Media Analysis: Life after Big Brother.(Channel 4 Television Co.)

As the reality show's impact nosedives, C4 is planning a return to high-quality, niche programming.

At the O2 last week, Prince sang that not only do you not have to be rich or cool to be his girl, you don't have to watch Big Brother either. The roar of approval from the crowd suggests that the reality-TV show is now officially out of vogue.

The latest series of the Channel 4 cash cow has not performed well, but some industry insiders believe that its waning popularity may be a positive development for the broadcaster, which has been accused of being over-reliant on the show. As part of a planned creative overhaul, Channel 4 has decided against a series of Celebrity Big Brother next year - a decision that has been taken as confirmation by many Big Brother bashers that the format …