On paper, Big Brother appears to be a no-brainer. Three successful series under its belt, a media profile to die for and marketing partners queuing up with buckets of cash to spend.
All that's left to do is engage the viewers and voters through myriad interactive devices.
Alas, BB has failed to come alive this time around. And it's down to that one intangible that can't be scheduled into a marketing plan: the on-air talent.
Quite simply, the Big Brother housemates are boring and lack the chemistry required to keep viewers glued to their screens, let alone to take the trouble to vote.
I sympathise with the producers and the casting people. The first night it looked like they had hit the jackpot - a bevy of babes with 'interesting' pasts and an eclectic range of guys to spice it up. Adding to the tension was The Sun's carrot of £50,000 for the first on-air sex session. However, we have had little sizzle of any sort. Voting figures - and the channel's income - have crashed.
TV pundits are predicting the death of Big Brother. The celebrity version has already been cancelled. But I, for one, won't be banging in the coffin nails just yet.
The next series needs to mine some diamonds like Jade and the unforgettable Helen; then viewers will deliver the goods for everyone.
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