ABC to launch new reality series "Castaway"

ABC on Wednesday announced a new reality series "Castaway" which according to the network will test the human need for companionship under extreme circumstances.

The network describes the series as "testing the human need for companionship under extreme circumstances as each individual learns there are other castaways out there but are unaware of how many, their locations or when they will be rescued."

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show features 12 individuals who are dropped alone on a string of islets in Indonesia and are challenged to survive in the "alone on an island" setup among scattered resources and abandoned structures.

The only way to leave the remote islands is to either survive long enough to be rescued or to quit.

According to the report the series flashes back to the real lives of each participant in documentary fashion, demonstrating haunting parallels to the lives they left behind.

The show premieres on August 7 (Tuesday) at 10 p.m., after the Season 5 premiere of Bachelor in Paradise.

Castaways is produced by Nomad Entertainment, with Grant Kahler serving as showrunner.

He is known for Discovery's Alaska: The Last Frontier and EP of History's competition series Alone and The Selection.