Thanks to Lee for the heads-up, I’ve discovered a few new things via Facebook:
- Yes, Anna-Gaelle is leaving and Olivier will host on his own. This is a very fundamental change to the show.
- This is probably my dodgy translation, it sounds like the teams are going to be left to their own devices whilst the games are being played.
- Civilians are back! I’m idly wondering if they might get celebrity team captains though. This is potentially quite exciting, members of the public don’t need to be paid for and so it doesn’t really matter if they get taken prisoner first game and are never seen again.
Veeeee-ry interesting. This is all rather last-throw-of-the-dice after last year’s resounding audience loss (don’t forget that Intervilles and Carte Aux Tresors was also axed after last year, CAT having tried a few different things in the previous few seasons), but it’s not the first time the show has had to do it so it might be the shot in the arm the show needs.
Hopefully the money they save in appearance fees can go towards a few really spectacular new adventures.
Edit: Oh wow, just saw the Fort Bavard e-mail, it’s becoming a two-team show like recent European versions.
This makes me fairly sad, I’ve always found this version of the format rather anaemic compared to “proper” Boyard, although I’m hopeful the French will do something interesting with it – the place should represent more than a jumped-up outward bound centre, it has a history, and it would be incorrect not to play it up. Also it would be nice if they could sort out some sort of endgame to avoid the idea that one team might as well not bother turning up if they go in behind.
Still, 21 seasons is a pretty good run if next year is it, all told.
I guess Celebrity Team Captains would work in replacement for Anne. I also see how having a Full team of Normal People will help boost ratings since people want to go on the show. Granted its sad to see anne leave but Passe Partout might get a bigger role (it is his 20th year)
I’m wondering what they do with Laboulle. In the one hand, he’s been there 15 years, on the other hand, his role has reduced so much of late (and Mr Chan has pretty much been doing everything Laboulle should have been doing, especially last year) that I’m wondering if it’s time for a retirement.
It will be sad, but if they’re going for a Year Zero affair it might be neccessary.
I wonder if Pere Fouras might revert to being a bit more cantankerous with members of the public.
In fact the more I think about it, the more I quite like the potential of this new series. If it’s a massive failure, I hope it’s a massive failure in an interesting way and it goes out with a bang rather than a fizzle.
More:
http://www.tele-2-semaines.fr/contenu_editorial/pages/echos-tv/6045-anne-gaelle-riccio-je-n-ai-plus-de-contrat-d-exclusivite-avec-france-tele
I think the normal characters are staying the same. I do kinda wish Mr chan went. I think his game is kinda pointless and does waste a whole lot of time. I mean fine if you wanted to make him a genral character of the fort but not a game. I believe the arm wrestling cell is still there. always stick laboug in there.
OOH! I’ll be applying, hands down. Dreams can come true…
Christ, this is a bit Jumping the Shark, isn’t it?
I can see this being a 2002 year, unfortunately, and I doubt that it’d be back for 2011 if that happened, to be honest. I hope it goes well, that’s all I can hope for.
Now we see it’s a two-team year, I really can’t see it being successful. But I’ve seen stranger things. Hey, even Red Alert got a second series.
Russian 2006 had a great 2 team series I see more hope if they copy them than the Bulgarians (series 3 starts today) it will be very intresting now since they be mord chance for public to get involved which I presume is the whole point of these changes
I think the point is probably more Adventure Line don’t have many shows, which means they don’t have much in the way of money any more.
Maybe. But they do need a change because they had the same format for a good few years now. The fomat gets boring and too predictable. need to shake it up
Generally speaking I approve of dying shows that at least attempt to stop stagnating and rejuvinate. Why not gamble? At least you can say you tried.
The trouble is i’m not convinced this is the direction the show needs to take, when the show consists of lots of different four-minute segments they can chop and change anyway, unfortunately many of them are the same four-minute segments they’ve been using for twenty years. Dialling back on the more spectacular games isn’t going to help I don’t think, and watching people race to climb things (which appears to make up about half of the two-team games as far as I can tell) is surprisingly uninteresting.
It’s also been pointed out to me that it will be going up against the World Cup for the first few weeks.
Still, I will wait and see. I’d like to be proven wrong.
Just as a heads up. Pipeline (clue game) has been seen in the balkans advertising.