Game Shows for the Modern Age: No. 1:

In this regular series on my blog, I'll be setting out the game show formats that I've been submitting to the Commissioning Editors and Producers of Channel 5 just to see how far they might be prepared to go. I despair of Channel 5 more than I do of BBC3 but, in their defence, all of my ideas have been either ignored or, in one case, was critically rejected, which means that someone actually read it!

No. 1: Can't Cook! Won't Live!

Game Show Scenario:
Culinary Arts-based Contest - Two Contestants - 12 Month Timeline - 24/7 real time web streaming with prime-time terrestrial highlights.

Contestants: Two morbidly obese women (MOWs) with the following attributes:

MOW 1:

• Sink Estate resident from North West or North East England; preferences: Oldham, Burnley, Halifax, Sunderland or Gateshead. 
• Preferred age - 35. 
• Family status: Married once only but separated - five children aged between two and ten from four different fathers. 
• Criminal record for shoplifting. 
• Income stream - state benefit based; minor drug-dealing/prostitution preferred but not essential. 
• Hobbies/Pastimes - Binge-drinking/casual racism preferred. 
• Cooking skills = Zero - Essential. 
• Critical BMI - 40+.

MOW 2:

• Sink Estate resident from London / Home Counties: preferences: Luton, Basingstoke, Enfield, Southend-on-Sea, Croydon. 
• Preferred age - 22. 
• Family Status: Unmarried - four children aged between thee and seven, four different fathers - first child born while MOW aged 15. 
• Criminal record for assault/D&D preferred but not essential. 
• Income stream - state benefit based; e-bay trading/prostitution preferred. 
• Hobbies/Pastimes - Drug abuse preferred/benefit fraud preferred. 
• Cooking skills = Zero - Essential. Critical BMI - 40+.

Set Up:

Two separate apartments in which MOW 1 and MOW 2 live for up to a maximum of one year. They must live alone. Their children are farmed out to relatives / borstals at the expense of the production company.

Apartment 1: (MOW 1) Bedroom, Bathroom, WC, Kitchen / Diner
Kitchen is equipped with state-of-the-art culinary equipment. Refridgerator, Freezer and larders stocked with lean meats, fish, fruit, vegetables; all restocked regularly. Well stocked library of cookery books.

Apartment 2: (MOW 2) Bedroom, Bathroom, WC, Sitting Room.
There is no kitchen. In the sitting room is a pile of cash, a telephone and set of menus from pizza shops, fast food outlets, indian and chinese restaurants that all deliver. Ther apartment door has a slot through which meals can be delivered and cash handed over. There is a fridge stocked with coca-cola and cream cakes, replenished daily.

Cameras fitted in all apartment locations for web streaming.
Daily interview with each MOW, recorded and cut to ten minutes each for primetime network delivery, to include reactions from family members.
Weekly catch-up on Daytime with web highlights and interview highlights

Game Objective:

Over a period of up to one year, MOW 1 must learn how to cook in order to survive and avoid death from starvation. MOW 2 can source food from the outlets available and can choose whether to select healthier options in order not to suffer medical conditions brought on by increasing obesity.

The winner is either
1) The MOW with the lowest BMI at the end of 12 months or
2) In the likely event of one MOW dying within the year...the other one wins.


Revenue Streams:


Website advertising: B/C1/C2/D/E targets
Site visitors encourages to "join" as CCWL members - funded email shots from advertisers
TV Advertising: C2/D/E targets only
Prime Time Daily 30 minutes - three breaks
Daytime 11.00-12.00 AM catch-up once per week - four breaks
Network Distribution: Target markets in USA, Australia & Japan

(c) 2011 FourCol TVTrash Inc.