Why didn't survivor uk work? Is it worth a reboot?

[Sweetcorn]

Remember years ago when itv did a big launch for survivor uk!
Was 9pm show with the person eliminated shown 8pm next night etc.

As ratings dropped the schedule was changed and the 8pm show screened after the news.

Had such big advertising campaign and even logos before adverts but it never took off at all.

Remember the strange choice of host think was mark Austin the news reader ?
USA survivor and other countries still hits now so what went wrong with UK version? Why didn't another channel ever tried revive it?

Not sure but think there was a second series but less in your face push to get viewers but think it also flopped?

Considering itv with I'm a celebrity still proves event tv works and if course with love island on itv 2, as from July to September tv output on all channels is poor wouldn't an attempted survivor uk at 9pm weeknights be worth a try maybe a shorter run ?

With a few tweaks and a new host could survivor uk actually be worth a try?
Get more interactive feel to it and just copy best parts that other countries series did best?

(What other shows outside survivor have been big hits across the world but never had impact here?)

[Brekkie]

Two words - Big Brother. Not only did they schedule it to run alongside the second series of Big Brother (though I don't think it directly clashed) they tried to schedule it almost daily like Big Brother, which the show wasn't designed for. It didn't help that in doing that every second show was a half hour edition in a studio with a different host (John Leslie).

Basically ITV commissioned Survivor because they wanted Big Brother. Had they embraced it more as the show it was, rather than the show they wanted it to be, it might have had more of a chance. And when the second series didn't want they basically commissioned a version of it that was more like Big Brother and found a hit in I'm a Celebrity which killed off it's chances.


As for a reboot working. I love the Australian version (it's on Amazon Prime if you fancy a look), which for me is a much better production than the US version and having longer episodes gives it a bit more breathing space - although the series is on the slightly long side. There are occassional rumours of it getting revived in the UK that never seem to go anywhere, and I think one of the reasons we don't see the US version here is usually airing it comes with the condition of making a local series.

Would I like to see it - yes. Would it find an audience - I'm not so sure. C4 is probably the best bet off considering weekly formats like Hunted and SAS work for them, but I think ultimately when looking for a format of that ilk there is usually something cheaper and newer which channels are more willing to take the risk on than reviving an expensive high profile flop which may again become an expensive high profile flop.