NBC announced today that it has renewed The Biggest Loser, its hit weight-loss reality series, for a third season.
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"The Biggest Loser tells a very relatable story for many viewers and offers an upbeat and empowering challenge," NBC Entertainment president Kevin Reilly stated in the network's announcement. "We are also pleased with the ratings momentum that the show has built in a competitive time slot."
"We are thrilled The Biggest Loser franchise is healthier than ever and that we will continue to have an opportunity with NBC to entertain and empower our avid fan base," The Biggest Loser executive producer Ben Silverman added.
The Biggest Loser will air the live two-hour season finale of its currently airing second season on Tuesday, November 29 at 8PM ET/PT. Stretching the show's final weigh-in for as long as possible, the finale's first hour will feature the show's previously eliminated contestants weighing in to see who has lost the largest percentage of weight since leaving the ranch, with the winning "loser" taking home $100,000.
After the "losers weigh-in," the finale's second hour will document the three finalists' attempts to continue losing weight after returning home from The Biggest Loser ranch. Once the pre-taped "back home" footage airs, the show will return back to the live studio set, where the three finalists will undergo their final weigh-in and one of them will be crowned "The Biggest Loser" and win $250,000.
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Although NBC hasn't announced when it expects to broadcast The Biggest Loser 3 (an NBC spokeswoman speculated to Reality TV World that the third season might not air until Fall 2006), that doesn't mean that Loser viewers will have to wait that long to get another taste of the show. While The Biggest Loser 3 has yet to begin production, NBC is tentatively planning to air its previously announced self-contained The Biggest Loser spin-off series in early 2006.
Featuring themed stand-alone episodes, The Biggest Loser spin-off will pit groups of varying sizes battling against each other in an effort to lose weight. According to NBC, the subtitle of each self-contained episode will reflect the groups competing in the episode. For example, an episode featuring residents of two different towns will be titled The Biggest Loser: Town vs. Town. Other planned editions include family vs. family, bride vs. bride, and co-workers vs. co-workers. Unlike The Biggest Loser's main series, the spin-off episodes will not be hosted by Caroline Rhea or feature Loser trainers Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper.