Big Brother exec Natalka Znak has said it will be a “hard job” to reach beyond hardcore fans when the reality format is rebooted.
Znak, the creator of major franchises including Love Island and Hell’s Kitchen and now overseeing Banijay label Remarkable Entertainment, told the RTS London about the quandary of appealing to hardcore fans while attracting new ones.
“TV has moved on since the days we used to love watching people eat their cornflakes,” she added.
“I’m having conversations with so many hardcore fans who are saying ‘don’t touch it’ but I think they will watch. I need to appeal to all the people who’ve never watched Big Brother. It’s a hard job. It will be brilliant though.”
Big Brother was on Channel 4 between 2000 and 2010 and Paramount-owned Channel 5 between 2011 and 2018, and has sold to multiple territories around the world.
ITV Television Director Kevin Lygo said it can be as important to the broadcaster as Love Island.
“Love Island paved the way for dispelling the myth that teenagers don’t watch TV,” he added. “There is clearly a role for that sort of program.
Both shows are without a presenter, which will likely be announced in the coming weeks.
Znak and Lygo were speaking at RTS London, an all-day event featuring the bosses of the major British broadcasters, production houses and Baz Luhrmann.
