Rise and Fall review: Channel 4's new reality game show - and events in Parliament - leave you hoping for a revolution
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
This new reality game show which laid bare the corrupting influence of power and privilege for us all to see comes from the same people behind BBC mega-hit The Traitors.
It shared some of the same DNA – two groups of people competing both with and against each other, a high-concept setting, a room with a table where decisions are made – but there was one vital difference.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIn The Traitors, no one knew who exactly was the corrupting influence in their midst. In Rise and Fall, the divide between us and them was all too apparent.


There are ‘rulers’ in a luxury penthouse, who decide how much work the ‘grafters’ – who live in relative squalor – have to do. Each successfully completed task adds money to a prize pot, which can only be won by a ruler at the end.
There is some breathtaking egotism on view. “I am a ruler, ruling is what I do,” says Ali, shortly before storming off the show in a huff when he has to be a grafter.
One ruler – with the same sense of entitlement we saw from Boris Johnson, maintains: “I get to live in luxury, and I deserve it.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad

Meanwhile, the grafters, despite having to carry out tasks which see them being electrocuted, seem pathetically grateful to their overlords.
It’s not immediately gripping, but as time goes by the dynamic becomes more and more fascinating, and especially after this week, you can’t help hoping for a revolution.
I’d never seen Race Across the World (BBC1, Weds, 9pm) before, but this game show – part orienteering, part travelogue, part family therapy session – go me hooked straight from the off, as six teams attempted to get across Canada in the quickest time possible. Beautiful scenery and an eclectic, interesting cast make this a must-watch.
Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Sicily (BBC1, Tues, 9pm) saw two Strictly pros quickstep their way round Giovanni Pernice’s home island. The banter between Giovanni and Anton du Beke – a sort of Louis Tussaud’s Bruce Forsyth – got a bit tiresome, but they proved charming travelling companions.