The Traitors creator says "nobody wanted" reality series when he first pitched idea
The Traitors became a runaway hit when it hit screens, becoming BBC iPlayer's second most-streamed show over Christmas.
But it almost wasn't a hit at all, with the show's creator admitting to having trouble getting the concept off the ground.
Marc Pos created the original Dutch format, and spent six years pitching it only to be rejected.
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"Nobody wanted to have it over here. Now it’s like this romantic success story, and yet no one wanted it back then," he told Variety.
"But I continued doing tests, pilots, and kept believing in it, and when we finally created this series in the Netherlands, it became a hit."
Following the Dutch premiere, the show was sold to 20 countries by the end of the year. An American version, hosted by Alan Cumming, is landing on screens very soon.
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Pos explained why he felt like companies were hesitant about the format.
"Well, normally, when you create this kind of program, like The Mole, it’s a sort of guessing game for viewers who have to find out who the mole is.
"But in the case of The Traitors, viewers know right away who the traitors are.
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"People at TV channels kept telling me that if I know who the [traitors] are, there’s no point. But as it turns out, if you produce a show in a good manner, then it becomes a success everywhere!"
He also shared his opinion of the UK version, which differed from the Dutch version by using civilians rather than celebrities.
"We were really, really, really blown away," he said. "The cast is so fantastic in the UK.
"It’s great to see these regular people who aren’t really used to this kind of psychological adventure, so to speak."
The Traitors is available to catch up on via BBC iPlayer.
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