Don't Tell the Bride (British TV series)

Broadcast history

The series first premiered on BBC Three on 8 November 2007. In February 2012, it was announced that the show had been nominated for a Rose d'Or award for best 'Factual Entertainment' show. Due to the impending shutdown of BBC Three as a linear television service, the 9th series of the programme was moved to BBC One. With the confirmed shutdown of BBC Three, as well as falling viewership in response to changes in the programme's format that occurred upon the move, the BBC dropped Don't Tell the Bride. The series was then picked up for its 2016 series by Sky 1. In 2017, it moved to E4 where it would broadcast a new 18-episode series later that year.

Reruns of the show, including the BBC and Sky One series are currently broadcast on E4 Extra.

Format

The show's format consists of a couple who are given £12,000 (£14,000 in the BBC One and E4 versions) to spend on their wedding. However, they must spend three weeks apart with no contact, and the groom must organise every aspect of the event and attire, including the wedding dress, wedding cake, as well as the hen and stag parties, surprising the bride.

Although the series mostly features heterosexual couples, one episode broadcast in October 2010 featured a gay couple and another in November 2011 featured a lesbian couple, both preparing for their civil partnership.

Reception

• Nominated: Factual Entertainment – Rose d'Or 2012
• Nominated: Reality & Constructed Factual – British Academy Television Awards 2012

Transmissions

;BBC Three

;BBC One

;Sky 1

;E4

Specials

International versions

Internationally, the series has attracted a strong following, with broadcast deals spanning 120 territories.

As of 2012, twelve locally produced versions have aired around the world. They are: Australia (Network 10, 2012), Denmark (TV 2, 2009–), Finland (Liv), Greece & Cyprus (ANT1, 2011), Germany (RTL II, 2011–), Ireland (RTÉ, 2010–), Italy (Lei), Norway (TLC Norway), Poland (TLC Poland, 2011), Sweden (TV4), Turkey and United States. Various clips from some versions were shown in the 'Goes Global' special in 2012.

The UK version has also been picked up by Russian broadcaster TLC, Vivolta in France, NHK in Japan and RTL Nederland in the Netherlands, who has secured an option to produce a local version of the format.

An Irish version of the show airs on RTÉ Two since 2010. A two episode Irish special, in which the couple's budget was €10,000, was first broadcast in May 2011 on RTÉ. A full series was aired in 2012. The Irish version also airs on Living in New Zealand and on Really in the UK.

In October 2011, the first series of the US version of Don't Tell The Bride was shown on OWN. In this version, the groom is given USD $25,000 to spend. In 2013, the series is being produced by Shed Media US for the USA Network. Shed Media conducted casting for the series between 14 June 2013 through 19 July 2013.

On 21 August 2012, an Australian version of Don't Tell the Bride began airing on Network Ten. Kate Ritchie was the narrator. In this version, the groom is given A$25,000 to organise the entire wedding. It was cancelled after one season.

In November 2016, a similarly formatted Welsh-language reality television show titled Priodas Pum Mil premiered on S4C.

On 31 August 2020 the most watched channel in Portugal, SIC, released their version of the show called "" hosted by the actress Cláudia Vieira.

References

References

1. "About the WarnerMedia Group". wbtvpuk.co.uk.
2. (28 September 2023). "C4 axe show after 16 years and says 'there's no plans for it to return'".
3. (28 February 2012). "Life's Too Short up for Rose d'Or award". BBC News.
4. Jonathan Holmes. "Don't Tell the Bride to move to BBC One". RadioTimes.
5. (24 June 2015). "10 things we learned during episode one of the new series of Don't Tell The Bride on BBC One". The Argus.
6. (1 December 2015). "Don't Tell the Bride: You won't be able to see the new series if you don't have Sky 1". Newsbeat.
7. "After dumping Don't Tell the Bride can we really trust the BBC's long-term commitment to youth audiences?".
8. "Don't Tell the Bride is moving to Sky 1".
9. "Ents/Fact Ents/Features/Formats/Daytime/Music summer 2017 highligts (sic) - Channel 4 - Info - Press".
10. Frost, Vicky. (24 September 2010). "Weddings and TV: a happy union?". [[The Guardian]].
11. "Episode guide". [[BBC Three]].
12. "Don't Tell the Bride - S13 - Episode 1".
13. "E4 commissions new series of hit format Don't Tell The Bride - Channel 4 - Info - Press".
14. Michael Rosser. (24 February 2011). "Don't Tell the Bride to be remade for German TV".
15. "Don't Tell the Bride". RTÉ News.
16. McBride, Caitlin. (21 September 2010). "€10k gift for a dream wedding? Well, there's a hitch". [[Evening Herald]].
17. (26 January 2012). "Don't Tell the Bride back tonight". RTÉ Ten.
18. "Local brides visit Europe". C21Media.
19. "Don't Tell the Bride - OWN TV". Oprah.com.
20. "Shed Media US Casting - Don't Tell the Bride".
21. [http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2012/07/kate-ritchie-narrates-dont-tell-the-bride-for-ten.html Kate Ritchie narrates Don’t Tell The Bride for TEN] ''tvtonight.au'', 19 July 2012