Josh Gwynn's new podcast dives into unbelievable reality TV history

Picture this: It's 2007, we're in the New Mexico desert, and 40 kids have just been dropped off in an abandoned mining town to fend for themselves, with no way to contact their parents.

No, it's not a case of mass child abduction. These kids were there willingly—well, kind of.

This was the premise of the reality TV show Kid Nation, on CBS. The idea was that the kids would spend 40 days in the desert and build their own society from scratch, with cameras rolling all the while. 

The kids were told to expect a "summer camp" experience. But they arrived to find there were no beds, and there was only a single outhouse for all 40 of them.

And when they wanted chicken for dinner? They had to kill the chicken themselves. 

If this nightmare sounds familiar, you might be thinking of the classic novel Lord of the Flies, from which the show borrowed its premise. The show obviously raises some serious ethical questions, and the new CBC podcast Split Screen: Kid Nation is revisiting the series to try to find some answers. 

The podcast is hosted by audio creator Josh Gwynn. Through interviews with former contestants, producers and parents, he's trying to piece together how this show actually got made and what impact it had on those kids.

This week, Josh joins us to tell us about the show and share some of his favourite podcasts.

Split Screen: Kid Nation: "The controversial reality TV show known as Kid Nation, which borrowed its premise from Lord of the Flies, was cancelled shortly after its 2007 debut. The show's producers were accused of taking advantage of New Mexico's lax child labour laws and blurring the lines between entertainment and exploitation. With access to former Kid Nation contestants, their families, and the show's creators, culture journalist Josh Gwynn explores the show's lasting impact. Funny, touching, and at times shocking, was Kid Nation a true exploration of children's potential or nothing more than a ploy for ratings?"

Today, Explained: "Beyoncé has a new country album. The first single has already broken records and drawn criticism from those who think of country music as a "white" genre. Except it's not. Author and songwriter Alice Randall tells the story of country music's very Black roots."

The Stoop: "When Oprah's longtime hairstylist Andre Walker created the hair typing system, he didn't expect it to become what it is today… From our hair history, to hair salons, and a chat with Mr. Walker himself—we get to the bottom of why some people feel tangled up in this hair chart."

Classy: "How do we change ourselves to fit in at work? Jonathan Menjivar unpacks class divisions in the workplace with his former boss and public radio legend, Terry Gross."

Scam Goddess: "Ashley Ray joins the show to dissect how so-called civil rights activist, writer, and company founder Jeffrey Shaun King is still out here scamming."

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For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal, and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.