Graham Norton's ITV series The Neighbourhood has become the latest reality show to crash despite its star power and promising premise. The gameshow, featuring a £250,000 prize and a complex set, follows a 'neighbourhood' of people forming alliances, keeping secrets, and climbing the social ladder to win the pot. Since airing, the show has hit lows of 540,000 viewers and received negative reviews, far from ITV's expectations.
This is not the first time a show fronted by a big name has failed. David Tennant's Genius Game was cancelled after one season due to poor ratings, despite a rumoured £2.5m budget. Claudia Winkleman's chat show, following her success with The Traitors, also failed to make a major splash. The trend suggests that a famous host is no longer enough to secure a show's success.
James Buckley-Thorp, reality star from The Inheritance, noted that celebrity appeal has fragmented. 'Celebrity-ism has become so wide now, and there are so many different niches, it's very hard to find that one celebrity that will please the entire family,' he said. He added that high-profile talent adds pressure for a show to deliver quickly, often setting it up for failure.
Media expert Alex Segel explained that before social media, TV stars were the only celebrities. Now, with many more famous figures, audiences have diverse preferences. 'You might still love Graham Norton, but there are other people to watch as well,' he said. Similarly, for Claudia Winkleman, the format may have let her down. Segel questioned whether audiences want more chat shows, given the abundance of YouTube talk shows.
For Graham Norton, Segel argued that the show needs time. 'We've never seen Graham do a show like this. You just have to give it at least two or three seasons to really find its feet,' he said. In a saturated market of reality formats like Rise and Fall, Fortune Hotel, and Handcuffed, grabbing viewers' attention is harder than ever. James believes The Inheritance was not given a fair chance, as it grew from 540,000 to 1.5m viewers by the finale.
The Traitors itself was not an instant hit; its first episode pulled 3.1m viewers, the 38th most watched that week. James noted that the show worked well for Claudia because her previous brand did not interfere. Meanwhile, Jonathan Ross's Handcuffed received a second season despite not cracking the top 50. Broadcasters are trying to recreate The Traitors' success with major stars, but most shows will fail.
Alex Segel applauded Graham Norton for taking a risk. 'Graham didn't need to take The Neighbourhood. He's a megastar. But he didn't want to get stale. He's taken a bit of a risk, and I think he should be applauded for that,' he said. He concluded that the bar is incredibly high; a format must be exceptional, not just good. The Neighbourhood airs on ITV at 9pm.
