The Greatest Show Never Made

Show Description

Summer 2002: Big Brother is captivating tens of millions, rocketing ordinary people into the pages of ‘Hello!’ magazine and convincing us that celebrity is within our grasp. 

So, when Nikita Russian Productions announce a new reality TV series, thousands apply. They travel far and wide for a shot at fame and the £100,000 prize. Uniformed staff oversee auditions on a mysterious private island on the Thames. Thirty ecstatic people are chosen to take part and the lucky contestants are given their contracts: accommodation, food, and leisure money will be provided, all they must do is be filmed for a year whilst they complete a secret task. They quit their jobs, end relationships, and give up their homes for this chance of a lifetime. The rules state they are limited to one bag, passport, and no money.  But within hours of arriving in London their dreams begin to unravel, leaving thirty cashless and now homeless young people stranded in London on a wing and a prayer. 

The story serves as a cautionary tale about the seductive powers of reality television. We explore the relationships that formed and fell apart, the lives that were changed and the lifelong consequences that followed. And at the centre of it all, was Nik Russian. Twenty years on, the contestants still have unanswered questions: who was he? What was he thinking? And where is he now?  

Credits

Produced by
Factual Fiction

Executive Producers
Tom Dalton, Emily Dalton, Jonathan Smith

Directed & Produced by
Ashley Francis-Roy