19.08.02
Dog
Eat Dog beats Pop Idols to #1 in US
Two
British TV formats are slugging it out at the top of the US ratings.
Dog Eat Dog is this summer's No. 1 reality series, averaging 11
million viewers and beating Fox's American Idol (US version of Pop
Idols) in the ratings.
US
network NBC has now renewed the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Dog Eat Dog for an additional
13 episodes for broadcast later this year. The extra episodes of
the hour-long shows - hosted by ex-Baywatch star Brooke Burn - bring
NBC's current raft of shows to 25 episodes. The re-commission of
the US version follows the huge ratings the show has attracted since
first broadcast on 17 June 2002.
Rupert
Gavin, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide's Chief Executive said; "We are delighted
the show has been such a hit for NBC and has become an important
part of their schedule. It is great to see another ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ game show
adapted so successfully for the US market."
The
game show is the latest ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ format to prove a smash hit in the US.
Its transmission on August 13th marked the ninth time in nine telecasts
at the top of the ratings in its time slot (9pm-10pm), dominating
the evenings' ratings for NBC and beating its major-network competition.
This
summer marks the first time ever that two ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ game-shows - Dog Eat
Dog and The Weakest Link - will be aired on network TV in US simultaneously.
The
US version of Dog Eat Dog pits six players against one another in
tests of brawn and wit for a $25,000 prize. Brooke Burns introduces
a variety of tests such as being hung by the ankles and dropped
into the show's swimming pool, hanging on a pole and running on
a treadmill over the pool.
Strong
format sales of shows helped boost ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide's television programme
sales business by 15% in 2001/2. The Weakest Link has become one
of the most profitable formats ever for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. Aired in 25 languages
in 75 countries, the show accounted for £10 million in sales.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Worldwide negotiated the Dog Eat Dog production deal in the US with
NBC Studios Inc., via the William Morris Agency.
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