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Channel 4 calls time on Big Brother (Press Release)

Thought this would be better in its own thread, please merge with another if not.

Press release from Channel 4:

Quote:

"18 MONTHS TO TRANSFORM THE SCHEDULES" AS CHANNEL 4 CALLS TIME ON BIG BROTHER

- Original drama budget to be boosted by £20 million from 2011

Channel 4 is planning the most significant creative transformation in its history after deciding not to renew its rights deal for Big Brother when its contract ends in 2010.

The decision will free up to 200 first-run hours in peak time across Channel 4 and E4 from 2011, as well as many millions of pounds for original commissions across Channel 4’s network of TV channels and online services.

Announcing that next year’s series of Celebrity Big Brother and Big Brother would be the last on the network, Director of Television and Content, Kevin Lygo, said Channel 4 would take the opportunity to review its commissioning strategies in all genres.

Lygo said the decision not to recommission Big Brother had been dictated more by creative considerations than commercial ones. He explained: “Big Brother is still profitable for Channel 4 despite its reduced popularity and there could have been the option to renew it on more favourable terms. That’s what a purely commercial broadcaster would have done, but Channel 4 has a public remit to champion new forms of creativity. That remit to push the boundaries has been an essential part of the weird chemistry behind Big Brother’s success, but it’s now what is telling us that the programme has reached a natural end point on Channel 4 and it’s time to move on.”

“Cancelling Big Brother does not solve Channel 4’s funding issues; this year we’ve nearly £125 million less to spend on programmes than we did a couple of years ago and budgets for next year may have to be reduced further. However, assuming advertising revenues stop deteriorating at some point, we should have greater flexibility in how we spend our commissioning budget; the significant sums that have been committed to Big Brother in the past should now be available to boost budgets in genres, such as drama, that have had to be cut back sharply during the downturn.”

Julian Bellamy, Head of Channel 4, added: “Big Brother will leave a huge hole and filling it will involve the most fundamental creative overhaul in our history. We’ve 18 months to transform the schedule; today’s announcement is our biggest-ever creative call-to-arms to producers to come forward with their very best ideas.”

Because of the longer lead times involved, Channel 4 has already begun reviewing its drama commissioning strategy and is intending to allocate an additional £20 million annually from the money freed up by cancelling Big Brother to commission more drama across Channel 4 and E4 from 2011 onwards.

Lygo said these extra funds would be focused on delivering more event dramas for Channel 4, following the success of mini-series such as Red Riding and The Devil’s *****, as well as seeking more quirky, returnable series aimed at younger audiences for Channel 4 and E4, in the mould of Shameless and Skins. Channel 4’s drama ambitions also extend to finding a long-running comedy drama and continuing to commission ambitious single films that can sit at the heart of campaigning seasons.

To underline its increased commitment to drama, Channel 4 has announced new commissions for transmission in the second half of 2010 and beyond. These include: a four-part serial from BAFTA winning director Shane Meadows, We Were Faces; a four part adaptation of William Boyd’s best selling novel Any Human Heart; and, a new four part Peter Kosminsky drama, Homeland - see separate release.

Lygo said: “Channel 4 is at its best when it does things that others don’t or won’t. This is a fresh opportunity to reach out to audiences underserved by drama on the more mainstream channels. We don’t want to be prescriptive about themes or formats; we just want the most creative ideas from Britain’s best new and established drama talent.”

Bellamy stressed Channel 4 was not looking for a like-for-like replacement for Big Brother but for lots of new ways to refresh the schedule. He said the Channel was hoping to commission some entertainment-led stunts and events to maintain a sense of fun about its summer schedule. He said Channel 4 would also be looking to increase its commitment to comedy across its network of channels, with an ongoing emphasis on new writing and performance talent, as well as to commission a greater number of shows with strong cross-platform elements, such as Embarrassing Bodies.

Bellamy concluded: “Big Brother has been our most influential and popular programme over the last decade. It’s been hugely innovative in its own right, has provoked a really astonishing level of public debate and has been an underappreciated showcase for social diversity and youth culture. Its success has also helped support an extraordinary range of creativity across Channel 4; inevitably we’re both excited and ever-so-slightly terrified by the prospect of getting by without it.

“We’re very grateful to everyone at Endemol who has worked so hard to keep the show fresh and engaging for so long and to the viewers who have remained loyal to the programme and who will be disappointed by our decision. The final series will be an opportunity to give Big Brother an appropriate send-off and celebrate one of the most extraordinary programmes not just in the history of Channel 4 but of TV in general.”

:yuk: Channel 4 make me sick obviously we'd rather watch shitty deal or no deal and countdown :cloud:

:sad:
It has run its course now though

Shame the rumours are true. :(

Some other channel will pick it up i'm sure.
It could be a good thing.

But this is the producers fault. they have let the show get stale. In other countries its doing great...here its failed why? lazy bum producers with no passion or creative thinking. Oh and bloody Davina.

Virgin or Sky will pick it up

Quote:

Originally posted by Melly.Moo
Some other channel will pick it up i'm sure.
It could be a good thing.

I really hope so!!

It may be the end of an era but it will be the start of something great. I think C4 will produce something more creatively current for the summer schedule which will pull audiences like BB once did.

i dont want anyother channel to pick it up, just let it be and hopefully it comes back in a few years

Sad news but not a surprise at all. Its quite exciting for Channel 4 though.

o well all good things must come to an end. nothing lasts forever.

I heard this on the radio and hour ago. Shame really, but then I guess it was pretty predictable after this years ratings. At least we get one more series after this, I was kind of expecting them to say this would be the last one.

Well Done Ch4 News on now
who said it may go to another channel.

Im Sure Another Channel Will Take Over It,
Its Too Good Not To :conf:

Quote:

Originally posted by Sod_James
o well all good things must come to an end. nothing lasts forever.

Big Brother is not Good
is it half good and bad producers.

It could go onto Ch3 or Ch5
and do very well.

Quote:

Originally posted by bovvered?
Virgin or Sky will pick it up

No Ch3 or Ch5 can.

Quote:

Originally posted by bronaaaa
:sad:
It has run its course now though

It really has. It simply ran its course and this is the way of things.

Davina & production team have been the nails in bb coffin.
really crappy production crew.

I dont think Sky would touch it, but Ch 5 could.
They could even have an E5 channel with 24hour LF.

All good things come to an end - Sadly its life

im glad they have decided to cancel it now instead of next year because we might just get a BB All Stars this way

Nobody will pick it up straight away. If anything it needs about a 5 year break anyway.

It's sad news but also quite exciting :) I hope that Channel 4 use the space wisely and come up with a brand new idea that is very creative, like Big Brother was when it first came onto our screens

'Big thanks also to Channel 4 for all their support in what continues to be a great partnership. We'll be back next year and it's going to be a blast... and after that, well, Big Brother will get back to you, you can count on it.'

from the c4 website
the last sentance seems hopeful but i hope thier not just setting us up for a let down ,i would miss it quite a bit tbh

so next years is the last?
in that case they better make it good.
it wouldnt even be hard just put in some good tasks and some good twists and dont manipulate like they have been.
they dont even have to think anything up just come on forums like these we have much better ideas most of the time.

Oh God No! We will get endless re-runs of Friends, OC, One tree hill etc.

I hope another channel picks it up and takes some inspiration from the foreign versions!

I guess it's more four hour simpsons blocks followed by three hours of friends for the UK lol.

I guess after the scrapping of the live feed and the loss of some of the spin off shows this was always going to be on the cards. I think C4 have viewed this show as a bit of a liability ever since the infamous Celebrity Big Brother involving racism resulting in the loss of The Carphone Warehouse sponsership. Sad day for the fans but I don't think any amount of petitioning is going to have any effect, C4 must have thought long and hard before axeing the show. The only question now would seem to be is whether or not another broadcaster would be interested in taking it over. Thats in the lap of the Gods but I've got a feeling that wont happen and the 11 years of BB will just be a distant memory come next summer. . :sad:

Quote:

Originally posted by SPIDERPIG!
:yuk: Channel 4 make me sick obviously we'd rather watch shitty deal or no deal and countdown :cloud:

Yer i'm with you on that one !

BB TIL I DIE !

No wonder there ending it, look who'll be in this years final great BB - NOT!

Doesnt look good. I doubt someone else will pick it up. In Australia, it finished last year, and no other channel picked it up. The show that was put in its place (Master Chef) has broken audience records.

I would say that BBUK is unfortunately going to suffer a similar fate :(

At least we get a BB11 guys.

Quote:

Originally posted by Melly.Moo
Some other channel will pick it up i'm sure.
It could be a good thing.

What Channels?

BBC wont touch it

ITV don't need it and are cutting back themselves

Less said about Channel 5 the better

That leaves Sky 1 or Virgin 1. Virgin 1 is on freeview I think so maybe it could go to that, but sky1 is not on general tv (rumoured to be on Freeview in 2011) and it would result in similar viewing figures or even less, so that means it will probably not be worth while for them.

On the other hand sky may ask the question "would this make people get sky if we had it" well would you get sky so you can watch BB once a year? I already have it along with virgin cable so I would watch it anyway, but those who do not have it would you buy sky for it?

A lot of the viewers of BB are single and in the young range possible either living with parents or single mum etc. So then the affordability thing comes into it with people spending money on more important things.

Bottom line is I think it is finished after next year or even possibly this year.

ITV do need it
with 24/7 Live feed on ITV3

Nothing can be ruled out.

And Dawn Airey at Ch5 is working it out
with a New Location.

Ch5 took all the Aussie Soaps
they are a big player.

No one cares about the Bloated BBC.

2000-2010. good run. time up for the show though.

Quote:

Originally posted by arista
ITV do need it
with 24/7 Live feed on ITV3

Nothing can be ruled out.

And Dawn Airey at Ch5 is working it out
with a New Location.

Ch5 took all the Aussie Soaps
they are a big player.

I think C5 is a likely candidate to take it over (if it is taken over)

Sad news but not a surprise. It will be interesting to see what Channel 4 replaces the show with.
I don't see any channel touching the show apart from Five and maybe ITV, but if its not picked up by another channel then it will be back years in the future.