TEN hints at Biggest Loser return

Having successfully rejuvenated MasterChef this year, TEN is now looking closer at The Biggest Loser to see if it can get its own makeover.

This is despite network CEO Hamish McLennan previously referring to it as being towards “the end of its life cycle.”

This week Programming Chief Beverley McGarvey has given 2 interviews that indicate it ain’t over til’ it’s over, which is usually the softly-softly path before the confirmation itself comes.

“We certainly don’t think Loser is done and dusted,” she told News Corp.

“We have had nine seasons of Loser and eight of those have been perceived to be successful and one that wasn’t.

“Brands are really important to TEN. You don’t want to cut the brand too early. If there’s something wrong with it, it is fixable. I don’t think Loser is dead for us and we’re doing a lot of work on it at the minute to see if we choose to proceed again.”

She also told Mediaweek TEN was in discussions and research about what elements of the show resonated with viewers.

TEN managed to bring its cooking show back on track, and many viewers have noted that Seven and Nine have had much success with Reality formats that were traditionally the domain of TEN.

If Loser is to return it probably needs some recasting and a major work over to its authenticity / storytelling. Over the years a lot has been written about its approach to crash dieting and editing that leave many in the audience to question its credibility. Whether it can strike that balance without jumping the shark on the format itself is up to the skill of the creatives involved.

Some personal stories as headlines were also spinning more drama than the content too. Awkward.

It would be a very big gamble to revisit Loser.

Television is quite the game for high-rollers.