Promoted as “The most extreme contest on the planet”, Sky One’s new action-packed TV show sees teams of engineers and mechanics custom-build weaponised vehicles, ready for combat under the hot desert sun.
Where was Carnage filmed?
As you’ve probably already guessed from the hot, dry, sunny weather and the vast open spaces used as the 3 arena locations, this series was not shot here in Britain. After preparing their cars here in the UK, Carnage competitors then headed out to an area of the Kalahari Desert in South Africa for filming.
The Kalahari Desert, spanning parts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, is a vast semi-arid sandy savanna rather than a true desert. Covering over 900,000 square kilometres, it receives more rainfall than most deserts, typically between 5 and 10 inches (130–250 mm) annually, supporting grasses, shrubs, and hardy trees like the camelthorn acacia.
This unique environment sustains a surprising diversity of wildlife, including meerkats, gemsbok, cheetahs, and large bird populations, best experienced in protected areas such as the Central Kalahari Game Reserve or the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Beyond its ecology, the Kalahari is home to the San people, one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures, whose storytelling, rock art, and traditional tracking skills reflect a profound relationship with the land.
Visitors can join guided walks to learn how the San read animal tracks, find water in arid conditions, and use native plants for food and medicine. For travellers, the Kalahari offers not just sweeping desert landscapes and starlit skies, but also an immersion into ancient cultural traditions that highlight human resilience in one of Africa’s most evocative wildernesses.
Who are the Carnage presenters?
Most Sky viewers will likely be familiar with main host Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, with the former cricketer already being a regular face on sports-themed panel show A League of Their Own, as well as fronting such series as Lord of the Fries and Freddie Down Under.
Depending on your tastes in music, you may or may not recognise Freddie’s co-hosts: English rapper Lethal Bizzle and Capital FM radio presenter Vick Hope.
This Mad Max and Robot Wars-inspired reality competition sees 30 teams transform a wide variety of vehicles, equipping them with the armour and weaponry they believe will give them the winning edge. Six episodes were filmed for this first series and premiered at 8:00pm on Sunday, 6 May 2018 on Sky One.