French plan literary version of Big Brother

[Mark]

A French TV network is planning to screen a literary take on Big Brother.

Do You Know The Story? will involve four authors being filmed trying to write a collective novel while trapped in a country house near Paris.

They will have just four days to produce a 10-page novella.

Producer Antoine Henriquet told The Observer: "We are not influenced by the shallow, sensationalist agenda of Big Brother.

"There will be four bedrooms in the house, which the writers will be expected to keep to."

The names of the four chosen authors are being kept secret.

But they will be a mix of men and women, experienced writers and beginners.

British authors seem sceptical of the producers' aims and quality of the programme itself.

Whitbread judge Tobias Hill said: "This sounds atrocious; the only thing more boring than watching writers write would be watching paint dry.

"I can't imagine any decent writer agreeing to do it."

<<Article from Ananova>>

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Should be interesting....or not. Will make good TV watching people write books!

And what do they mean by "We are not influenced by the shallow, sensationalist agenda of Big Brother." Whats the bet she used to be a journalist...

What are your views?

Mark
:noel:

[LEE]

As much as I do a phenomenal amount of reading, and also write a little myself, I can't really see how watching four writers will make particularly enthralling TV.

I suppose they think that it could be interesting watching the creative process, having character and plot discussions etc and seeing how the authors react between themselves. Will they disagree etc.

Personally I don't think it will work, even in France!!

[Feefs]

It will only be interesting if they have a few good debates about what they are writing. Watching an honest brainstorming session might be quite enlightening, but I can imagine that egos will mean that doing it on tv will be quite different.

They'll either be ultra-polite about what each other has done, or they'll be desperate to prove they're better than the others. 4 days probably isn't long enough for them to drop their guards.

Perhaps inbetween writing their 10-page novella, they'll debate existing literature and other authors. If they are given a few bottles of cheap plonk that might turn out to be more interesting.

[WILDCHILD2K1]

It will not be good tv in my opinion!! I could think of nothing worse to watch!:frosty:

[Mark]

The only thing is Im not fluent in French so I won't undertstand it!!!!

Anyone fluent???

Mark

[WILDCHILD2K1]

I did French for three years and I think I know two words; Bonjour and 'Au Revoir' So in answer to your question Mark, I aint fluent in French at all!!!:laugh::spin2:

[Feefs]

If things go well you might learn some swear words!

:snowman:

[sweetlittlesara]

i have been "learning" french since i was four and am due to do my french GCSE next year a year early (not my choice!) , so although im not fluent in french i can understand it quite a bit, however i no some people who are fluent in french and could ask them to translate for me if i was really desperate to understand this...

[Kaz]

I can't believe it would take 4 writers 4 days to write a measly 10 pages!!

Romantic Old Bird could manage that on her own in 4 hours max!! :santa: :hello: :santa:

[Romantic Old Bird]

I do go on a bit, don't I Kaz?

Anyway, this whole thing sounds like a major yawn. When I'm not writing little bits for fun, i.e. when I've got an imminent assignment deadline for uni, or a project deadline for work, I have uncontrollable urges to:

a: Eat everything in the house
b: Post on BB sites
c: (and this is when I'm REALLY desperate) Clean the oven!

So, if others are similarly affected, ho hum.