UK  / BBC 1- Lion / 2000 

Producer / Director Chris Kelly. Executive Producer Jeremy Mills. Titles Burrell Durrant-Hifle Music Simon May and Simon Lockyer.

A look at the selection process for a unique experiment by the BBC that was on 1 Jan 2000, 28 adults and 8 children castaway on the island of Taransay off the coast of Scotland for a whole year. This opening salvo showed how to try and create a new community. From over 4000 would be Robinson Crusoes the 30 were chosen, which saw them going on a survival course and then making preparations to settle on the island. The show also looked at the preparations made on the island for the castaways, with them being built a school room, sleeping area, and communal working and eating areas. Follow ups appeared throughout seeing how the group were faring such as the lack of accommodation (23 April), half of the castaways not actually being there at first, first to leave being Ray Bowyer (27 April), Other departures included gay Ron Copsey and the black Carey family.

The islanders included:- Ray Bowyer - The builder who was the first to quit the island /  Ben Fogle - Resident Heart-throb / Roger Stephenson - The Taransay doctor / Ron Copsey - The token Gay / Trish Prater - Scottish mum who has two of her kids with her / Mike Laird - Broken Leg / Padraig Nellen - Broken Leg / Julie Lowe / Narrator Robert Lindsey. 

C4 / 2001, 2002

(2001) A charity event linked into the Comic Relief 2001 campaign. With unprecedented co-operation between networks, the coverage of this celebrity version of the regular Channel Four show kicked off on BBC1 with nightly updates following on C4 and then the grand final being broadcast by BBC1 during the Comic Relief marathon show. Participants were:- Jack Dee, Anthea Turner, Vanessa Phelps, Claire Sweeney, Keith Duffy, Chris Ewbank. Jack Dee was the winner 

(2002) Six celebrities enter the Big Brother house for 10 days earning money for charities. Coverage was on C4 only this time. Participants were:- Les Dennis, Anne Diamond, Melinda Messenger, Goldie, Mark Owen, Sue Perkins. Mark Owen was the winner.

Presented by Davina McCall.

UK / ITV (2 and 1)-Action Time / 2003 (First Episode: Thursday 6 March 2003)

Producer:  Matthew Littleford,/ Executive Producers: Ed Forsdick and Nick Bullen.

Reality show hosted by Donna Air and Matt Brown, THE CLUB was  broadcast five nights a week on ITV2 and weekly on ITV1. Dean Gaffney of EastEnders , former Page Three model Sam Fox and MTV presenter and singer Richard Blackwood were each be given a bar to manage within one of London's hottest nightspots, Nylon. Each bar also featured three members of staff called Bar Mates. Chosen from the public, they  help edeach celebrity to run their bar. Each week, one Bar Mate got the chop. Dean, Sam and Richard must first nominate one of their own Bar Mates to go up for eviction. Viewers were then given the chance to vote off their least favourite of the three. As one person was sacked, a new person was then recruited to join the team.  

UK /  BBC1 / 5x60m / started 5 May 2004

Series Producers: Graham Cooper, Dale Templar

24 recruits are put through a rigorous training program based on the training regimes endured by conscripts 60 years previously in the lead-up to D-Day.

C4 / 6x60m / started 23 April 2002 / 9:00pm

Director: Nick Murphy / Series Producer: Caroline Ross Pirie

19 volunteers recreate the "upstairs downstairs" life of the 19th century Edwardian mansion with 
some 
taking the role of the family and the rest taking the role of the servants. A companion series 
TREATS FROM THE EDWARDIAN COUNTRY HOUSE started on 16 May 2002.
 

BBC1 / 2001

Reality show which saw a group of BBC viewers taking part in a Survival expedition In the jungles of Peru, the show began with a tough training regime in the Scottish Highlands overseen by SAS survival expert Lofty Wiseman (who had performed a similar role in Castaway 2000).  The Participants were  Sheila Blackburn, Adrianna Brookes, Joanna Christie-Smith, Joleene Drage, Andre Frawn, Neal French, Rajesh Gowdam, Laura Hickman, Graham Hinton, Krishan Kapur, Michelle Kenington, Adam Krug, Julie Wadsworth and Gary Walsh.   

ITV1 / nightly for two weeks, 60m-e / started 23 May 2004

Executive Producers: Natalka Znak, Richard Cowles

Chef Gordon Ramsey attempts to teach 10 celebrities some essentials of gourmet cooking at an exclusive restaurant (specially built for the series). Presented by Angus Deayton.

I’M A CELEBRITY ... GET ME OUT OF HERE

ITV1 / 15x60m / started 25 August 2002 - 2003 

Director: Ian Hamilton / series editor: Richard Cowles

Eight celebrities are sent to live in the Australian wilderness in a "Survivor"-like contest. Each evening it is broadcast live with highlights of the previous day shown - in the first week there was a challenge undertaken by a celebrity voted for by viewers (e.g. Bug Shower, handling snakes, being buried alive), in the second week viewers voted a celebrity off the show each day The celebrities were:- Nigel Benn, Tony Blackburn, Rhona Cameron, Darren Day, Uri Geller, Christine Hamilton, Nell McAndrew, Tara Palmer-Tompkinson. The winner was Tony Blackburn.  Presented by: ANT and DEC. A second series followed in April  2003 (28 April - 12 May) with Ant and Dec again presenting, celebrities were Phil Tufnell (eventual winner), John Fashinu, Anthony Worrell-Thompson, Daniella Westbrook, Catalina Guirado, Wayne Sleep, Chris Bisson, Sian Lloyd, Linda Barker and Toyah Wilcox. 

C4 / 5x60m / started 5 November 2002 / 9:00pm

Director: Sandi Scott / Series Editor: Peter Moore

Chef Jamie Oliver attempts to turn 15 unemployed people into professional chefs in a brand new London Restaurant.

UK / ITV1 / 10x60m / Starting 3 June 2002

Director/Producer: James Isaacs

30 young men volunteer to live as recruits on an army base for one month in an attempt to see if they can cope with the rigours of National Service.

UK / BBC1/ (Tiger Aspect) / 2 + 40 minute episodes Aug 26 - 27 Sat 8:05pm & Sun 8:00pm 2000

Producer Clare Tulloh Director Southan Morris. Executive Producer Charles Brand.

Lenny Henry a complete novice when it coms to sailing, travels across the Atlantic to Montego Bay Jamaica, with Tony Bullimore most famous for having to be rescued from his capsized yacht in the round the world race. 

C4 / 4x60m / started 14 August 2003 

Director: Ed Wardle / Series Producer: Eve Kay 

Two families take on the roles of household servants and their masters - then later on they swap roles.

UK / C4 / 1 x 60 me 5x30m-e / 2000 (22 September - 11 November /  Thursday 9:00pm)

Executive Producers Leanne Klein & Alex Graham. Producer Simon Shaw. Historical Consultant: Daru Rooke / Music: The Fratelli Brothers

A modern day end of the 20^th century family attempt to live as Victorians for three months. The family, the Bowlers had to wear period clothes at all times only products that were around in 1900. The house was 50 Eliscombe Road in Greenwich and the hour long show saw how the house was put back to its 1900 state. The house was put back on the market after the show finished. On 28 December 2000 a 95 minute look back was aired under the title The 1900 House A Year To Remember. Narrated by Barbara Flynn.

UK / 1x30m-e 4x60m-e / 2001 (First Episode: 2 January - Tuesday 8.30pm)

Producer: Simon Shaw / Director: Caroline Ross-Pirie

A follow up to the above, in this the Hymer family from Yorkshire attempted to live the life of a typical 1940's family. The house was in West Wickham, Kent and the family spent two months in it dealing with air-raids, rationing and the like. 

UK / ITV1 / 7x60m / started 23 October 2002

Executive Producers: Duncan Gray, Siobhan Greene

One man has to find the perfect partner. He has 15 women to choose from and each week a 
few of them are eliminated by the man and viewer votes. The final ten lived together in a flat going out on dates with the man and trying to avoid elimination. Live show presented by Ulrika Jonsson.

C4 / 4x60m / started 11 February 2003

Director: Michael Waldman / Executive Producer: Roy Ackerman

Following 100 finalists as they compete for the opportunity to sing a major role in an English National Opera production.

UK / LWT / 13x60m-e / 2001 (First Episode: Wednesday 10 January 8.pm)

Producer: James Breen / Executive Producer: Nigel Lythgoe

Biovision. A TV company attempt to create a pop group from nothing and secure a chart hit. The show was based on a New Zealand original and followed the concept from placing the ad to auditioning the potential popstars to recording the song and trying to get the group to hit the big time. The group were called Hear'Say and the five who made it were Mylene Klass, Suzanne Shaw, Noel Sullivan, Danny Foster and Kym Marsh. 

POPSTARS - THE RIVALS

ITV1 / x60m / started 7 September 2002

Series producer: Nicholas Steinberg / Executive Producers: Duncan Gray, Nigel Hall

Another take on the successful audition shows that started with POPSTARS which spawned SOAPSTARS and POP IDOL. This show will see the creation of two groups, a boy band and a girl band, who will then battle it out for the Christmas 2002 number one slot.

UK / ITV1 / started 8 March 2003

Series Director: Jonathan Bullen / Series Producer: Nicholas Steinberg

Former hit-making British pop acts tour the USA where they are unknown. Viewers in the UK vote one act off the tour bus at the end of each show. Some of those taking part were Tony Hadley, Sonia, Elkie Brooks and Dollar. Presented by Davina McCall and eventual winner was Tony Hadley. 

BBC2 / 11x60m / started 8 August 2003 

Producer: Minoo Bhatia / Series Editor: Simon Shaw 

Thirty historical buildings in the UK in a state of ruin are visited by a celebrity supporting each site - and the public then vote on the one they would like to see restored. Money collected via the phone-voting is then used to restore the building. Presented by Griff Rhys Jones.

UK / BBC2 / 9x60m / 2002-2003 (First Episode 3 March 2002)

29 members of the public undergo the same gruelling physical tests as soldiers from the elite regiment - the SAS. Presented by Dermot O’Leary. The second season had the slightly different title of SAS JUNGLE: ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH with the trainees relocated to the Borneo jungle.

UK / BBC1/ 1 x 45me 5 jul wed 8:00pm 2000

Producer Jeremy Turner. Executive Producer Micheal Mosley.

Actress Janine Duvitski and her family being filmed going about their daily lives whilst other aspects of their lives (such as the bacteria that lurks in their bathroom) is also examined. 

C4 / 4-10 January 2004

Executive Producer: Edgar Jones

A week long game show in which 12 contestants live in a special studio where they must go without sleep the entire time. Contestants are gradually eliminated by failing tasks or by falling asleep. Presented by Dermot O'Leary.

THE SHIP

UK / BBC2 / 6x50m / started 20 August 2002 / 9:00pm

Director: Chris Terrill / Executive Producer: Laurence Rees

A recreation of the 18th century voyage of Captain Cook on the Endeavour. 41 volunteers and 15 professional crew take part on the six-week voyage living under the conditions of the time.

UK / C4-RDF / x 30 me / 2000-2001

Producer / Director Evlyn Shuane Minopon. Titles Piers Helm. Executive Producers Stephen Lambert, David Frank, Nicole Gooch.

16 people all aged 24 and under spend 10 weeks on a deserted island called Moturkan in the South Pacific finding for themselves. Initially the group get on well (even though food is in short supply) but soon petty rivalries and jalousies come to the fore and there are fallings out aplenty. Episode 8 was an hour long special. Episode 9 was called Shipwrecked the Aftermath catching up with the castaways 3 months after their return home. Season two called funnily enough Shipwrecked II simply offered more of the same. Narrated by Andrew Lincoln.

UK / C4-RDF / 1 x 60 me 9 Jan Sun 12:30pm 2000

Producer Shane Minopon Titles Piers Helm. Executive Producer Stephen Lambert, David Frank, Nicole Gooch.

A prelude to the series Shipwrecked.( See previous entry) Showing how 24 people were whittled down to see which 16 would spend 10 weeks on a deserted island in the South Pacific.

USA / Fox / 6x60m-e / 2001

Bizarre 'gameshow' that took three supposedly committed couples to an island inhabited by 26 good looking single men and women in order to try and tempt them to stray from their partners, the couples were kept in separate parts of the island and the women were put in the same part of the island as the single men and vice versa. Versions have also been mounted now in the UK and Australia. 

UK / Channel 4 / 10x60m / 2003-3004 (started 5 August 2003 )

Directors: Kate O'Driscoll, Chloe Solomon / Executive Producers: Ros Fearney, Claudia Milne

Thirty 16 year-olds are sent to a 1950s style boarding school where the environment and teaching methods of the time are re-created to see how they will cope and to try and assess if education used to be more effective. In the second series the experiment was repeated but this time under the conditions of a 1960s secondary modern school.

THRILL OF A LIFETIME

Canada / CTV / 150x30m-e / 1981-87

Creators Sidney M. Cohen, Willie Stein / Director: Sidney M. Cohen

Reality series that offered ordinary people the opportunity to fulfil a life's ambition whether it be meeting a favourite celebrity , going to Las Vegas, joining the army to diving to the bottom of the sea. Thanks to Sidney M Cohen for his contribution to this entry.

UK / Sky One / Talent / x60 me 1999-continuing

Executive producer John Kaye Cooper., Jamie Roberts. Producer Siusha Richmond. Director Al Edington.

8 early twenty something's matched for sexual compatibility spend a week in a Spanish villa under the watchful gaze of a multitude of hidden cameras. There were Several sets of 8 taking part each series.