Endemol reaches new depths.

[Grumpmeister]

Just when I had started to think that Endemol couldnt possibly get any lower than Big Brother they come up with something as sick as this. Plus they havent mentioned the fact that organ donation works on the basis of tissue compatibility and not popularity of the recipient. It just beggars beleif.

A Dutch TV station says it will go ahead with a programme in which a terminally ill woman selects one of three patients to receive her kidneys.
Political parties have called for The Big Donor Show to be scrapped, but broadcaster BNN says it will highlight the country's shortage of organ donors.

"It's a crazy idea," said Joop Atsma, of the ruling Christian Democrat Party.

"It can't be possible that, in the Netherlands, people vote about who's getting a kidney," he told the BBC.

The programme, from Big Brother creators Endemol, is due to be screened on Friday night.

'Totally unacceptable'

 The 37-year-old donor, identified only as Lisa, will make her choice based on the contestants' history, profile and conversation with their family and friends.

Viewers will also be able to send in their advice by text message during the 80-minute show.

The Dutch donor authority has condemned the show, as have kidney specialists in the UK.

"The scenario portrayed in this programme is ethically totally unacceptable," said Professor John Feehally, who has just ended his term as president of the UK's Renal Association.

"The show will not further understanding of transplants," he added. "Instead it will cause confusion and anxiety."

Professor Feehally also pointed out that, under normal circumstances, two people would benefit from a donor, each receiving one kidney.

"The set up of the programme bears no relationship to the way decisions are made about transplants in the real world," he said.

"Living donors can choose altruistically to give one of their kidneys - usually to a family member.

"If organs become available after someone dies, health professionals with access to detailed information about those waiting for a transplant make objective decisions about who should receive those particular kidneys."

The former director of TV station BNN, Bart de Graaff, died from kidney failure aged 35 after spending years on a transplant waiting list.

"The chance for a kidney for the contestants is 33%," said the station's current chairman, Laurens Drillich. "This is much higher than that for people on a waiting list."

"We think that is disastrous, so we are acting in a shocking way to bring attention to this problem."

"For years and years we have had problems in the Netherlands with organ donations and especially kidney donations," agreed Alexander Pechtold of D-66, the Dutch social liberal party.

"You can have a discussion about if this is distasteful, but finally we have a public debate," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

TV critics in the UK have expressed horror at the programme, but said such a show would be unlikely in Britain.

"My first reaction, probably everyone's reaction, is that this is as dangerously near as we've got to a TV programme playing God," said Julia Raeside of the Guardian newspaper.

"People may live or die on the result of a game show. It's a step too far.

"I don't think this is anything to do with reality TV. It's just a crazy idea that would never play out over here."

The outcry comes at a difficult time for production company Endemol, who were censured by Ofcom last week for their handling of the Celebrity Big Brother racism row.

The Australian version of Big Brother has also drawn criticism for not telling a contestant that her father had died.

[Bar Wench]

Wasn't this one of the shows on the Running Man?

[Uncle Mort]

Wasn't this one of the shows on the Running Man?

Running Man ????


It's only to be expected. Each BB show has to do something more outrageous to keep the ratings and this is just the next logical step.

Trying to imply that they are raising awareness of the lack of organ donors is just a smokescreen.

[Snoopy]

Endemol ~ Anusol ~ Why does the one remind me of the other?

I so seldom watch TV that I know little other than what I read about their programmes. Have they ever made anything sensible or is it all about cheap thrills and laughs?

Google supplies the answer:

is one of the largest independent producers of TV and digital media content and is responsible anually for more than 5,000 hours of programming.

It incorporates a number of production brands including BRIGHTER PICTURES, CHEETAH TELEVISION, INITIAL, ZEPPOTRON and the recently launched SHOWRUNNER. These five specialise in a broad range of genres including factual entertainment, reality series, drama series, specialist factual, arts, live events, music entertainment, documentaries, youth shows and comedy.

Credits include BIG BROTHER (Channel 4; E4); DEAL OR NO DEAL (Channel 4); WOULD I LIE TO YOU? (BBC ONE); FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE (ITV1); COMIC RELIEF DOES FAME ACADEMY (BBC ONE;  BBC THREE; CBBC); RESTORATION VILLAGE (BBC TWO; BBC FOUR); SOCCER AID (ITV1; ITV2) ; FAT MEN CAN'T HUNT (BBC THREE); ORANGE PLAYLIST (ITV1);  RUSH HOUR (BBC THREE); LUCY: TEEN TRANSSEXUAL (BBC THREE) and 34 STONE TEENAGER: 6 MONTHS ON (BBC THREE)

ENDEMOL UK is a market leader in digital media and also incorporates ENDEMOL MOBILE,  ENDEMOL GAMING and VICTORIA REAL - all of which specialise in digital content.

In addition the UK group owns HAWKSHEAD - one of UK?s leading corporate production companies.

ENDEMOL UK has offices in London, Bristol and Glasgow and employs up to 1000 people at any one time.

The UK group is part of ENDEMOL a worldwide network of leading production companies spanning 25 countries.

[Uncle Mort]

...about cheap thrills and laughs?

It's what gets the ratings. 

Actually I like 'Deal or no Deal' 

[Snoopy]

...about cheap thrills and laughs?

It's what gets the ratings. 

Actually I like 'Deal or no Deal' 

Whatever floats your boat ~ as they say. I just prefer the wireless and books. TV, these days, leaves me with a headache. I confess to watching some episodes of Jeeves and Wooster, any cookery programme with AWT, that new thingy with Stephen Fry in it (when I remember its on) and some sport (Rugby Internationals, major soccer matches etc.)  but my last must watch was probably Morse and I finally got bored with that. The one programme I would watch again was Smiley's People

[Grumpmeister]

Depending on the guest the Orange Playlist isnt too bad and Fat Men Can't Hunt was quite entertaining, if only to watch what happens when lardarses who take food for granted have to live like a Kalahari Bushman.

As for the Running Man question Wenchy I'm not sure, do you mean the Stephen King story of the abortion of a film they made of it. It does sound like something that would be in the original story.

[Barman]

This is a particularly bizarre state of affairs isn?t it? I can?t help but think the entertainment business is turning in a full circle as it runs out of ideas to shock, excite and ?entertain? the great unwashed.

In series two we?ll (or those that choose to watch it) presumably get to see the unsuccessful transplant candidate actually die. Later series will show the candidates fight to the death for the right to the organ with Endemol executives giving the ?thumbs down? at the appropriate time.

 

[Grumpmeister]

Bugger, I misread that for a moment and thought you had said that the contestants would be fighting the endemol executives to the death. Now THAT I would have paid to see 

[Snoopy]

This is a particularly bizarre state of affairs isn?t it? I can?t help but think the entertainment business is turning in a full circle as it runs out of ideas to shock, excite and ?entertain? the great unwashed.

In series two we?ll (or those that choose to watch it) presumably get to see the unsuccessful transplant candidate actually die. Later series will show the candidates fight to the death for the right to the organ with Endemol executives giving the ?thumbs down? at the appropriate time.

 

You're right ~ "Bread and Circuses"

[Barman]

Bugger, I misread that for a moment and thought you had said that the contestants would be fighting the endemol executives to the death. Now THAT I would have paid to see 

I?d pay to see that fat munter Jade in the arena with the lions!  

[Darwins Selection]

Bugger, I misread that for a moment and thought you had said that the contestants would be fighting the endemol executives to the death. Now THAT I would have paid to see 

I?d pay to see that fat munter Jade in the arena with the lions!  

They'd need some extra-hungry lions to finish her off.

Probably blind lions as well.

[Nick]

 

[Barman]

This one?



Anyway, it?s a series ? they wouldn?t have to finish all of her in the first show would they?   

[Darwins Selection]

This one?

That lion was only blind after he looked at her.