Castaways, a new survival-themed reality series, is coming to ABC this summer, and the cast has been announced.

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Castaways appears to be a cross between a reality version of ABC's former Lost drama -- which was ironically inspired by CBS' Survivor -- and History Channel's Alone, which features individuals or pairs competing for a $500,000 prize by living alone in the wilderness with limited equipment for as long as possible.

Castaways, however, is designed to test the human need for companionship, according to ABC, and the series is set to premiere with a one-hour episode on Tuesday, August 7 at 10PM ET/PT, immediately following the debut of Bachelor in Paradise's fifth season.

In Castaways, a group of 12 diverse strangers will be shipwrecked on a string of deserted islands in the South Pacific without knowledge of when they will be rescued.

Among washed-up luggage, scattered resources, and abandoned structures, the castaways are lost and alone, and they must fend for themselves.

Each individual will learn there are other castaways out there, but he or she will not be made aware of how many other people are stranded and where they are located.

Throughout the journey, documentary-style footage will also flash back -- similar to Lost -- to each individual's pre-Castaways life at home, showing the struggles everyone left behind.

The only way the castaways can leave the remote islands is by persevering long enough for the rescue team to arrive or by simply quitting the show.

ABC's announcement made no mention of a prize or winner of the new series, nor was any competitive element to Castaways revealed.

Castaways is being produced by Nomad Entertainment with Grant Kahler serving as showrunner. Grant is the creator and executive producer of Discovery Channel's Alaska: The Last Frontier, and History's Madhouse and The Selection. He also produced the first five seasons of Alone.

Below is the list of 12 castaways who will be appearing on Castaways this summer and their ABC-supplied descriptions:

- Angel Alvarenga, a 20-year-old from Chatsworth, CA

Angel grew up in Honduras and was raised by his grandmother after his mother immigrated alone to California.

At the age of 15, he came to the United States to be closer to his mother. His brother was recently injured as a result of gang violence back in Honduras, leaving Angel feeling trapped in the U.S., trying to find ways to afford to return to his family and help his brother.

- Terry Allen, a 62-year-old from Agoura, CA

Terry recently moved back home to California to help her aging parents and their growing difficulties with dementia.

She's about to send her youngest daughter off to college and has always seen herself as a caregiver. At this stage in her life, she feels conflicted by the fact that her greatest love is for her family but longs for a sense of independence.

- Eric Brown, a 31-year-old from Glendale, CA

Eric's childhood dream to serve in the U.S. Navy became a reality at the age of 19. After being in the service for seven years, Eric struggled with things he had witnessed while stationed in Iraq. He was able to pull himself out of that depression mainly because of his recent marriage to his girlfriend, Elise.

Elise has been reluctant to share her wedding day news with her parents since she's unsure of how they would react to her interracial relationship and fears they will contest her marriage.

- Sawyer Brown, a 30-year-old from Willseyville, NY

Sawyer is a devoted husband and father who is a sponsored obstacle-course racing athlete, but living a healthy, happy life hasn't always been the norm for him.

He struggled with drugs and alcohol while growing up in small-town America but was able to pursue a better life through fitness. He believes he can help those with similar issues including his brother Zach who struggles with substance-abuse issues and depression.

- Tim Burke, a 50-year-old from Plant City, FL

Tim is a retired U.S. Army Green Beret who has spent much of his life fighting America's conflicts on foreign battlefields.

Retirement has not been a time of leisure as he often travels undercover around the world in order to rescue young girls from sex-trafficking rings. At times, his focus on issues abroad has caused him to neglect important issues at home.

- Robbie Gibbons, a 42-year-old from Birmingham, AL

At 390 pounds, Robbie is a caring husband and father of four who is beginning to feel the weight of his food addiction as the fear of an imminent heart attack looms. He is known for being an upbeat and positive middle school physical education teacher but feels the hypocrisy in not practicing what he preaches.

Robbie is currently looking into his hereditary past for answers to find out if his estranged biological father has any addictive personality traits that could help explain his own addiction issues.

- Reshanna Hearvy, a 24-year-old from New York, NY

Reshanna's bubbly personality is meant to distract people from her heartbreaking personal struggles. Her tight-knit family was evicted from their home without notice forcing them to split up and live in various homeless shelters across the boroughs of New York City.

Every week, she looks forward to Sunday since it's the only time her family is reunited during morning church services. She will not stop until she reaches her goal of living with her family under one roof despite her difficult situation.

- Matt Jaskol, a 32-year-old from Las Vegas, NV

Matt's childhood dream was to become a professional race car driver and at the young age of 16, he went from amateur go-kart racing to racing Formula 4 cars around the world.

His pursuit to be successful in racing came to screeching halt when the financial market crashed in 2008, which led to putting his racing career on hold. He currently tends to the family woodworking business and takes care of his parents.

- Krichelle Kerbow, a 25-year-old from Haiku, HI

Krichelle defines what it means to live off the grid as she resides with her family deep inside the jungles of Hawaii.

She enjoys what Hawaii has to offer but desperately wants to branch out on her own to travel around the world. However, she feels as though her loved ones at home could spiral out of control if she were to leave the jungle to follow her dreams.

- Richard Rogers, a 35-year-old from Sequim, WA

Richard has a great amount of knowledge and expertise when it comes to fishing and hunting as a result of growing up in the Pacific Northwest on a salmon hatchery. At the age of 35, he's finally looking to settle down with his fiancee, Libby.

Not only will he learn what it takes to be a good husband but will also take on the responsibility of caring for Libby's two children as he makes the transition from adult bachelor to a parental figure.

- Kenzi Whittington, a 24-year-old from Nashville, TN

Kenzi is an aspiring country music recording artist who moved to Nashville after high school.

She's determined to make it in the music business but the demands of her career have taken their toll on several of her relationships. She often wonders whether or not her dreams of becoming a singer are merely a pipe dream or if they could end up becoming a reality.

- Tracee Wnetrzak, a 41-year-old from Quartz Hill, CA

Tracee is a self-described super mom who has her hands full as the primary caretaker of five generations living under one roof while she attempts to maintain a job at a local restaurant.

Her morning whirlwind routine consists of making sure her mother and grandmother take their medication as she tries to make sure the kids get to school on time. Her memories of growing up in a broken household have taught her invaluable lessons on how to keep a household together.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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