Kate Bulkley, Media Analyst.

Media Money: Is Strictly Come Anything a good idea?

By Kate Bulkley

Broadcast News

For Broadcast February 20, 2008

I spent an evening last week at the O2 Arena watching the massively impressive Strictly Come Dancing live show and returned home thinking about what makes a good, exploitable multiplatform format as I drifted off to sleep.

I awoke to find Living had commissioned Strictly Come Dieting - which purports to bring together dancing, slimming and fashion, where contestants do the cha-cha-cha, lose weight and make their own scanty costumes. Tell me I'm dreaming. I know reworkings and revivals are safe bets, but to take three great meals, lob them all into a pot, stir and hope that the outcome is a triumph seems like optimism on steroids.

Of course, it could be argued elements of Strictly Come Dieting all proved to be ratings winners: see Fat Club for ITV and Project Catwalk for Sky One, plus the words "Strictly Come" are enough to grab anyone's attention.

But Strictly Come Dieting? Maybe I'm underestimating the public's appetite for voyeurism TV but I won't hold my breath for the ticket to the live event for this show at the O2.

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