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TV producers seek real-life EastEnders

Search begins for 10 families for year-long docu-soap



The reality show format is to reach its logical conclusion this year with the most ambitious example of the genre yet, with cameras following 10 families living in a purpose-built community in the East End of London for an entire year.

The inhabitants of Albert Square may no longer pull in the ratings they once did but television executives are hoping that the year-long, real-life tale of domestic strife will prove popular with viewers.

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Shed Productions, the company behind Bad Girls and Footballers' Wives, plans to build 10 houses on a derelict plot and follow the domestic lives of the protagonists, in a project with echoes of the Jim Carrey film The Truman Show.

Seeking to combine traditional fly-on-the-wall techniques and anthropological sensibilities with the mainstream appeal of Big Brother, the participants will continue with their normal routine of work and school, where they will not be filmed.

But when they return in the evening their every move will be followed by cameras and edited into three half-hourly programmes a week. Shed has already started advertising for subjects to appear in the series, looking for "colourful families to take part in the biggest and most challenging reality TV show ever". Taking the template of fictional soaps such as EastEnders and Coronation Street as a starting point, the producers hope that viewers will become attached to the real-life characters in a similar way. Eventually they will have the opportunity to vote families out of their homes, leaving an ultimate winner.

Filming is scheduled to start this year, with the programme running until Christmas 2006. It has not yet been picked up by a broadcaster, but Sky One is believed to be the favourite to screen it.

The elongated reality format is seen as the next logical step in an evolution that began with the vogue for so-called "docu-soaps" in the mid-90s. They were followed by Big Brother, which has been on every summer since 2000 and delivered record ratings and millions in revenues for Channel 4.

Its success, fed by blanket-coverage in the tabloid press and celebrity magazines, led to a glut of reality shows, many of them featuring faded celebrities hoping to get back into the public eye. A Channel 4 documentary estimated that 176 reality shows would be screened this year alone.

For the latest German version of Big Brother, subtitled The Village, producers have constructed a community just outside Cologne. In the show, which began last month, contestants are assigned specific jobs and social ranks. It has no fixed end date and will continue for as long as ratings hold up.

Forever Eden, an open-ended reality show in the US, was cancelled abruptly last year after a lack of support.

Landmarks in reality format

·1964

7 Up Michael Apted's long-running documentary series is identified by many as the earliest predecessor of reality television. Starting with 14 British seven-year-olds, he has filmed them every seven years since.

·1974

The Family Following Terry and Margaret Wilkins, their children and partners in a small flat in Reading, Paul Watson's avowed intention was to "make a film about the kind of people who never got on to television". Said to be the first docu-soap.

·1992

The Real World Glossy MTV forerunner to Big Brother. The series follows a group of good-looking characters sharing a flat and is set in a different US city each year.

Sylvania Waters The precursor for the wave of docu-soaps that followed, this co-production between ABC in Australia and the BBC chronicled the existence of couple Noeline Baker and Laurie Donaher and their largely adult offspring.

·1994 onwards

A glut of fly-on-the-wall docu-soaps followed, making members of the public, such as Maureen Rees from Driving School and Airport's Jeremy Spake, famous overnight.

·2000

Big Brother Pitched as a cross between a social experiment and a gameshow, it captured the imagination of the tabloids and the viewing public. Easily outshone glossier ITV rival Survivor.

·2001

Popstars, The first of a series of updates of Opportunity Knocks, makes huge, if mostly short-lived stars of its contestants. Pop Idol, Fame Academy and The X-Factor follow. Critically acclaimed "popular factual" shows such as Faking It and Wife Swap attract big ratings.

·2002

ITV gives the format a twist by recruiting fading celebrities for I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Big Brother also runs acelebrity edition.

·2002

The most popular Big Brother yet. Jade Goody sparks a national debate about whether the show is too cruel, but ends up making millions.

·2004

Rebecca Loos sparks tabloid outrage by ********** a pig live on Five's The Farm. Big Brother ratings rise after a dip as the producers promise to "get evil", culminating in a mass on-screen fight.

·2005

I'd Do Anything to Get on TV, a Channel 4 documentary, reveals that 176 reality shows will air on TV this year.
gaurdian

There is another article about this HERE

Shipwrecked resurfaces on Channel 4



Shipwrecked: C4 has commissioned 20 episodes of the show, for broadcast in 2006

Channel 4 is resurrecting Shipwrecked, one of the first reality shows to hit British TV screens, in an expanded format that will be broadcast on the network's T4 weekend youth strand.

Two groups of nubile 18- to 23-year-olds will be stranded on separate but adjacent south Pacific islands for five months this summer for the new series of Shipwrecked.

The two rival groups will have to establish communities and compete for a "massive cash prize", according to Channel 4.

The broadcaster also promised that the fourth series would "see the stakes being raised and the conditions more extreme than ever before".

It has ordered 20 episodes of the 60-minute show, for transmission early next year.

Shipwrecked was first broadcast on Channel 4 on December 30, 1999, two days before the launch of BBC1's rival reality show Castaway 2000, about 30 volunteers trying to survive on Taransay, a remote island off the west coast of Scotland.

The reality TV boom really took off in the summer of 2000, when the first series of Big Brother became a huge hit on Channel 4.

Five launched its first reality show, Jailbreak, in the autumn of 2000, and followed up with The Mole and Touching the Truck. ITV got in on the act the following year with Popstars and Survivor.

C4 commissioned two further series of Shipwrecked, the last one being transmitted in late 2001, before putting the format out to grass.

But the broadcaster then asked Shipwrecked producer RDF Media to move on to an even more ambitious reality project, Eden, in which a bunch of Brits had to establish a community in the Australian jungle. This show was broadcast in early 2002.

RDF has since gone onto enjoy even more success with formats such as Faking It, Wife Swap and Holiday Showdown.

The new series of Shipwrecked will be executive produced by RDF's director of programmes, Stephen Lambert.

It was commissioned by the channel's head of music, youth and T4, Jules Oldroyd.mediaguardian

television's first hip-hop reality sitcom," will focus on Run (aka Joey Simmons) as he juggles family life with his wife, former rapper-singer Justine; five children..... Hollywoodreporter

Latest reality show promises compulsive viewing


Channel 4 are to put three obsessive compulsive disorder sufferers in a house together for a new TV show.

The OCD House will attempt to cure them of their condition in just two weeks with an experimental treatment programme.

The three participants are a woman who is unable to share a bed with her husband or hug her children, a man who believes he will “incriminate” himself if he touches another human being, and a woman who spends three hours each day washing her hands.

Channel 4 insist The OCD House is a serious observational documentary trialling a new method of treatment.

Leading OCD specialist Professor Paul Salkovskis of the Maudsley Hospital is involved in the programme.

The show is being made by Monkey Kingdom, the production company of Chris Evans’ ex-sidekick Will Macdonald.

On its website, Monkey Kingdom says the three sufferers will be set a series of tasks and must try to overcome their condition in just 14 days.

“For the three participants, it’s the last chance saloon... Can they overcome 20 plus years of OCD in just 14 days? Or are they and their families condemned to a life of OCD misery forever? Everything hangs in the balance for the next fortnight at The OCD House,” it reads.

The programme is one of the highlights of Channel 4’s summer schedule.

Other shows include Indian Finishing School, in which four “indecorous Brits” are sent to leading schools in New Delhi in a bid to improve their behaviour.

Wakey Wakey Campers will pack off families, neighbours and work colleagues to an old-fashioned British holiday camp.

Escape to the Legion sends 11 volunteers and explorer Bear Grylls to recreate the experience of training for the French Foreign Legion in the Sahara desert.

And in a meeting of two reality shows, How Clean Are The F***ing Fulfords sends hygiene enforcers Kim and Aggie to the home of The F***ing Fulfords, the foul-mouthed upper class family who starred in their own documentary last year.

Meet the Magoons is a new comedy revolving around four Indian lads working in a Glasgow curry house, while Avid Merrion’s Bo Selecta! bear gets his own series, A Bear’s Tail.

Serious documentary comes in the shape of The Empire Pays Back, in which a group of experts calculate the amount owed by Britain to the descendants of slaves.

breakingnews

Sun

HOLLYWOOD, May 31, 2005

Supermodels Elizabeth Hurley and Elle Macpherson are battling head-to-head to front the British version of reality TV show Project Runway. The TV series sees designing hopefuls compete against one another in a series of challenges.

Both stars are desperate to present the show after seeing the success of supermodel Heidi Klum, whose profile was raised considerably after heading the U.S. version last year.

A source says, "Both Elle and Liz are desperate to front the show. Although it might sound suspiciously low brow, when Heidi Klum presented the American version it did wonders for her profile. Models need to keep themselves in the headlines, especially as they get older."

Both Hurley and Macpherson have designing experience. Hurley has just launched her swimwear line Elizabeth Hurley Beach, while Macpherson's lingerie collection Elle Macpherson Intimates has been selling well internationally for several years.

Hollywood.com

Ant and Dec drop the word 'celebrity'


Ant and Dec have dropped the word "celebrity" from their star-studded new golf show - because they don't want it to be a handicap.

The programme pits American and European celebrities against each other in what was originally called 'Celebrity Ryder Cup'.

But after a series of TV flops featuring the word "celebrity" in the title, including 'Celebrity Wrestling' and 'Celebrity Love Island', the TV duo decided not to risk losing viewers and opted for 'All Star Cup'.

An insider said: "The word's become a jinx. Just look at 'Celebrity Wrestling' which has come in for a lot of stick."

The golf tournament is Ant and Dec's brainchild, but will be hosted by Kirsty Gallacher when it's broadcast on Sky One in August.


The show will feature Hollywood heavyweights like Sly Stallone, Samuel L Jackson, and Andy Garcia on the US side, while Chris Evans, Jodie Kidd and Boris Becker will be playing on the European team. FEMALEFIRST

Survivor 11 (usa) starts 15.9.. don't know if any british channel is going to broadcast it..

I’M REALLY AN ACTRESS!


preleap

Reality TV show search for the next Kenny Miller MATCH Academy

eveningtimes

Becks factor

ENGLAND captain David Beckham is to star in his own reality telly show touring the world in search of the football stars of tomorrow.

Cameras will follow Becks on his talent spotting mission. The show is set to pull in millions of viewers when it is screened on Channel 4 ahead of next summer’s World Cup in Germany.

He is hoping to find outstanding young hopefuls like young Australian Terry Antonis. The 11-year-old caught David’s eye in Madrid as he showed off his amazing ball skills for a TV documentary, leading Becks to describe him as "a freak".

Terry’s talents have already won him a sponsorship deal with adidas and he’s being chased by a host of top clubs. Real Madrid star Becks, 30, will be joined in the X Factor style hunt by fellow stars including Brazilian Ronaldinho, 25, and Arsenal hotshot Thierry Henry, 28.

A source close to the show said: "He can’t wait to start filming. David’s very keen on finding new talent as can be seen from his own football academy in London. He sees this as a fantastic opportunity to help unearth and nurture the next generation of world famous players."

Soft drinks giant Pepsi is behind the £4 million Pepsi Max World Chall-enge project. It is also backed by AC Milan and Becks’ former club Manchester United.

An insider revealed: "A top prize of £50,000 is up for grabs and the winner has a great chance of being snapped up by a top club to make it as a pro."

The series, made by Freedom Media, will air in 12 countries including China and across the Middle East. The hunt for the Brit contestants will be launched on Channel 4’s T4 spin-off on Sunday. dailysnack

Millionaire's Challenge Independent

27/11/2005 14:49
contactmusic

Composer ANDREW LLOYD-WEBBER is mounting a reality TV talent search to find an unknown to star in his forthcoming stage revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, after SCARLETT JOHANSSON turned down the part.

Lord Lloyd-Webber decided to approach BBC TV bosses after Johansson confirmed she would not be taking the lead role of MARIA, made famous by JULIE ANDREWS in the 1965 movie version of the musical.

And Lloyd-Webber hopes the reality TV search will find a suitable replacement for his production, which will be staged in London's West End.

DAN IAN, the stage show's co-producer, says, "We think this could be an interesting way of casting someone who is not known yet but who has enormous talent and we hope it will break new ground."

Elizabeth Hurley has beaten supermodel Elle Macpherson to the role as host of Project Catwalk - the UK version of American series Project Runway
Liz, who says she's thrilled to be hosting the show, describing it as "a brilliant and hugely entertaining format"
Project Catwalk will broadcast on Sky One in 2006, aims to discover the fashion faces of tomorrow, with 12 designers and 12 models competing for the opportunity to showcase their work during London Fashion Week and act as the designers' muses, respectively.