The Jump series four conversations "have started"
There’s a lot of “good will” around the Channel 4 show and discussions are underway for another run of the winter sports-themed reality show
Discussions have begun about a fourth series of Channel 4’s winter sports-themed reality show The Jump.
“Obviously there's much to discuss but there's a lot of good will around The Jump,” a source close to the show told RadioTimes.com. “It's early days, and no-one is making any assumptions, but conversations have started about what a fourth series might look like.”
The show, which sees celebrities train up and compete in various snowy sports – including skeleton, ski cross and ski jumping – was won by former rugby pro Ben Cohen this year. The series regularly pulled in more than two million consolidated viewers, something that’s not been missed by bosses.
That’s “quite a rare thing”, C4’s Chief Creative Officer Jay Hunt told Broadcast.
“We’re very proud of that and it’s a fantastic family show. It’s very difficult for us to find a tone of voice that works in pre-watershed when there’s a gravitational pull towards the cheeky, mischievous and rude.”
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The Jump's future had been in doubt after a string of injuries, the most worrisome of which was that of former Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle who needed surgery to fuse fractured vertebrae in her neck after a fall in training.
A review of safety procedures was ordered just two weeks in to the series with the channel itself admitting it was “in light of the number of injuries this year”.
Social media was awash with concerns from viewers as famous faces continued to crash out on the Austrian slopes. But the day after the final, Ofcom ruled that no investigation would take place, stating that the channel had applied generally accepted standards.
“We noted that all the participants in The Jump were consenting adults and were aware of the potential risk of injury when they decided to take part,” the regulator added.
“Winter sports carry an element of danger, that’s the nature of it. We take safety extremely seriously,” Hunt insisted.
Conversations with those involved in the show suggest there’s plenty of interest from more celebrities to sign up, too – and Hunt herself said she didn’t think casting it again would be an issue.
Someone can knock up another cowbell trophy, right?
