Reality Show Canceled, Ripped as ‘Costly Flop’

A freshman Channel 4 reality series has been scrapped after it was deemed a “costly flop.” Following its premiere last March, the Greg James-hosted British reality series Rise and Fall has been canceled after just a single season, a Channel 4 spokeswoman confirmed to Deadline.

“Rise and Fall was a great show that we were very proud of and attracted strong audiences, but Channel 4 is all about the new and we want to make space for the next great new reality idea,” the spokeswoman said. “We would like to thank Greg and the talented team who made such a hugely fun and innovative show.”

Although Channel 4 did not give an explanation for the cancellation, The Sun reported that the decision was made to scrap the series due to how expensive it was to make. The 18-episode show followed a 16 group of contestants divided into the “Rulers” and the “Grafters” as they competed for the chance to win a £100,000 prize. The Grafters lived in the basement, where they took part in challenges to win money for the prize pot, while the Rulers lived in a luxury penthouse and made decisions. Each episode saw the Rulers voting on one of their own to be eliminated, with Grafters having the opportunity to move up to the penthouse. The series, produced by Studio Lambert, debuted in March 2023, and, according to one source who spoke to The Sun, “is one of the most pricey productions Channel 4 have aired,” having reportedly cost millions to make.

“This won’t come to a shock to anyone within the TV industry as Rise and Fall is widely considered to be a very costly flop,” the insider shared. “It is one of the most pricey productions Channel 4 have aired in recent years but there were high hopes it might tap into some of the energy of The Traitors which was an instant hit when it aired in 2022.”

The source added that there was only ever “a small chance that they might have had another stab at making Rise and Fall a hit.” However, “in the current climate C4 can’t justify shelling out millions on a project that is unlikely to get the viewing figures.”

Rise and Fall‘s cancellation comes after reports first surfaced in June that Channel 4 was poised to cancel the series. At the time, Deadline reported that the channel’s boss Ian Kaz was said to be “50/50” about a renewal, noting that the show was “expensive to produce” and “fell well short of The Traitors,” which concluded its run over the weekend.