Graham Norton has described his new ITV reality series, The Neighbourhood, as 'brutal but wholesome', saying it 'puts the real into reality'. The show, which airs on ITV, sees six households move into a specially built close in Derbyshire to compete for a £250,000 prize, with the groups voting each other out.
Norton, who has reduced his BBC chat show commitments, said he was drawn to the concept because it was unlike anything else on television. 'Usually when you're pitched a show it's couched in terms of other things... What was so refreshing about this is that it was an idea I hadn't heard before,' he explained. The show taps into the 'minutiae of daily life', with Norton admitting he is 'Mr Twitchy Curtain' when it comes to neighbours.
The scale and budget of the production left Norton feeling like he was in a Hollywood film. 'It's huge, and it has that heightened thing of almost being like The Truman Show,' he said. Contestants became so immersed in the experience that they forgot they were in a game show, with Norton noting they were seen watering fake flowers.
Challenges are themed around suburbia, including being pegged out on a clothes line, building a garden shed while tied together, and sorting garden gnomes. The exit process is harsh: a 'For Sale' sign is planted on the lawn of the evicted household, and removal men immediately escort them out. 'It is brutal because it's instant,' Norton said. 'You will never be seen again.'
Despite the toughness, Norton insists the show is joyful, with contestants forming genuine bonds. One household of students proved particularly popular. 'There's something quite wholesome about the whole thing,' he said. The winning moment is described as 'the most amazing moment', though Norton joked that losers are 'probably sitting at home spitting into a bucket'.
The Neighbourhood also features a pub called the Uppin Arms, and a cameo from Stephen Mulhern for a game of Catchphrase, during which one contestant mistook him for Ant or Dec. Norton, who stayed out of arguments, said: 'Bring on the ding dong.'
