More than 10 million people have watched episodes of the new series of Celebrity Traitors, according to figures cited for the BBC reality format, which its UK producer says has become “appointment-to-view TV”.
Stephen Lambert, head of the show’s producer Studio Lambert, told the Radio Times that the programme’s reach represents a rare achievement at a time when large shared television audiences have grown scarce. “It’s very difficult to get people to watch programmes, and there is a huge joy coming up with something that a very large amount of people watch,” he said. “The show has universal appeal … It has established itself as ‘appointment-to-view TV’.”
The audience for some episodes exceeded half of all viewers watching television during the show’s time slot, and 1.6 million people aged between 16 and 34 tuned in for the series premiere, drawn away from other devices.
Those numbers run against a long-term trend in which mass audiences have become increasingly uncommon, with streaming services, digital platforms and smartphones limiting such figures largely to events such as the Olympics, England World Cup matches and occasional breakout hits.
Lambert attributed the format’s success — in both its celebrity and regular editions — to what he described as “dramatic irony”. “It’s the engine of The Traitors,” he said. “It’s about the pleasure that we know more than the protagonists – we know who is lying. And it’s fun to try and watch people work out who the liars are.”
In the celebrity version, he said, viewers enjoy watching famous participants lose control of events. “It’s such an immersive game that people get caught up in it, and show how they really are,” he said. Lambert added that casting for Celebrity Traitors has not been difficult, because the show’s popularity means the names who agree to enter the castle are already fans. Producers have previously noted that the format avoids the usual obstacles faced by shows requiring contestants to eat insects or train for extended periods.
Asked about ideal contestants, Lambert named Tom Cruise and said he would also like to sign a major sports figure, though he noted that active athletes carry commitments. Securing sports stars remains a persistent problem for casting directors, he said, because of demanding schedules and the close management of their media appearances by personal agents and clubs.
Other broadcasters have launched formats built on similar premises, including Channel 4’s The Inheritance and ITV’s The Neighbourhood. Networks and production companies typically resist suggestions that their new reality offerings amount to a reworking of The Traitors.
Jonathan Glazier, a former head of BBC light entertainment, said even seasoned television figures accept there is no guaranteed formula. “If anyone tells you what the secret is, they are not in full command of reality,” he said. “Don’t you think if we knew, every show would be a Traitors?”
Glazier praised the programme’s construction and its celebrity edition’s added perspective on its participants. “It’s just a joy to sit back and marvel at the duplicity and wonder why the faithful can’t see the traitors for who they are! That said, the cliffhangers are so brilliantly executed … and with the celeb version we get that wonderful extra sneaky peak behind the facade of celebrity,” he said. “It’s a joy to watch and any team that tries to imitate that kind of simplistic perfection is going to come a cropper.”
COMMENTS