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TEN hints at Biggest Loser return

After MasterChef's rejuvenation, TEN is rethinking The Biggest Loser.

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2013-12-24_0107Having 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.

29 Responses

  2. Um: hello? Why not a televised version of Michelle’s 12WBT challenge? Almost every woman in every office I’ve worked in in the last 24 months has been talking about that program. We all know Michelle would be in it for the $$. Why not make a televised version of it with a cash prize at the end? Would give the weight loss challenge the make over it needed but would address the ‘psychological’ aspects of the contestants that has been the big sticking point with BL recently…

  3. I love The Biggest Loser and I hope it comes back in 2015. It’s a good format, but I think it should go back to singles, show more than 3 episodes a week (4-5 eps would be good) and maybe start it at 7pm so that it’s not against The Block or MKR.

  4. I like the biggest loser but i think it needs to have a rest for atleast a year then come back this has been sucessful with big brother and the X factor when it dose come back having haley shannon michelle and the commando is fine but go back to having the singiles firmat that is what made it a sucess in the first place

  5. The last season or two haven’t done well but I think BL still has some juice left in it. It certainly needs and overall. Michelle Bridges either needs to be all in or out. Her absence for most of last series didn’t help. The biggest problem this year was the contestants all knew each other which took away the ‘villain’ aspect of the show which is so important. A bit of double crossing, strategic gamesmanship is crucial to the format.

    Disappointed not to have heard anything about Wanted returning. This show had great potential, excellent results but was dumped in the black hole timeslot for Ten – Monday 8:30.

  8. Biggest Loser is a dead format, unfortunately.

    Ten should keep Michelle Bridges on the payroll though and get her to host a new Aerobics Oz Style.

  9. I watched Loser from season 5 and have really enjoyed it. My favourite was when they had four trainers. I think maybe rest it one year then comeback with a back to basics season. Our version is infinitely better and less contrived than the American one which I can’t go near.

  10. good. I hope they do renew it. I don’t think they need recasting – Michelle, Shannon, Commando and Hayley are fine. (Unless they want to bring back Jillian and bob!!). Something needs to be done on the storytelling and editing though.

  11. Never been a fan of watching this show. Totally fabricated American based junk. I suppose it is cheap to Brodick as it is not studio based. I would rather see an season on idol than looser

  13. I think they should go for it but cut the number of episodes down, perhaps down to 3 times per week, and strip the format down to its basics; focusing not on twists, but on people losing weight. This ‘back-to-basics’ idea worked for MasterChef.

    I’d agree with some commentators on here to make it more educational and definitely more connected with social media. For example, they could do one week where the viewers send in their food diary (documenting all food they eat throughout the week) using a hashtag like #TBL #TBL Food Diary. The best one could be used for the contestants to follow or something like that. Messages of support (only) could be shown to the contestants.

    It was a success for Ten until last year, but I think its worth the gamble. After all, I think Nine would easily snap this up.

  14. They need to hire all new faces who aren’t out selling ever pill & potion during the commercial breaks. They also need to take it back to basics like MC & make it about weight loss not who is the biggest personality in the house.
    Show it Wed & Thurs nights with a weightloss/fitness ep each week at 6 or 6.30 on Sat. or incorporate the new trainers into The Living Room on Fri nights. starting later this year so we get to know the new trainers.

  16. I think Ten should give Loser a break (similar to what 7 did with Amazing Race). So they can still have the rights but not air it for a year. They should also talk about the contestants diets as well and what we should do to keep healthy. During Losers potential break Ten should consider doing an Australian version of Kitchen Nightmares since the American one got scrapped.

  18. I think it could work if they screened it twice a week on Thurs / Fri when the other commercial networks aren’t showing anything. Beginning of the week Sun / Mon / Tue when they come up against Block Voice House Rules Kitchen Rules etc etc 10 always get massacred. Even if it only rated 500K at the end of the week it would still be double what it did this year.

  19. – TBL has had 2 bad seasons, while regular MCA only had one.
    – Masterchef still averaged 600-800k last year, and has improved this season. TBL averaged lower than that last year and has deteriorated further this year.
    – Masterchef’s worst regular season was 2013, where it still rated above 600k. TBL struggled to do half that this year.
    – Plus, MCA didn’t consistency come 5th in its timeslot with under 300k and get beaten by SBS or multichannel shows, and didn’t provide a woeful lead-in to anything post-8:30.
    – Even if TBL increased its viewers by the same year on year percentage MCA did, it would still be under 500k. And that’s ‘if’ it increased.

  20. Yawn. Why must the majority of Ten big shows be either old shows that should have been axed long ago, or revivals of old shows that were previously axed for a very good reason? Why can’t they come up with something new and innovative like they used to do?

  22. It could easily work again. Remember 2 seasons ago it went badly then the next season did really well but then this one failed and I put it down to the change from families and singles, people most like singles because people are in it for themselves and there is more fierce comp.

  23. I know a lot of people don’t like TBL but I do and even enjoyed last season.

    I will say though to improve the show they should drop the challenges and temptation and the fridge.

    Also could they somehow ease into the workouts at the start (especially for the bigger contestants) as the sobbing as they yell they can’t do it is not enjoyable viewing.I know they want to show drama but we’re over it.
    The issues alvar mentioned need to be covered to make it a well balanced show.
    Please do not put it up against MKR or The Block.
    Bring it on !

  24. Loser never really covered all the aspects to losing weight, only the ones that were fun to watch on TV such as tempations, crying and challenges. Other important issues like diet, cooking, time management, lifestyle and routines were never really covered. It never educated viewers at home on how to lose weight or be healthy in a practical sense.

    The demand/need for health and fitness in society is growing, and Ten would have a market to tap into if it made the series broader and more down to earth.

  25. Big gamble.
    Loser is a good format and I do think it still has a little bit of life in it. Last season was shocking though.
    If it is to return, it needs 1 max 2 episodes per week. And may at the end of the year not the start.

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