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Charlie Parsons: The Godfather of Reality TV on Creating The Word, The Big Breakfast, and Survivor
Season 4 Episode 14
Charlie Parsons: The Godfather of Reality TV on Creating The Word, The Big Breakfast, and Survivor
🎙️ Episode Overview
In this lively conversation, Steve Otis Gunn talks with Charlie Parsons — the creative force responsible for some of the most iconic and genre-defining shows in British TV history, including The Word, The Big Breakfast, and the global phenomenon Survivor. Charlie takes us through the early chaos and joy of The Big Breakfast, revealing how a morning show set in real lock-keepers' cottages became a pop culture fever dream. He discusses the instinct and research that went into creating something truly groundbreaking, the birth of Survivor from an unclassifiable concept to an international juggernaut, and the industry battles — including court cases — along the way. Charlie also reflects on the changing TV landscape, from risk-taking commissioners to today’s algorithm-driven decisions, and why he’s now channeling his creative energy into theatre with productions like The Hunger Games, and A Knight’s Tale.
Episode Highlights:
- How The Big Breakfast flipped stale breakfast TV on its head — and why its pilot tested terribly
- Meeting a then-unknown Robbie Williams and early days with Take That
- Recruiting Zig and Zag from Irish TV and merging pop culture oddities into one show
- The intense groundwork and instinct that shaped Survivor into a global format
- Lawsuits, imitators, and the strange pride in seeing your format inspire others
- Shifting from TV to theatre — and how live audiences offer instant feedback
🎠About Charlie Parsons
Charlie Parsons is a British television producer, creator, and format innovator best known for The Word, The Big Breakfast, and Survivor. As co-founder of Planet 24, he revolutionised breakfast television, invented reality competition as we know it, and sold formats worldwide. Today, Charlie focuses on theatre, producing acclaimed shows like Girl from the North Country and upcoming stage adaptations of The Hunger Games and A Knight’s Tale.
đź”— Connect with Charlie
Charlie keeps a low profile online, so why not check out his IMDb page instead:
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Podcast: Television Times with Steve Otis Gunn
Host: Steve Otis Gunn
Guest: Charlie Parsons – Writer & TV Producer
Duration: 42 minutes
Release Date: August 14, 2025
Season: 4, Episode 14
All music written and performed in this podcast by Steve Otis Gunn
Please buy my book You Shot My Dog and I Love You, available in all good bookshops and online.
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Published on 3Â weeks, 4Â days ago