The Traitors Australia 2023: Ten’s big gamble on massive overseas hit

This reality show aired to poor ratings last year – then, something completely unexpected happened. Now, Ten is gambling on a second chance.

There’s something happening right now with the theatrical, complex, ‘whodunit?’ reality TV show that flew under the radar when it launched last year.

A groundswell, unexpectedly originating in the lucrative British and US markets, has lifted Ten’s reality show The Traitors up from its very average season one viewing figures in Australia – right on the eve of season two’s debut.

The US and British iterations of The Traitors were both huge hits in their respective markets – and overseas fans of the show hungry to see more have even tracked down the first Aussie season online to watch.

“Brits are obsessed with Australian TV show The Traitors – so why haven’t Aussies heard of it?” asked one UK-based writer here on news.com.au recently.

Rodger Corser hosts the theatrical, complex game of trust and betrayal. Picture: Ten

Here’s a snapshot from Twitter of the buzz across the pond:

Well #TheTraitorsAustralia was an absolutely incredible watch. The best of the three versions I’ve watched 😱😱😱

— David (@DavidC516) July 20, 2023

Finished The Traitors Australia and honest to God I could watch people from every nation on Earth play this game and never get bored.

Give me an endless supply of subtitled footage of international reprobates lying through their teeth to people who trust them. It's perfect.

— Daniel Austin (@_Dan_Austin) July 26, 2023

It’s been a year since The Traitors premiered in Australia, averaging around 250,000 metro viewers per episode, but series host Rodger Corser has held firm in his belief that those who did tune in were onto a good thing.

“It’s hard to break into the market up against some huge shows, you know, solid performers like The Block,” he told news.com.au.

“They have big brand awareness and people know what they are, and it’s comfortable because they’ve had years and years with them. So it doesn’t happen overnight, grabbing that audience.”

The premise of the show is gripping, albeit complex for beginners.

A group of contestants move into a grand heritage hotel in the Southern Highlands, near Sydney, to work as a team and compete in a series of challenges for up to $250,000.

That part is straightforward – but add in a select group of chosen “Traitors” who have to secretly plot to “murder” (eliminate) a “Faithful” (basically a non-traitor) before the group gets together and votes to banish a member of their group, hoping to weed out the bad guys … and you’ve got yourself an intricate 12-episode web of deceit, manipulation and betrayal.

Corser, best known as the star of medical drama Doctor, Doctor, admitted that The Traitors’ previous ratings “didn’t set the world on fire” when it aired, but said that it had since been building up its audience due to “word of mouth”.

“That’s where it’s so great that Ten had given The Traitors a little bit of time … and then look what’s happened!” he pointed out.

With the new season premiering this Sunday night, Corser revealed that producers had made some tweaks ahead of filming to tighten up the process for round two.

For one, rather than season one’s 24 contestants, only 20 will enter the estate, which Corser says sees the action “kick off quicker”.

“I think the audience can wrap their head around characters better that way,” he said.

“Before, there was probably just too many things in the first two episodes … It’s a lot easier to attach yourself to people you like or perhaps maybe don’t like as much [with less contestants].”

It gets a little Eyes Wide Shut at times (sans the X-rated bit). Picture: Ten

This year’s edition will feature some familiar TV faces, including Below Deck Mediterranean’s Hannah Ferrier, radio host and reality star Ash Pollard, Survivor’s Luke Toki, pro wrestler Simone Williams, and actor Gyton Grantley – who co-starred with Corser in the Underbelly series.

“I was thrown a bit [when they brought Grantley in] … but there’s no way I can play favourites with anyone,” the host said, adding that he’d picked up on a trick some contestants had begun using: using him to “gauge” whether someone was lying.

“What I noticed this year, when we’re at the round table at the Banishment and someone’s asking someone a question and grilling them – some contestants would turn around and look at me as I would be the gauge to see if they’re bulls****ing or not … to see if I’d sort of given an eye roll or a smirk.”

Corser explained that he’d learned to be careful with his reactions from “early on”.

“I suddenly realised they were using me as the sounding board on whether someone’s telling the truth, which is smart,” he admitted.

Underbelly star Gyton Grantley. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

The host also opened up about the stress of executing the selection of the “Traitors” correctly – the process which, if messed up, would literally see producers forced to bring in a whole new cast.

“If I stuff that up, I stuff the whole game up,” he said.

“If I tap their shoulder and drag down their arm or make a noise or something like that, the whole game’s over – we’d have to say, ‘Sorry guys, we have to get new contestants on’.”

Fortunately, Corser has come up with new ways to “torture” the contestants and add extra layers of confusion to avoid anyone picking up on the trail.

“I make them a bit paranoid – in the [edit] it’s probably only 90 seconds, but it’s more like 10 to 15 minutes [in real life]. They’ve got masks on, so they’re disorientated. It’s hot. I go around and tap everyone the shoulder very slowly in a dry run … and I’m very measured.

“Then I walk around five times and don’t do anything, and I walk back the other way, stop and ruffle my coat … I stand next to someone for like 10 seconds … and then I walk back the other way.

“They really freak out.”

The Traitors premieres Sunday, 13 August at 7.30pm on Channel 10 and 10 Play.

Originally published as The Traitors Australia 2023: Ten’s big gamble on massive overseas hit