Someone who I know and trust posted this on a non-DOND forum today.

"Son's friend who works on DOND is still worried about his job - ongoing negotiations between C4 and Endemol, with the latter still wanting to link the re-commissioning of DOND with the continuance of C4"

Given how annoyed Endemol have been this year with C4 regarding Big Brother (it was C4 whose decision it was to remove the live feed from BB this year and not Endemol's who were wanting C4 to show more of the show), let's just hope DOND doesn't become a victim of these negotiations.

When is DOND commissioned to at the moment with C4?

Well, I always thought the increasing mis-management of BB might kill off DoND, but never like this.

I don't know when DoND's commissioned to but I can see season 5 being the last.

May be the last from Channel 4 anyway... then maybe it would move to ITV1's 5pm daytime slot, because I don't think it'll be lost... maybe someone like Patrick Kielty would host it...

Link win!

No worries hopefully; it's been commissioned for the near future, and inbetween then and now Big Brother will be officially axed (unfortunately; though it has run its course so fair dos...), leaving Endemol to thrash out new terms with Channel 4.

Channel 4 won't want to lose their most successful daytime TV show at present...that'd be like losing Countdown back in its prime days...

I wouldn't be surprised if Channel 4 were deliberately trying to undermine Big Brother in a bid to kill it off quietly this autumn, commission new more highbrow programming for summer evenings instead, and gain the public service image that they need to maintain.

By the sounds of Simon's post, Endemol are saying Channel 4 wouldn't survive without DoND? 'still wanting to link the re-commissioning of DOND with the continuance of C4'

Or did he mean the continuance of BB?

Either way, I could see Channel 4 saying 'oh sod it, we'll sell our DoND contract rights to ITV'. I believe ITV made an offer, which Channel 4 rejected, at the end of 2006. Oh, and don't forget there were rumours linking Endemol with actually buying ITV - if that ever happens (which I doubt), expect all the big Endemol shows to be moved to ITV. (There's precedent for this: when Endemol set up their own station Talpa in the Netherlands, their three big international formats - Miljoenenjacht (DoND), Een Tegen 100 (1 vs 100) and Big Brother - were all aired on it. When Talpa folded, they returned to other channels.)

Well, there is this.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgr ... ther-20091

I don't know what the current comission is at the moment. All I know that the last comission was up to December 2007, it's now August 2009, also daytime comissions tend to be longer than primetime ones.

I watched Screenwipe last night with Charlie Brooker on about TV budget cuts. He did say that game shows won't change much as it's cheap since Deal or No Deal records several shows in a day. While reality shows might be on the way out since they are on the wane but are expensive to record and edit hours of footage. Don't forget the show is recorded at Endemol's own studio in Bristol, therefore saving a packet by not paying BBC or ITV renting out one of their own studios.

The fact is the show continues to be Channel 4's top daytime programme and consistanly winning the timelot. Where fellow Endemol show Golden Balls has showed the viewing public are getting fed up with the predictible outcomes and now been dumped to third place. Behind Come Dine With Me and Weakest Link repeats.

If Channel 4 decides to not recomission the show in the future, then ITV will jump in like a shot but will result in an episode cut (weekend editions being dropped and a longer break between seasons) and bring back the LTL in some form.

Very good points, all. BB is fading, reality TV involves many more editing staff than a game show, BB is gone.

Golden Balls is fading, game shows generally are cheap even in this age of huge prize money, ITV will pounce upon DoND as a 5pm show in a nanosecond if Endemol throw their toys out of the pram with BB.

I just like it all how it is!! Deal Or No Deal, 4:15 Channel 4 AND my other favourite TV show Big Brother, 9pm Channel 4 all summer!! I don't want either of them to go or change channels or cut down on shows or something!!!

Big Brother won't be renewed by Channel 4 - no word on DoND being tied into the deal.

Surely the demise of BB could actually strengthen DoND's position on Channel 4? Unless Endemol want to cut their ties with Channel 4 totally (which I doubt), they're going to want to make sure they have at least one successful programme regularly airing on the channel. And they have that at the moment in the form of DoND!

That would be sensible; I think Endemol have been using DoND as a negotiating prop and trying to tie the two shows together, basically making them overpay for BB as a pre-condition of keeping DoND (which is probably their most valuable show, winning its timeslot regularly and providing a great foundation for the teatime lineup). Looks like they've got shot of BB - hopefully it's not at DoND's expense.

I hope that DOND doesn't get caught up in this.

As people have said, it is winning its timeslot consistently and is one of Channel 4's most valuable shows, so I hope they don't let it go. It's pretty much the only show that I religiously (not the best term, but you know what I mean) watch that is shown on Channel 4.

I like Goldenballs. But there again I have only been watching it for a few months meaning that it is still fresh for me really :/

Apparently the ratings for Countdown are falling, and people aren't taking to Carol Vorderman's replacement (I think her name is Rachel).

So with Countdown seemingly fading, and with Endemol & C4 losing Big Brother, I should think both parties will want to ensure DoND remains where it is for a while yet!

Paul O'Grady's show has now been axed by C4 after Paul refused (according to the Daily Mail) to take a 30% cut from his £2m salary. The final series will end this December.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/ar ... ssion.html

Whilst the departure of Paul O'Grady shouldn't affect DOND it does mean the loss of a a big name for C4 and the show did pull in decent ratings for C4 daytime.

I guess they'll use the time slot to show more episodes of Come Dine With Me as they are at the moment as that pulls in around 1.5m - 2.0m viewers. Or maybe to introduce some new shows for the 5pm slot.

I wonder how DOND would fare in the 5pm timeslot if they extended the show to 1 hour, but I guess Endemol would be against that as it would clash with ITV's 5pm gameshow. Which is usually made by Endemol.

When Paul O'Grady's show was postponed for a few weeks in September 2006 (due to him having a heart attack), Channel 4 put DoND on at 4:45 - 5:30. This change was presumably to ensure viewers were busy watching DoND when 5pm came, and wouldn't switch to ITV 1. Channel 4 showed Come Dine With Me from 4:15 - 4:45 and A Place in The Sun (or something similar) from 5:30 - 6:00.

I can't remember what they were showing in the 5pm slot on ITV 1 at the time - may have been the Sharon Osbourne show (which didn't last long).

I wonder whether DoND will be shifted to 4:45 - 5:30 again in the new year when POG's show has finished... I suppose it depends what they're showing on ITV 1 at 5pm. As you said, if it's an Endemol show then they may not want DoND going head-to-head with it!!