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Don't Tell the Bride (British TV series)

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Don't Tell the Bride
Narrated by
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series14
No. of episodes164
Production
Production locationVarious
Running time60 minutes
Production companyRenegade Pictures – part of Warner Bros. Television Productions UK[1]
Original release
Network
Release8 November 2007 (2007-11-08) –
16 March 2020 (2020-03-16)

Don't Tell the Bride is a British reality television series. The premise of the series surrounds couples being awarded money to fund their wedding ceremony; however, every aspect of the ceremony must be organised by the groom, with no contact with the bride. On 29 September 2023, it was announced there were no plans for the series to return.[2]

Broadcast history

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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.[3] Due to the impending shutdown of BBC Three as a linear television service, the 9th series of the programme was moved to BBC One.[4][5] 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.[6][7][8] In 2017, it moved to E4 where it would broadcast a new 18-episode series later that year.[9]

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

Format

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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.[10]

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.[11]

Reception

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Transmissions

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BBC Three
Series Start date End date Episodes
1 8 November 2007 20 December 2007 6
2 26 August 2008 30 September 2008 6
3 1 September 2009 10 November 2009 11
4 17 August 2010 2 November 2010 12
5 6 September 2011 29 November 2011 12
6 14 August 2012 30 October 2012 12
7 20 August 2013 5 November 2013 12
8 5 August 2014 21 October 2014 12
9 5 August 2015 21 October 2015 12
10 28 October 2015 15 December 2015 8
BBC One
Series Start date End date Episodes
11 24 June 2015 29 July 2015 6
Sky 1
Series Start date End date Episodes
12 21 July 2016 6 October 2016 12
E4
Series Start date End date Episodes
13 26 July 2017[12] 31 January 2018 18[13]
14 15 August 2018 16 March 2020 30

Specials

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Title Air date Host
Most Memorable Moments 12 January 2016 Stacey Dooley
Bridezillas & Bromances 5 January 2016
Mad, Bad & Dangerous 29 December 2015
Christmas Special Clip Show 22 December 2015
Let it Snow 22 December 2014 —
Christmas on the Slopes 19 December 2013 Rebekah Staton
Christmas on Ice 18 December 2012 —
Christmas Revenge 2012 11 December 2012
Goes Global 6 November 2012 Ellie Taylor
Best Ever 14 August 2012 Scott Mills
Greatest Moments Cutdown 15 April–13 June 2012 Cherry Healey
Mother's Day 13 March 2012 —
Valentine's 13 February 2012
Don't Tell the Bride-to-be: The Proposals 13 February 2012
Christmas in Wonderland 20 December 2011
Christmas Revenge 13 December 2011
Live: Royal Wedding Special 29 April 2011 Cherry Healey
Greatest Moments 2011 28 April 2011
Greatest Moments 2010 23 November 2010 Patsy Palmer
The Brides' Revenge 21 April 2010 —

International versions

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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.[14]

An Irish version of the show airs on RTÉ Two since 2010.[15] A two episode Irish special, in which the couple's budget was €10,000, was first broadcast in May 2011 on RTÉ.[16] A full series was aired in 2012.[17] The Irish version also airs on Living in New Zealand and on Really in the UK.[18]

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.[19] 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.[20]

On 21 August 2012, an Australian version of Don't Tell the Bride began airing on Network Ten. Kate Ritchie was the narrator.[21] 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 "O Noivo é que Sabe [pt]" hosted by the actress Cláudia Vieira.

References

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  1. ^ "About the WarnerMedia Group". wbtvpuk.co.uk. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  2. ^ "C4 axe show after 16 years and says 'there's no plans for it to return'". 28 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Life's Too Short up for Rose d'Or award". BBC News. 28 February 2012.
  4. ^ Jonathan Holmes. "Don't Tell the Bride to move to BBC One". RadioTimes.
  5. ^ "10 things we learned during episode one of the new series of Don't Tell The Bride on BBC One". The Argus. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Don't Tell the Bride: You won't be able to see the new series if you don't have Sky 1". Newsbeat. 1 December 2015.
  7. ^ "After dumping Don't Tell the Bride can we really trust the BBC's long-term commitment to youth audiences?". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Don't Tell the Bride is moving to Sky 1". Radio Times. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  9. ^ "Ents/Fact Ents/Features/Formats/Daytime/Music summer 2017 highligts (sic) - Channel 4 - Info - Press". www.channel4.com.
  10. ^ Frost, Vicky (24 September 2010). "Weddings and TV: a happy union?". The Guardian. London.
  11. ^ "Episode guide". BBC Three. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  12. ^ "Don't Tell the Bride - S13 - Episode 1". Radio Times.
  13. ^ "E4 commissions new series of hit format Don't Tell The Bride - Channel 4 - Info - Press". www.channel4.com.
  14. ^ Michael Rosser (24 February 2011). "Don't Tell the Bride to be remade for German TV". Broadcast. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  15. ^ "Don't Tell the Bride". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012.
  16. ^ McBride, Caitlin (21 September 2010). "€10k gift for a dream wedding? Well, there's a hitch". Evening Herald.
  17. ^ "Don't Tell the Bride back tonight". RTÉ Ten. 26 January 2012.
  18. ^ "Local brides visit Europe". C21Media. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  19. ^ "Don't Tell the Bride - OWN TV". Oprah.com. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  20. ^ "Shed Media US Casting - Don't Tell the Bride". Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  21. ^ Kate Ritchie narrates Don’t Tell The Bride for TEN tvtonight.au, 19 July 2012
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