Gogglebox launched on Channel 4 back in 2013. At the time it was a bizarre TV show concept in which people watched people watching TV.
On paper, it sounded crazy – how could that ever be interesting? Somehow it was – and Gogglebox went on to become one of the best-loved shows on TV.
Initially met with baffled curiosity from viewers, Gogglebox won legions of loyal fans. Many of whom still tune in to watch their favourite families – the show’s stars – in action.
But nine years after it first hit our screens, Gogglebox has lost its magic.
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What made the programme great initially was how these normal people reacted candidly to the films and series that they were watching, while also allowing us into their homes and lives.
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Narrator Caroline Ahern, who died in 2016 and was replaced with Royle Family co-star Craig Cash, provided the perfect warm tone to guide viewers through the experience.
But while it’s true that after all this time Gogglebox still is an entertaining watch, it’s not the show it was – and never will be again.
What has happened to Gogglebox?
The entertaining, naive and frank conversations have been replaced with poorly scripted links and over-the-top, fake reactions that make for cringe-worthy viewing (we’re looking at you, Jenny and Lee).
Watch them in their early days. They are much more natural and funny just being themselves, without any nudges from producers.
They aren’t the only ones – Giles Wood and Mary Killen are guilty of this also. In fact, most of them have ramped up their reactions to OTT levels at some point.
The Big Brother effect
Gogglebox’s problem is its success.
In the sage but simple words of Jonathan Tapper in Gogglebox’s first-ever episode, where he talks about Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond: “They were just car enthusiasts and they’ve turned into big celebrities.”
In a way, Gogglebox has become the victim of its success.
This is what has happened to Gogglebox. The beauty of it, to begin with, was that the show’s stars didn’t even know that they were stars.
Now that they know they are, the dynamic has shifted. In a way, it has become the victim of its success.
The same thing can be said for the first couple of series of Big Brother, which started in 2000.
The contestants were fascinating to watch because no one had any preconceptions of what would happen after they were thrust into the public arena.
Housemates offered raw conversation, were not afraid to say or do the wrong thing, and there were some genuinely unmissable moments, such as Nasty Nick and the Helen and Paul love story.
Okay, the loved-up couple didn’t make it last in the real world, but no one can deny how much it gripped the nation.
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This naivety of normal people is what made reality TV so watchable in those early years.
Arguably no reality series has captured the nation quite like Big Brother in those early years – except Gogglebox (minus the celebrity version, which has never come close).
But that ship is sailing off rapidly.
The good old days of Gogglebox
The show’s carefully picked families were what made it a hit – The Siddiquis, The Woerdenwebers, The Tappers, The Moffatts, Reverend Kate and Graham Bottley, Steph and Dom Parker, Sandi and Sandra, and the beloved Leon and June (RIP).
As time has passed, most of the original stars have left and quite rightly been replaced with a more diverse mix of families from different backgrounds.
But while there are some great characters, there simply isn’t enough time in a 45-minute episode to get to know 18 families.
As they are the show’s stars, it is imperative to Gogglebox’s success for viewers to get to know them all.
It’s become oversaturated. No one could pick half of them out of a lineup, never mind remember all their names.
And some of these families need to start earning their £1,500 per month.
Time to step up or ship out, boring families
The Worthingtons, The Baggs, Ronnie and Annie, Sue and Steve – they’re all nice and all, but who cares?
Others divide viewers, such as Roisin and Joe, which isn’t a bad thing, but only if they’re offering worthy viewing (they’re not).
Elsewhere, there are families that don’t get enough airtime, such as Amira and Amani.
The gossip-loving sisters are worth a watch because they act naturally – but we don’t know that much about them, so as a viewer it is hard to connect properly.
On the other hand, we know a lot about Pete Sandiford and sister Sophie. Yes, they’re TV gold, but they are in danger of becoming the next Scarlett Moffatt through over-exposure.
This is typical of UK television – when something is a success, it is overdone until everyone is sick to the back teeth of it (here’s looking at you, X Factor).
The best-loved families
The most enjoyable families are those that have not changed despite their success. The Siddiqui family – made up of dad Sid and brothers Baasit and Umar – are undeniably the most natural.
Their chats are genuine, authentic conversations between a father and his sons, sprinkled with an infectious dry wit.
Stephen Webb has also kept his charm despite his change in sidekick.
His former partner Chris left in 2018 and was later replaced with Stephen’s now-husband Daniel Lustig, who has adapted to being the new guy well.
Not coincidentally, these characters have been with us since series one.
Welsh couple David and Shirley are a scream, and The Malones are chaotic but loveable – we get just enough of them to make them entertaining, but not annoying.
Leeds sisters Ellie and Izzy Warner are also fun to watch – sadly they have not appeared on the show since Ellie’s boyfriend’s horror accident.
But many of the families are forgettable, boring and vanilla.
Try and list all the 2022 families – you will only remember half of them, which is exactly the problem.
The future of Gogglebox on Channel 4
Looking ahead, show producers need to focus on fewer families per episode, or simply cut the ones that are not worthy of airtime to make way for ones that do.
A better idea would be to have fewer families in total and replace them every series to keep it fresh.
For Gogglebox to continue, it has to grab the essence of naivety that it once had – perhaps an impossible feat.
But all good things must come to an end – the trick is to cut the cord before it becomes a drag, like Big Brother.
Hopefully, when the time comes, Gogglebox will not fall at the last hurdle like so many other reality TV shows before it.
Gogglebox is on Friday nights at 9pm on Channel 4.
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