‘The Biggest Loser’ Reboot Set at USA
By Danielle Turchiano
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “The Biggest Loser” will be rebooted on USA, the network announced Monday.
“We’re re-imagining ‘’ for today’s audiences, providing a new holistic, 360-degree look at wellness, while retaining the franchise’s competition format and legendary jaw-dropping moments,” said Chris McCumber, president of entertainment networks, Network & Syfy. “USA’s recent reboot of ‘Temptation Island’ brought both new and younger viewers to the network, and we’re excited to add another big, buzzy show to our growing unscripted lineup.”
The new 10-episode season set to debut in 2020 will feature a new team of experts (including a trainer, chef and life coach) aiding the contestants in not only trying to lose weight but also improve their overall well-being. The experts will be announced at a later date.
“At NBCUniversal, we know the power of impactful content that connects with audiences on an emotional level, and USA is the perfect home for an iconic franchise like ‘The Biggest Loser,’ which does just that,” said Mark Miller, executive vice president of Ad Sales at NBCUniversal. “We are confident that these incredible stories of transformation will resonate with viewers and advertisers alike.”
The series, which previously ran for 17 seasons on NBC starting in 2004, came under fire in its later years after former trainer Jillian Michaels admitted to giving contestants caffeine pills, as well as when a report surfaced in which a former contestant claimed she was forced to use weight-loss drugs in order to shed enough at each filmed weigh-in to produce a big result. The producers denied the claims and other former contestants spoke out in support of the show and the trainers.
“The Biggest Loser,” based on the format created by David Broome, is produced by Endemol Shine North America in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio. Sharon Levy, DJ Nurre and Georgie Hurford-Jones serve as executive producers for Endemol Shine. Todd Nelson, JD Roth and Broome also are executive producers.
