To celebrate Oasis returning after a 15 year absence, we’re returning to an old feature we’ve not done for 13 months, we must be “mad for it!!!!!” Also barely anything new has been made, but it feels like the cogs are beginning to turn a bit so let’s see.
The Results
Right, this is the first one for a while, let’s see if it’s been worth the wait. As usual, we don’t know the veracity of statements, only the people making the suggestions know that but we believe there’s a grain of plausibility to many of them, you are advised not to take anything suggested as gospel.
In For a Penny’s USA episode (the shows final episode) was actually meant ton double as a backdoor pilot for it on Disney+, which is why it’s length.
(Other than that, it’s a dry spell, because, look at this industry 😭)
In For A Penny deserves a lot of credit for being the only vox pop show on telly in the world ever to actually have worked. It looks and feels like just as much of a waste of time as all the other ones, but thanks to Mulhern and a good team did succeed in being quite funny. Do you remember that one on BBC where a man ran around streets asking people questions for ten whole pounds? Can you believe nobody gave a toss?
Actually Billy on the Street was good as well. Perhaps if it comes back Stephen Mulhern can just run round London shouting at people, perhaps make that two.
Three from the next person which I’ll split up otherwise you lot will throw a strop.
Wheels are already in motion for who to replace Richard Osman when he bows out of House of Games. Due to his busy schedule of books, films and podcasts he’ll be moving on, even though they’ve moved the production further south.
Having some idea of a succession in place feels like a sensible move as it does feel like an inevitability. I know they filmed some recently, and he’s not mentioned leaving, but that’s for a future press release.
Of course the question is who could replace him? Who is the female version of Richard Osman? The answer of course is Sue Perkins, they wouldn’t even need to change the graphic.
I expect it will be a bit of a thankless role whoever takes over, only for whoever takes over them getting some sort of audience credit. I would hope that the title would legally become Sue Perkins’ (Or Whoever) Richard Osman’s House of Games, and production will shout at anybody not using the full and official title.
Josie Gibson recently hosted a runthrough for ITV for a Saturday early evening adaptation of Dobble. It didn’t get through to pilot stage as ITV are currently only looking for legacy formats.
Yeah I could see Dobble working as a early evening format. They should pitch Josie Gibson’s Don’t Try This At Home.
Which is why Goldenballs is being considered as a return to daytime ITV. Older audiences remember it fondly and the younger generation have rediscovered it on Youtube thanks in part to the Sidemen.
I wasn’t sure what to make of that buuuttt…
A Golden Balls reboot with Roman Kemp is in the early stages of production for next year. I think they’re going for a younger, primetime audience after the success of viral clips (mainly the ‘Split or Steal’ section) from it on TikTok.
It’s incredible to think it’s fifteen years since Golden Balls, I remember going to see the pilot at Teddington but having to leave before the Split or Steal bit to catch a train. You younger kids won’t remember how massive Golden Balls was at the time, and that massiveness was… about half of what The Chase managed at its peak. Still though, this feels like the sort of thing people want to will into existence, I expect it will be similarly flash-in-the-pan, but at least it’s fairly likely there will be a flash.
Double The Money axed by Channel 4
A pity as it turns out, but I’m not sure what other avenues it could go down.
Amanda Holden has recently filmed a pilot for a new show called ‘The Inner Circle’, best described as quiz Golden Balls – my guess is it’s gunning for the early Saturday evening slot. It’s the first foray into the game show world of a production company which previously mainly did documentaries, and the format is genuinely one of the worst things I’ve ever come across.
Oh man, don’t tease us with a car crash like this, I hope Holden was in full Eurovision jury vote giving mode.
Celeb Gladiators is a New Years special
This feels like the sort of thing someone’s just submitted for a laugh. New Year’s Day has become a bit of a blockbuster night in terms of television these days though, probably a bit more than Xmas Day. It’s a Wednesday this year, what if they did Celeb Glads followed by launching S3 of The Traitors? Food for thought. Especially if you’re ITV.
In With A Shout in the danger zone for the chop
It sounds like 99 to Beat will be paired up with the extended Britain’s Got Talent but that’s not going to last through the entire four month extended run, so if not In With A Shout, which didn’t set the world alight but didn’t collapse either, then what? Perhaps it opens up a possibility space for The Floor.
Plan is for a third series of Popmaster TV
No surprise I don’t think.
Romesh’s new game show Parents Evening due to begin in November on Saturday Nights in the 9pm slot on ITV. Glad Stool Pigeon is back missed it!
Ah OK, that suggests it will be going out once Password has finished. There will be a Show Discussion post going up for that on Saturday morning, don’t worry.
The Masked Dancer has not been cancelled, but only ‘rested’, and a return is being eyed for next year
Whhhhyyyyyyyyyy
The upcoming Survivor Aus vs USA season has been expanded to contestants from multiple countries, including the uk reboot from last year. It will be a significantly shorter season though, >20 days
Why aren’t they going down the The Challenge route and calling it The Survivor World Championship? Then when an American doesn’t win, American bloggers can declare it “unofficial”. Anyway, there were only about one person from Survivor UK who’d probably be any good, so good luck Christopher if that’s you.
Early last year MTV filmed a ‘Shore’ type show in Dublin with the working title ‘Life of the Party’. A couple of weeks into filming though the cast were sent home being told filming would resume shortly, but they never picked up filming again..
It’s Eden 2024, sort of!
99 to beat is going to rival Gladiators for number of sad injury edits.
I find it incredible – people being allergic to hay or whatever, fine, unlucky, but 99 to Beat is things like throwing eggs to each other without breaking and winding up toilet rolls not full contact sport, I am absolutely fascinated to find out how many injuries there were by the end of the series.
A potential 2nd run of E4’s Josh Must Win is being talked about, title will be ‘The Underdog: x Must Win’, different celeb panel too
The first one did a bit better than I anticipated, I think, so this shouldn’t be ruled out.
Phew, well perhaps we won’t leave it 13 months until the next one.
Josie could have been a good fit for You Bet IMO.
The return for The Masked Dancer very much feels like it’s being “eyed” by the producers, not so much anyone else! Would be surprised if it happens.
Less surprised about In With a Shout which I could well see going, especially with them having commissioned a new parkour game for next year. If that gets January then Wheel of Fortune might get Spring. Still think they made a mistake axing Rolling in It for that slot. The phrase “ITV are currently only looking for legacy formats” is damning although with 99 To Beat and Romesh coming up I’m not sure how true it is. Golden Balls feels like something that will inevitably return eventually but Roman Kemp seems all wrong for it.
Not particularly surprised about Double the Money or Popmaster.
Long time reader, first time poster. The legacy brands has some truth to it. I’ve worked at two different companies this year that have both been asked to revamp their ‘legacy IP’ for up coming ITV pitches. The reboot of You Bet! also suggests this is the case.
Also, I believe channels use the term ‘rested’ for a show because if they say they’ve outright cancelled it companies then have to option to take it to other channels. One of the reasons Eggheads moved to C5.
Anyone know any reports regarding Wheel Of Fortune with Graham Norton ? Likely scrapped or returning for a second run ?
Probably returning, the original contestant call went out last September so I imagine a new one will come out soon.
Tbh most ITV quiz show / game show formats last at least two seasons before being binned so wouldn’t surprise me!
It’s rare to see a show axed after just one series now and not just at ITV, though most don’t have the staying power to manage a third series. Part of the reason IMO is that so many shows are just one thing, the same rounds repeated. It’s as if they’re holding back rounds so they can make multiple shows out of ideas for rounds instead of just one.
On Survivor US vs Australia why bother including people from the UK version who clearly had no idea how to play Survivor? It is like when they get these awful UK contestants on The Challenge and they just wait to be picked off by CT, Wes or Bananas.
Roman Kemp for Golden Balls please no. Actually seeing Jason Manford on The Answer Run I think he would be perfect for Golden Balls.
Frankly nobody would make Golden Balls watchable. It’s one of those formats which was awful at the time but seems to have got a lifted reputation when viewed through rose tinted spectacles. The split-steal moments may get the clicks online but there is 55 minutes to sit through to get to that point.
That said though I’d take it over a second run of Jeopardy.
The Inner Circle was/is for BBC1. It sounds like The Chosen Ten, a similarly influenced by The Traitors show which got commissioned. ITV have tried out a few like that – The Imposter (with Rob Rinder), Trivial Deceit.
With legacy brands, the clue is in the name. I think we’ve went through SOOO many formats over the years and because the ones that have struck (Strictly, The Apprentice, BGT) have stuck, there’s not many good IP that haven’t been rebooted and/or are currently airing. We’ve had Stars In Their Eyes, Blind Date, Supermarket Sweep, The Crystal Maze, 15-1, Krypton Factor, Bullseye… most of which didn’t last long. Some shows like Big Break are probably too dated to bring back now.
For reboots to be made in the next few years, I think we’re looking at 2010 roughly as a cut-off point for those which ended around then as they will have been gone long enough. Not surprised then about Golden Balls which fits that criteria. Hell’s Kitchen is another that has been talked up for a revival. Similarly, Hole In The Wall.
The 90s were a great time with the best shows from the 70s and 80s crossing over and new stuff like BB, Noel, Gladiators arriving, but for Saturday night formats which is what I think ITV are looking for, it was pretty sparse throughout and only really picked up with Millionaire and Friends Like These at the tail end. It was mainly kids gameshows and during the week fare like They Think It’s All Over that people remember and there was also the then reboots of Jeopardy, Blankety Blank and Give Us A Clue, which may be that “based on a well-known parlour game” Whisper North are currently working on.
Maybe there is still something in one-and-done formats like Duel which remains highly regarded by gameshow fans. Or like The Traitors and The 1% Club somebody can cherry-pick the best bits of forgotten shows (The Mole, Test The Nation) and work them into something new. Or just reboot them as they are? Password, The Pyramid Game (Jane McDonald hosted a pilot recently), Press Your Luck…
I’d be absolutely delighted and fascinated to see someone in the UK try Press Your Luck, mainly because the US show is faintly ridiculous and I want to see if we’d be able to translate.
That’s actually one of my dream commissions and on my bucket list of “shows I want to try to appear on if they ever get a UK series”.
I’ve been given some good evidence to suggest New Year Glads is true.
No room really on Christmas Day and New Year can run straight into series 2.
The first UK Double Trouble episode on The Chase on Monday – expected to be Mark and Shaun given the team is made up of Paul, Anne, Jenny and Darragh.
https://youtube.com/shorts/SmrckJLIobE?si=6wNWZIV3eLLlsTGL
Reboots for ITV daytime that I could see working:
Crosswits
Runway
Cash Cab
What’s all this about this possibly being the final series of House of Games hosted by Osman? I surmised that the show would someday end in the next few years and I knew that they moved filming this year from Scotland to Manchester, but has there been any confirmed rumblings about Richard stepping down and someone else taking over? Where did this musing originate from?
I can safely confirm the In With A Shout rumours are true. My eagle eye spots some information which confirms it’s been binned Not sure what I make of it being scrapped though i’m 50 / 50 i think it had too much competition with picture slam which seems to have topped it in ratings. ITV are slowly losing Saturday night programs family viewing is crashing Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway is on a so called BREAK not sure it will return somehow , In For A Penny has also been put on PAUSE again i feel ITV are doing that to get our hopes up i just feel it won’t return and now In With A Shout.
Also Graham Norton’s Wheel Of Fortune I can see getting the chop I know the announcement wasn’t till September for series 1 but i feel things have gone too quite no one is taking about it seems no one is keen for it to return the new format was a shambles nothing screams original / nostalgic, Graham wasn’t suited. I feel that slot will be filled by Celebrity Catchphrase they have loads of episodes backed up which haven’t been shown it’s highly unlikely they won’t air them in one block in the autumn
ITV are relying on their highly popular quiz show The 1% Club to fill Saturday Nights which I am pleased to see has took off my personal favourite saturday night program and Who Want’s To Be A Millionaire for Sundays. Both of which have been commissioned for extended series next year
I could be utterly wrong but my instincts feel true.
Shout aired months before Slam but like most new shows it was just OK. I don’t think Slam is any better but is perhaps suited to BBC1 and leading in to Strictly has its rewards.
WoF I agree has been a huge disappointment. That it’s different enough from everything else out there which could have helped it rack up multiple series (doubt that will be the case now…), ITV should be kicking themselves at how it’s turned out.
You Bet may get a full run but with the amount of shows axed, taking a break or underperforming, it’s not enough. I think for Saturday night viewers expect something different and a level of entertainment above daytime and with credit to the latter, that gap has reduced over the years. There’s also the situation that Saturday nights hasn’t always been about shiny floor formats so in the past gameshows could stand out more, but nowadays not enough people would watch the likes of Baywatch, The Bill, a film etc so gameshows it is… It’s gotten so overcrowded. Ironically, the shows that gave ITV their worst Saturday night ratings like The Premiership would probably do well now.
I agree Strictly is a great way to lead Picture Slam people tended to watch while eating there tea while waiting for the main event hence the shockingly good number of viewers it brought in. Wheel Of Fortune could have been a great reboot but it was ruined by the host , the format and the loss of nostalgia. One thing which is very apparent to ITV at the moment is that they are not just commissioning shows in small chunks there doing it in bulk deliberately so they can spread it out across a few years in order to fill gaps for cancelled shows. For example Tipping Point : Lucky Stars was commissioned way back for 20 episodes but rather than air them all together they showed 7 last year likely 7 this year leaving the remainder for 2025. The 1% Club is coming back with 18 episodes in 2025 (Likely into 2026) also 4 episodes + Christmas Special in December this year left over from series 3 the thing that bugged me with this decision that the ratings were sky high so why take off a show before the end of the season when it’s doing so well they want the viewers but they don’t want to deliver the content , Millionaire is coming back next year with 16 episodes and apparently there are 9 stragglers from past seasons which have been left due to scheduling changes this was done on purpose to fill Sunday nights. Celeb Catchphrase have roughly 16 episodes held back they are airing like two series in one go they have series 9 and series 10 episodes on the go and the first new episode which aired a few weeks ago was from series 8 , Deal Or No Deal S2 is a whopping 120 episodes now the dream scenario would be to air them all week after week but the likely hood with ITV is spread them out so they don’t have to commission another series for a few years. smart but lazy they need to come up with fresh ideas although these bulk seasons are good in one sense it’s a brilliant way to drag things out more and more. Oh and Beat The Chasers has gone very quite, ITV using repeats as fillers on Friday nights to drag the new episodes out more and more they don’t have to use there budget to commission more.
I think any long running show nowadays will only get axed if its ratings truly plummet. I can’t see Tipping Point ending within the next five years because of how well it rates and it’s such a unique show, so it makes sense for ITV to commission three years worth of specials all together rather than separately and it ending up costing more in the long run. Daytime repeats can rate as well as new shows so instead of having something running for months on end and possibly viewers getting sick of it so I can see why ITV schedule shows in the way they do.
Shows airing years after being recorded isn’t anything new – there were episodes of Big Break from 1997 that didn’t air until 2000 and the show was burnt off in daytime at one point. Partly to catch up with the backlog but the show was replaceable. That can’t easily be said for long running shows now because new ideas for shows are thin on the ground. With gameshows and TV’s dependence on them it’s amazing that anything big does come along. It’ll be interesting to see what broadcasters do when The 1% Club, Traitors, Gladiators etc lose their appeal because it’s not as if viewers will have been starved of traditional Q+A shows in the same way as those mentioned partly became so popular because they weren’t the norm.
Filming on Survivor Australia vs The World is about to start taking place.
Confirmed names from the US
Cirie
Parverti
Tony
Names from Australia confirmed
Kirby
Shonee
George
The remaining World players will be coming from New Zealand, Norway and South Africa. They dodged a bullet there not picking any UK players.