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There never was a second season filmed.

This rumor got started because one of the "Kid Nation" camera operators maintained a KN-oriented website (since closed) in which he (and some of the actual KN kids who posted there) answered some "behind the scenes" questions. Because so many kids wrote him and asked if he could get them on the show, he posted a long article on the message board telling everyone that KN2 had already been filmed...just to stop kids from writing in and flooding his inbox with requests.

Several members of that message board posted that information on the other main sites, including both IMDb and on the CBS board, and this rumor became fairly widespread. One person who challenged this assertion on the KN-oriented website mentioned above was Taylor's older sister, who stated that their YOUNGER sister...also a beauty pageant winner...had applied to KN2, and had been chosen for the second round of contestant selection...but they had heard nothing more from the producers. It turns out that she was right.

According to information posted by Jonathan Karsh on his MySpace, he stated that there would be no KN2 because there were not enough potential advertisers to justify filming it, and because the production company did not get enough "applications" from kids wanting to be on the show. (Personally, I don't believe that there weren't enough applications...I think they just couldn't find a good location in which to film.)

If the production company had filmed a second season, it would be shown SOMEWHERE. There are lots of cable channels in need of content, and some of the youth-oriented channels would show it. And you know the production company would love to make some of its money back.

I think there were a couple of reasons the show was not renewed. The main one, of course, is that the ratings were not good. (I even read somewhere...don't recall exactly where...that the production company lost money on the show.) And I also don't think they could find anywhere to film it that wouldn't be cost-prohibitive. They really lucked out being able to film at the Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch. It was close to Santa Fe, so there's a good airport nearby to fly kids, family members, and tech personnel in and out. Also, it's relatively close to LA, so you've got good access to a CBS "home base". Plus, in Santa Fe you can rent a lot of the things you need...trailers for all the "behind the scenes" activity, caterers for their "showdown day" meals, cameras and other equipment, plus specialty personnel. (A chef, the medical personnel, on-site "counselors", etc.) Also, the movie set is pre-wired for electricity AND plumbed for water, so they didn't have to rent huge generators for power, etc. And if they tried to film in some third-world location...with less stringent laws...can you IMAGINE the kind of criticism they would have to endure? They caught enough hell as it was.

Sorry we won't have a KN2. I really think that...with a season under their belt, seeing what worked and what didn't...the producers would have fixed some obvious weaknesses, and it would have been an even better show.