in to root for their favorites, this could end up being a risky choice.

The brains behind "The Challenge" are certainly aware that they might be playing with fire here. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "Challenge" showrunner Emer Harkin said, "Having a lesser presence of those characters is always a gamble, but 'The Challenge' is a show and a franchise that is not afraid to be daring and to take risks, and to broaden our lens and to try new things."

Taking risks is great, but with the theme this season, they are running the risk of spoiling one of the key elements that keep fans tuning in.

"Battle for a New Champion" hasn't completely disavowed its veteran players. 10 champions (including CT Tamburello and Cara Maria Sorbello) were selected to compete against the contenders in eliminations, so contenders have to rise to the level of champions to make the finals. "Challenge" showrunner Emer Harkin told Entertainment Weekly not every contender will see an elimination, but for those who do, she says those eliminations will be tense.

Eliminations are a crucial part of "The Challenge," but they're not the sole component, and removing the veteran presence from the house and daily challenges lessens the show's impact. Fans watch professional sports because they want to see athletes who know how to play the game at the highest levels. The same holds true for "The Challenge" — veteran players spend years honing their social games, building alliances, and training themselves to be as well-rounded as the game requires in order to win. Even though the 24 contenders entering this season aren't true rookies, they don't yet have the experience necessary to play the game as it's meant to be played.

More crucially, after years of competing, veterans have developed deep-seated love and loyalty for some of their fellow players — and well-earned distrust and dislike for others. The 24 contenders might be excellent athletes, but if they aren't entering the game with years of experience working with and against each other, the game has already lost one of its most interesting layers.

We have doubts about this season, but we'll be watching either way. To join us, tune in to "The Challenge: Battle for a New Champion" on MTV on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST.