Fox Orders ‘The Snake,” A New Summer Competition Series

Another day, another new network competition series.

Fox has greenlit The Snake, which is refers to as a “social survival of the fittest” competition series. From SallyAnn Salsano (Jersey Shore, Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer) and produced by 495 Productions, The Snake, hosted by comedian Jim Jefferies, will feature, per the descriptor, “15 masters of manipulation from various persuasive professions with unique skill sets to compete in an outrageous array of challenges and twists.”

The goal is to “help contestants move toward becoming that week’s Snake, the most powerful position in the game and ultimate decider of who stays and who goes.” The winner of each challenge becomes The Snake, earning control of “The Saving Ceremony,” an elimination where the focus is on who is willing to save you.

“SallyAnn brings her uniquely original voice to Fox with this fresh take on the strategy competition series and a universally appealing concept that will captivate audiences,” said Michael Thorn, President of Fox Television Network. “Trust Me The Snake lives up to its name.”

The Snake, which could fit the descriptor of the majority of current and former shows in the genre, is set to premiere this summer on Fox and will stream next day on Hulu.

Fun factoid: “Snake” was the nickname for Natalie’s (Mindy Cohn) boyfriend Norbert Robinson (Robert Romanus), who appeared for four episodes in the final season of the 1980s NBC sitcom The Facts of Life. And, yes, one of the episodes was the then controversial tale of the unmarried couple becoming intimate!

Lisa Whelchel, who played roommate Blair (and once competed on CBS’ Survivor), was reportedly so offended by it that she asked to be written out of the episode.