The Underdog: Josh Must Win Thread 1! (Monday 25th March 9pm E4)

[Dostadning]

‘A beacon of hope’: Nick Grimshaw and Vicky Pattison on the reality show that’s ripping up the rulebook | Television | The Guardian

@NillyNoMates @TellingBone @Twiglets1 @theconfidenceofwho

Plus any other telly addicts MNetters/Celeb Big Brother twaddlers

Show starts Monday evening according to the Graudian.

I quite like Grimmy on Gogglebox, don't really know the others that well.
But it might be an interesting watch.
Alternatively, I end up not rooting for the underdog and rename the show Josh Must Die.

"Didn't the man in the trial one have a bit of a freak out afterwards? Not knowing if things were happening to him for the show to continue or if it was reality?"

From what I can see it took quite a while to piece it all together but it seems to have been a positive experience for him. He is friends with the other participants, and just showed himself as a genuinely nice man who everyone likes. I found it funny and bizarre at times but not cruel.

I am just watching episode 2 and am not convinced that Josh is not in on it. I don't really feel that he would have applied for something like that

If Josh doesn’t know what is really happening, it could be really bad in the end, when he realizes he didn’t actually win.

what is nice is seeing the others start to warm to him, not being so judgey.

Aargh! I am proper invested now but I hate "constructed reality" shows. It's the only time I've ever warmed to Martin Freeman, seeing his reaction to TOWIE getting an award!
So if it turns out they aren't real contestants, that's annoying. If it turns out, Josh was in on it and the panel are being hoaxed, I could live with it.
Josh seems a lot more resilient than the Poor Little Me photo on the article in my OP. Not sure whether he'd have applied though unless he thought it was going to be more of a mixture of housemates or he was a Big Brother reject applicant they found or something.
But yes, I'd find the whole concept humiliating personally. The Reveal is we picked you as a Nerd/Loser/Outlier. He'd probably need a waiver and you wouldn't risk the whole show on it if he didn't sign a release form. The contracts would have to be watertight and still people might rightfully want to sue (There's Something about Miriam contestants sued).
There was a thread about Space Cadets on here and I attached this article then.
Ipswich, we have a problem: Space Cadets, the reality show that never left the ground | Reality TV | The Guardian

Legal action against TV production company/channel | Mumsnet

Interesting thread on here about the ethics/PTSD of being subject to hoax telly.

I'm enjoying it but uncomfortable as to how Josh will feel about it at the end, if he isn't in on it. That he was chosen as someone who was so utterly hopeless that he needed a whole panel to help. I don't know if the TV company would risk the repercussions, but on the other hand Josh doesn't strike me as acting.

Is that really on their milk bottle?

I was trying to work out if I'd notice but I am very unobservant so probably not!

I think the panel would be making a mistake keeping Myles in after another 'least favourite' vote. Players are not going to believe that 'the public' are keeping someone like him in, surely? They'll start to suspect something's not as it seems.

On a similar note - Josh is being such a success in there that other players might begin to think either a: he's a ringer and needs to go or b: he's a threat and needs to go.

I am enjoying the programme - it's fascinating to watch how people behave in artificial situations and under societal pressures. Added to that is that the players know what it normally takes to win reality shows of this nature; an extra dynamic.

All of the above, by the way, assumes that we the viewers are not being fooled by an entire cast of actors. 😏

I was thinking about this programme at 2am when I could not sleep (sad I know) and the more I thought about it the more I thought Josh is in on it.

As I already said, I cannot see that he would ever choose to go on this type of show. They had to have someone like him to make the show work and what if no one of that type had applied, which is pretty likely. How did they get the applicants I wonder.

Also, as others have said, if he genuinely has no idea who knows how he will feel when he finds out. Do the producers really want to take the risk that he will be badly affected?

I did wonder if the rest were all in on it and/or actors but I don't think so when you see the reaction of the 2 that have been let in on the secret (unless they are very good actors).

It’s a weird show isn’t it? I wasn’t able to watch it in real time so binge watched the first 3 episodes yesterday. Must admit I’m now hooked and disappointed to see the next episode isn’t until Monday ☹️

Myles versus Jack.
Josh Must Win written on the milk
Jack’s wink was cute, his neck tats less so.
Louie clapping Myles winning was… a choice.
Myles and Josh bonding, get out of it. Myles denying being fake when he
was stirring it for Great Britain. Power couple as one player? What, like “Speidi” in CBB11?!
Also, on Tuesday they said they had to pick the challenges playing to Josh’s strengths so why were they going for Gift of the Gab yesterday (rather than look out for your mates or honesty?)
Not sure the housemates were that impressed seeing Vicky, as opposed to
an actual influencer.
But yes, long term, even if Josh does win, how fecking deflated is he going to be that it was orchestrated and not real popularity?
Given the lawsuits against reality shows, he must be in on it, but that makes a mockery of the whole premise.

I have to say I'm sucked in enough now to have to see how this unfolds. I'm also not convinced all is as it seems.
I quite liked Jack. He reminded me of number one in the umbrella academy.

Yes the whole 3 nights on the waiting until the next week is annoying. Apart from the weird milk carton label ( very odd?) I also keep thinking how the contestants must be thinking the whole set up is a bit low rent and like a mish mash of Big Brother, I'm a celeb, love Island ...and must be wondering what the point of it all is .. but then maybe they are so happy to be on TV and so self obsessed maybe they haven't really questioned what the point of it all is?!

Either way I am sufficiently invested but still questioning who knows what and if it's all as it seems

Binged this after coming across the first episode.

Totally hooked now.

Louie is rather strange
Jeanette looks so much lovelier without the attitude.
Maddy - can't tell if she's older or younger but her relationship with Myles reminds me of the daft girl on Traitors

I think Josh must be in on it. How incredibly hurtful if he's not

Also Vicky is hilarious. I've only been vaguely aware of her but she is great at this

Hi, I've just watched the first 3 episodes.
Like you guys, I'm not totally sure if all is as it seems.
And if I were one of the 4 panellists, I'd be questioning everything and wondering if I was being played.

I hate that Josh is so obviously different from the others- that's to me what makes it a bit cruel, like a project to make cool people like the nerd.
If there was a mixture of different people/ages, they could have just pulled a name out a hat for the celebs to help win.

I do quite like that the production team isn't making it easy for the celebs, by eg sending them in disguised - and also sending in Vicky P, when she's been talking to them already, pretending she's a producer

Oh, and if they all think it's a show where you've to be voted Favourite, then why are so many of them being utter twats to each other?

There is that...but there's also strategy. Why choose their weakest opponent if they see Josh as being no competition?
Either it's a Traitors All vote for the weakest/whose name has been brought up herd mentality or they should be trying to work out who actually is most likely to be most popular with an audience and putting them up (answer: none of them ). I think the couple will be out soon as they went in last.

Josh's Mum sounded so fake. I'm more and more convinced Josh is an actor.

😑

Am watching now. Happy Easter!

Saving someone's life + Only fans "mouth to mouth" comment
Grimmy does make me laugh.

I wonder what they'd have done if Josh had been a real-life wanker after all and acted deplorably in the house!

Him saying "Good riddance" wasn't exactly Josh-like, was it?!

I agree that the premise relies on too many variables/and casting relies on Josh being able to take a reveal.
They also ought to use the eliminated more.

They missed a trick - should have done it as they are doing but over last Monday to yesterday (7 episodes) - but the finale (episode 8) should have been that Josh is an actor and was actually hoaxing the sleb panel the whole time. Shown today, given it's April Fool's.

It's fine as a binge watch but individual episodes Mon-Wed isn't working out and each separate episode isn't interesting enough imho. I will keep watching but it should have just been shown over a week like Space Cadets back in the day was. The premise also can't be repeated.

I am only just watching last nights episode but I agree that Josh's mum sounds fake. Also she didn't even have to think for a second about what story to tell them about him.

I feel almost certain now that Josh is not genuine

I thought Mum sounded fake at first but not when she was telling the story

I did love Josh telling his lifesaving story, then Louie saying "What kind of magnets do you collect?" 😆