Deadline has announced that Channel 4’s Rise and Fall has been canceled after its first season. The news comes after months of speculation about the show’s future and a day before Channel 4 is set to announce how it will make 200 of its staff redundant.
The show hosted by Greg James (Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James, Rise and Fall, Sounds Like Friday Night) was a competition game show. The game consisted of 16 contestants who all aimed to win power for a £100,000 prize. The game divides players into categories. The “rulers” in the show resided in a luxury penthouse on a high rise where they would have the power to dictate events. The “grafters” resided in the basement of the high rise and would engage in challenges. Some contestants could move up and down the building, and eliminations were common.
While successful with some fans, others found the show dystopian and brutal. One particularly divisive element for audiences was when “grafters” received electric shocks. This caused the show to find itself embroiled in some controversy.
Other contributing factors to the show’s cancellation were its rivalry with The Traitors on BBC, Channel 4’s advertising recession, the network’s production challenges, and its desire to focus on developing a new reality series.
Deadline quoted an official statement from Channel 4. A spokesperson for the network said, “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…We would like to thank Greg and the talented team who made such a hugely fun and innovative show.”
The show’s cancellation reflects Channel 4’s current struggles in things like its recent ad recession. Additionally, the rollout of the network’s plan to make 200 staff redundant is imminent.