Unbeatable is returning, the first run was basically decent but not much fun, nobody watched it but it’s coming back anyway and people wonder “why IS linear TV dying?”

Still at least we will have lots more Manford smart-casual looks to look out for, so that’s nice.

In other news it’s been suggested Issa Schultz will be guest Chasing in the upcoming series of Beat the Chasers. Absolutely no issue with Issa Chasing in the UK. I do ponder if Beat the Chasers is the correct format to introduce guest Chasers though, I’d at least hope he’s being given some daily shows so the viewers can get used to him first.

ITV2 via ITVX, Loaded in Paradise comes across as a mixture of Greece Uncovered and Wanted – five pairs of mates compete to live it up going around Greece spending on a luxury credit credit card that gets reloaded on a daily basis, but they have to watch their backs as the other groups will be trying to find them and steal the card off them so they can have the luxury themselves. Sounds like there are fifteen “rounds” and I’m expecting the final round to end with a decently large cash prize for whoever’s holding on to the card at the end.

It will be very interesting to see what sort of balance there will be between the inevitable naughtiness and staying on the run, and it’s certainly a more interesting idea to us than another go at something Love Island-y. My interest is piqued.

In other news, and a week late, pleased to see the return of The GladPod – the first series had some really good and relevant guests on it so looking forward to see who they’ve got lined up for series two.

Unexpectedly, Broadcast reporting that the UK version of current format darling Million Dollar Island (currently streaming on Amazon Prime in the Netherlands) is going to be on E4.

We’ve briefly chatted about this before. Short synopsis: 100 people on an island each with an armband worth $10k, people gain and lose armbands in challenges, when people leave they give their armbands to someone else. We don’t know if this means someone’s guaranteed to be the last one standing to win the million (in which case what’s the point of the mechanic) or whether the final people will effectively split the prize (in which case will that be satisfying?). At the very least we’re hoping they’ll have to do physical challenges whilst being weighed down by 60 armbands.

The interesting thing about going to E4 – are they going to offer a million quid? Will the game scale if they offer less (does The £100,000 Island have the same ring to it?). Why E4 and not C4?

In other news there’s an ep of Schlag Den Star happening on Saturday, do join us for that live on the Discord from 7:15pm.

Finally another episode of Bother’s Bar favourite Connections has shown up, only in this one feels so pacey I’m wondering if Sue Robbie had a train to catch.

Embarrassingly, I was so engrossed playing the Game Of The Moment, Elden Ring, I completely forgot about the Stool Pigeon! So sorry it’s late. Anyway, here we go in no particular order:

A daytime version of One and Six Zeroes has been commissioned already – current working title is One and Four Zeroes.

Think I’m calling bollocks on that one, the scheduling for One And Six Zeros isn’t screaming confidence and Dara’s not going to do daytime surely. Would the game even be compelling played for much lower stakes?

Masterchef Australia hurriedly rushed a “cook for the cast of Neighbours” challenge into production after news of its cancellation, just to avoid the “you were filming here for ten years and never bothered?” criticism when it airs in a few months.

Channel 4 have recommissioned I Literally Just Told You, but they haven’t announced it yet because they’re waiting for the fuss around Jimmy Carr’s gypsy joke to die down.

I thought this was recommissioned a while ago, it’s been C4’s only successful 10pm show in ages.

Sarah Millican might be appearing on the next series of Taskmaster. She posted in her newsletter that she had to cancel a part of her tour due to “TV commitments” and those commitments lasts as long as the studio recordings of Taskmaster. So many internet people have put two and two together.

The original team of researchers for De Slimste Mens Ter Wereld has about 19 people in it, the German one will have about 3. Will be interesting to see, how good this works out.

As someone who did four own-brand episodes, it already felt like a lot of work to come up with interesting things to quiz about and although it might not seem like it, it’s a big eater of ideas so best of luck to them.

Well I can’t say it was especially worth waiting for, there were a few more but I’m not sure they were either really our thing or didn’t pass the feeling of truth test. Still, we’ll keep them on hand as ones that got away if they turn out right.