The Biggest Loser
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| The Biggest Loser US | |
|---|---|
 Program Logo |
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| Genre | Reality TV |
| Starring | Alison Sweeney (2007–present) Bob Harper Kim Lyons (2006–present) Jillian Michaels (2004–2006) Caroline Rhea (2004–2006) |
| Narrated by | J.D. Roth |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 43 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes (approx 44 min) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Original run | October 19, 2004 – Present |
| Links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
The Biggest Loser is an NBC reality television show that began broadcasting on October 19, 2004. It involves twelve contestants (Season 1), fourteen contestants (Season 2) and 50 contestants (season 3) who are overweight to varying degrees participating in a contest to lose the most weight. For the first 3 seasons, the show was hosted by Caroline Rhea, who left in 2007 to be replaced by Alison Sweeney and is narrated by current Endurance host, J.D. Roth, who serves as creator and executive producer of the show. Bob Harper and Kim Lyons are personal trainers assigned to help the competitors. Jillian Michaels was a personal trainer for the first two seasons and the special editions, but was replaced with Lyons for season 3. The reason for her departure, according to an interview in WHO magazine [1], is that she was unhappy with how she was portrayed. She is currently (February 2007) appearing in the second season of the Australian show with Bob Harper.
The Biggest Loser show got its start in the United States on the US network NBC and is entering a fourth season, and the show franchise has since been used in other countries, including Australia (2 seasons), UK (2 seasons), Netherlands (3 seasons) and Israel. Internationally, there have been a combined total of about 200 Biggest Loser contestants ranging from 167 pounds (75.8kg) to 477 pounds (216.3kg).
Contents |
[edit] Premise
Overweight contestants compete to win $250,000. In the first season, there were 12 contestants, which was increased to fourteen for season Two. Contestants are housed on a ranch that offers plenty of space and exercise equipment. Contestants are grouped into 2 teams, and each team is assigned a trainer. In the first weeks of the program, there is a weigh-in to determine which team has lost the most weight for that week, either in absolute poundage, or in percentage of total weight lost. The team that has lost the least during that week must vote off one member of the team—usually someone who has been losing less weight than average and is therefore seen as hurting the team, someone who has been losing more weight than average and is therefore perceived as a threat, or someone who is not a member of the most powerful alliance.
When the number of contestants has shrunk to a certain, smaller number, the teams are dissolved, and contestants compete one-on-one against each other, with the two people who have lost the least percentage of weight being the ones who can be voted on for elimination. Episode structure is similar to that of another reality show, Survivor.
The structure is as follows:
- Temptation. Contestants prepare for the first day of the week only to find a situation that involves temptation. The temptation usually requires contestants to gamble by eating or drinking delicious but high-calorie foods in exchange for what they may deem to be a beneficial trade-off. The benefits may or may not be known to the contestants in advance. Examples include eating sweet foods for a chance to call their loved ones. Another example is eating a big slice of cake to win an unknown prize (which turns out to be an exercise bike). Contestants are given a set amount of time before the offer passes.
- Reward challenge. Teams compete to win a prize. After the challenge, viewers are shown the winning team savoring their reward while the losing team bitterly accepts their loss. During team-based challenges, in the event that one of the teams has an extra member, the winning team can decide who should sit-out during the weigh-in. If the challenges are individual-based, the winner of the challenge is given immunity from being eliminated at the next weigh-in.
- Weigh-in. All contestants are weighed to determine the amount they have lost relative to their total body weight. During team-based competition, the team that loses the most percentage wins. The losing team must vote one person off the ranch. When the competition becomes among individuals, not teams, the two contestants who lose the least percentage of weight are in danger of elimination. A similar setup to individual-based weigh-ins happens when the two initial teams are broken up into four teams of two, as happened in the second season.
- The vote. The losing team meets in a dining room that has refrigerators labeled with each contestant's name, and filled with that contestant's favorite tempting foods. The name of each contestant is illuminated, and as people are voted out, the light for their name is extinguished. During the team-based competition, losing members each carry a covered plate containing the name of the person they wish to vote out. In the event of a tie, the other, winning team decides which member of the losing team shall be voted out. During the individual-based competition, the fate of the two contestants on the chopping block will be determined by the other players. In the event of a tie, the one contestant who lost the least percentage of weight is eliminated.
[edit] American Version
[edit] Season 1
The contestants were divided into two teams: Red and Blue, and each team was given their own personal trainer. Each week, the team that lost the least weight was required to vote out one of their team members. When there were 6 contestants remaining, the competition became individual. The players were now competing for themselves to stay in the game. The two contestants who had lost the least percentage of weight were eligible to be voted off. At the finale, the contestant who lost the most weight and percentage of body fat would win $250,000. As an added bonus, the show gave $100,000 to the contestant who had lost the most weight and percentage of body fat that didn't make it to the finale.
[edit] Season 2
The contestants were divided into two teams: Men in red and Women in blue, and each team was given a personal trainer, a man for the women and a woman for the men. Each week, the team that lost the least percentage of total weight was required to vote out one of their team members.
[edit] Season 3
Season 3 of The Biggest Loser began airing on September 20, 2006. The Biggest Loser 3 involves the largest cast ever, with 50 contestants initially beginning the show, one for each US state. The show has also announced that Kim Lyons will be joining the show, replacing Jillian Michaels as the Red Team trainer. After the initial group weigh-in and exercise, 14 contestants were selected to stay on the ranch and the other 36 contestants participated by losing weight at home. Later in the season, at-home players who lost the most weight were brought back to rejoin the cast on the ranch. [2]
[edit] Season 4
On November 28, 2006, NBC announced that The Biggest Loser had been renewed [3]. The show has been seeing year-to-year gains. Casting for The Biggest Loser 4 is currently taking place on NBC's website. In February 2007, it was announced that Caroline Rhea will leave the show and will be replaced by Days of our Lives actress Alison Sweeney. [4]
[edit] Special Edition
A spin-off of The Biggest Loser, The Biggest Loser: Special Edition features a team of people competing against another team, with each competition airing in two one-hour episodes. They spend 11 days on the ranch working with Bob and Jillian and then return home to continue to lose weight. The announced groups included "family vs. family", where two families with restaurants of different cultures competed to lose weight, "engaged couple vs. engaged couple", and "Marines vs. Navy". Each episode featured one of the mini-competitions from start to finish.
[edit] UK Version
In addition to showing the US version, Living TV also produced their own version, which aired in 2005. Bob and Jillian were not involved but they had their own trainers with similar styles. Angie Dowds (contemporary to Jillian) uses a hard no-nonsense approach in training the red team, while Mark Bailey (contemporary to Bob) trains the blue team with a supportive caring approach. The show was hosted by Vicki Butler-Henderson, a motoring journalist turned television presenter who races cars and has hosted shows such as Fifth Gear.
Season 2 of the UK version on Living TV began airing 11th October 2006. Season 3 of the US version on Living TV will air in 2007.
[edit] Australian version
[edit] Season 1
An Australian version of the program first aired at 7.00pm each weeknight on Network Ten from 13 February, to the final episode on 27 April 2006 where the first Australia's Biggest Loser was awarded AUD$200,000. The program featured the same personal trainers as the US version, Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels with Australian host AJ Rochester. Over 6,000 Australians applied to take part, only 12 contestants being chosen to compete, their starting weight ranging from 101kg (Fiona) to 197kg (David).
[edit] Season 2
The second season of the Australian version first went to air on Sunday 4 February 2007 on the Ten Network. It was introduced with personal trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, who were then taken over by two new Australian trainers, Michelle Bridges and Shannan Ponton, with one extra surprise trainer, Ex-SAS "Commando" Steve Willis. The contestants starting weights range from 108kg (Mel) to 216kg (Damien), the heaviest competitor so far out of all versions of The Biggest Loser worldwide. The beginning of this series marked some controversy with a contestant quiting, two leaving on medical terms and the introduction of "The Walk" which gave individual immunity winners unprecedented power as to how the game is played. The latest twist in the game was revealed on 21 March 2007, where it was revealed to the competitors and viewers that there was a secret weigh-in involving two "outsiders" on the first day. These outsiders (Chris and Kimberlie) had trained daily with the "Commando" whilst still living at home and going living their every day lives. Their entry into the house caused some upset, especially with newcomer Chris recording a big enough weight loss to see him enter the competition as the 3rd biggest loser.
[edit] Israeli Version
Channel 10, in Israel, has also aired a version of The Biggest Loser[5].
[edit] Netherlands Version
There have been 4 seasons of a Netherlands version, which airs on SBS6. [6] [7]
[edit] Contestants
There have been a total of 119 Biggest Loser contestants over 3 USA full seasons, 2 USA special editions, and 2 Australian seasons. This figure does not include the 2 UK seasons, 3 Netherlands seasons and Israeli season. The heaviest contestant to start in the game was Damien Wicks from the second Australian season, starting at 477 pounds (216.3kg) and the lightest contestant was Lizzeth from the first USA season, starting at 167 pounds (75.8kg). The highest percentage loss achieved from the first time being weighed on the show to the final reunion weigh-in for a male was 52.58% by Erik and by a female was 50.43% by Poppi both from the third USA season. The highest weight lost in one week was 34 pounds (15.5kg) by "Big Wal" on the first Australian season, the highest female weight loss in one week was 21 pounds (9.4kg) by Kristie Dignam also in the first Australian season and the least lost in 1 week was 0kg (0 pounds) by female contestant Munnalita Kyrimis in the Second Australian season. The youngest contestant was Laura from the second Australian season, age 20, and the oldest was Tracy Moores, age 44 from the first Australian season.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official American NBC The Biggest Loser website
- Official Australian Biggest Loser website
- The Biggest Loser at the Internet Movie Database
Unofficial Fan websites
- Biggest Loser 1, 2 & 3 Fan Blog
- Episode Recaps for Season Two of The Biggest Loser (Australia)
- Biggest Loser Fan Community
| The Biggest Loser (America) |
| Season 1 (2004) | Season 2 (2005) | Season 3 (2006) | Season 4 (2007) | Special Edition |
| The Biggest Loser (Australia) |
| Season 1 (2006) | Season 2 (2007) |
| The Biggest Loser (UK) |
| Season 1 (2005) | Season 2 (2006) |
| Hosts: Alison Sweeney | Caroline Rhea | AJ Rochester (AU) | Vicki Butler-Henderson (UK) |
| Trainers: Bob Harper | Jillian Michaels | Kim Lyons | Shannan Ponton (AU) | Michelle Bridges (AU) | Steve Willis (AU) | Angie Dowds (UK) | Mark Bailey (UK) |
