The Traitors seems like a pretty easy recipe for success. Mafia-type games are loved the world over, so it only makes sense to ramp the game up to 100, put a cash prize on the line, and televise the whole thing to let the masses enjoy it.
The fact that the show has been adapted so many times speaks to the winning formula. The Traitors actually started out as a Dutch program, but has since been adapted several times in many nations.
In the US, Peacock was probably sure they had a hit on their hands when they chose to adapt the series. But they were in for a rude awakening when, by the Season 1 finale, the reviews weren’t entirely favorable from longtime fans. Apparently, adding established reality stars to the mix didn’t jive well with fans of previous renditions.
The Traitors UK takes the gold for British audiences
It seems the US version could learn a thing or two from The Traitors UK, which absolutely cleaned up at the BAFTAs. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards honor exactly what they describe. The new BBC hit took home the award for Reality & Constructed Factual.
Claudia Winkleman, the show’s host, accepted the award, thanking producer, Studio Lambert, and the other execs who made the show possible. Stephen Lambert, who runs Studio Lambert, thanked Winkleman in turn, as well as the Dutch studio, All3Media, who created the format. Producers have teased Season 2 will have even more surprises.
The Traitors beat out fellow BBC shows RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, and We Are Black And British. The Traitors US Season 2 has also received the green light, so here’s hoping that it might reach the same heights as the series across the pond.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE TRAITORS UK DESERVES THIS SUCCESS? WHAT COULD THE US VERSION LEARN FROM THE BBC’S TAKE?