Desert island dismissed: viewers snub 'Castaway'
Tuesday, 13 March 2007
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Seven years ago, before reality television had annexed the schedules, the BBC staged what was described somewhat grandly as a "social experiment".
Thirty-six people were set ashore on the windswept Hebridean island of Taransay to spend 12 months living together, growing their own food, fishing and, of course, arguing and procreating.
The result was pioneering television that pleased both critics and viewers, and at its peak Castaway 2000 drew ratings of seven million - commanding a 30 per cent audience share.
It also created a star out of one well-spoken contestant, Ben Fogle. News that the show was to make a return was naturally greeted with some excitement.
Unfortunately for the BBC and the series makers Lion TV, however, the viewing public appears to have abandoned the show after only two episodes.
The first instalment, screened on BBC1 on Friday night, drew an average audience of 4.1 million. By Sunday this figure had dropped to just 2.9 million, having been trounced by ITV1's new drama Fallen Angel, which drew 6.7 million viewers, and beaten into an embarrassing third place by Channel 4's film My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
It even failed to match the appeal of the final of Crufts, which preceded it on BBC2 and was presented by none other than Ben Fogle. Some 4.9 million viewers tuned in to see the Tibetan terrier Fabulous Willy crowned best in show.
The BBC was putting a brave face on its flagship Sunday night offering yesterday, insisting it was still too early to write off Castaway 2007 as a lost cause.
"The series got off to a good start. It's early days for the programme. There are some good characters there that we hope viewers will enjoy getting to know over the coming weeks," said a spokeswoman.
The corporation has already drawn flak from those who felt the ideals of the first series had been watered down this time.
The new series is due to run for just three months rather than the original 12, while there has also been criticism that the current contestants are enduring nothing like the isolation experienced by the original incumbents.
Filmed on Great Barrier Island, off the north-east coast of New Zealand, visiting journalists have discovered the place to be a popular tourist destination with a thriving community, with an Irish pub and a Thai restaurant.
Reports that the 120-strong film crew are able to stock up on lager and wine from the local shop, as well as sending their clothes to be washed at a launderette, have done nothing to add to the sense of remoteness.
Others have claimed that the current castaways, who include a lap dancer, a former drug addict and a prospective MP, have been selected for their ability to generate controversy rather than their suitability to endure the hardships of a self-sufficient lifestyle.
The BBC has insisted that the show remains true in spirit to the original, while Lion TV claimed it was "reality television with a purpose".
But the world of television has transformed out of all recognition since the original Castaway was produced. The proliferation of channels has seen audience sizes for programmes shrink dramatically, while the rise of the internet has offered a rival source of entertainment.
The advent of Big Brother and other confrontational reality shows, especially those featuring celebrities, not to mention the success of the glossy desert-island drama Lost could, it has been claimed, leaveCastaway - despite its wild setting - looking somewhat tame by comparison.
