Rise and Fall (TV series)

Did You Know?

• Ali left in episode 1 after learning he was to become a Grafter.
• Joanna left the show in episode 9 on medical grounds due to a trapped nerve in her arm.
• Joas was ejected from the show in episode 14 after throwing a glass of water over Sophie during an argument.

Production

Channel 4 ordered Rise and Fall from Studio Lambert in August 2022. Filming took place at London's 1927 55 Broadway tower. Presenter Greg James telephoned Claudia Winkleman for advice on presenting the series. Contestants were filmed 24 hours a day. The soundtrack was composed by Patrizio Knight, who had worked on The Circle, and Emma Clarke voiced The Lift. In June 2023 Channel 4 considered axing a second series due to filming costs, fast-turnaround mistakes, and lack of success compared to The Traitors; this was confirmed in January 2024.

Episodes

Six episodes aired in the first week from Sunday 19 March to Friday 24 March, followed by four shows a week at 10pm Monday to Thursday for three more weeks, totalling 18 episodes. The final broadcast on Thursday 13 April featured all previously eliminated Rulers returning alongside the remaining Grafters. Six Rulers were in the penthouse for the final: Ramona, Rossi, Eddy, Moses, Sydney and Matt. Rossi lost his place after a bricklayer task. Ramona was voted out next but gained the power to vote out the next Ruler, choosing Moses, who then chose Matt for third place. Eddy and Sydney were the final two; Ramona, Moses and Matt decided Eddy should win the £85,610 prize pot.

Critical reception

The Guardian gave the series 3 out of 5 stars, calling it 'The Apprentice Traitors Big Brother' and noting that beneath a shiny veneer of newness it was an old-fashioned backstabbing bunfight between unlikable people. The Telegraph gave 2 out of 5, describing it as 'The Traitors’ garish little cousin' and suggesting some contestants were not very nice people. The Lancashire Post found it not immediately gripping but increasingly fascinating, hoping for a revolution. The Observer, after the first week, said it tried to be a primetime TV treatise on capitalism and power, criticising hyper-camera-aware wannabes and 'Torture TV' tasks. After the second week, The Tab highlighted a lack of diversity among the Rulers, noting that all four ethnic minority rulers and the two remaining women had been voted out, leaving six white men, and concluded the show looked questionable.