With the much-anticipated new Celebrity Traitors series hitting our screens after the show’s major success with previous seasons, is it time to start questioning the ideas that lie within the show’s premise? The first series of The Traitors premiered on UK screens in November 2022, and since then has had two seasons, with everyday people from different backgrounds competing for the prize fund. Following the great success of those seasons and with our attention grabbed, a celebrity season is currently being watched by millions as they battle it out to uncover the, ‘traitors’, all in aid of giving the prize fund to their respective charities.
The series, presented by Claudia Winkleman, is situated in the Scottish Highlands and takes us on a journey along with the contestants, as they try and decipher the ‘faithful’ from the ‘traitors’ amongst the group. The Traitors is a BBC TV series that’s deemed as ‘reality TV’, although different in its format to programmes like Love Island or The Circle. So, how is it different?
Well, instead of attempting to create love matches to win a prize fund, there is a puzzle to solve where human skills like observation and communication are tested in a high-pressure environment. But to what extent? A fundamental aspect of the show is for the ‘traitors’ to lie, and for uncertainty between the two sides, indeed amongst the ‘faithful’ themselves, to be accepted.
In this way, the show rewards duplicity and promotes the undermining of trust for its success and the audience’s enjoyment. Is this an appropriate, or indeed moral, message? Morality is defined as the principles regarding a distinction between right and wrong, or good and bad behaviour.
Is that at play in the series? Do we see a clear distinction between good and bad? Many believe that there is a complex imbalance between the two and although that is the nature of the game, there is also a human discomfort that comes with it.
Should the negative parts of humanity be displayed?
As humans, we aren’t designed to be immoral, which could be why many contestants visibly struggle with the challenges of the show. The show’s structure promotes behaviour that many would be uncomfortable with, as lies and manipulation aren’t human skills that we hold dear. In a game that explores human psychology, should the negative parts of humanity be displayed so obviously?
Or is it just enjoyable TV? Many will argue that in the era of streaming services, it’s refreshing to have such a thrilling TV programme in the BBC’s primetime 9pm slot. It’s therefore no surprise that the show is so popular, especially with its perfectly crafted celebrity line-up that draws in all age groups.
However, does the show promote the wrong ideas to its audience? The idea that there’s a need to lie, manipulate and deceit to win, is not a positive outlook to broadcast or for audiences to absorb. But, is it all okay under the acknowledgement that “It’s just a game”?