Mal Fletcher comments

Their target audience is the young. So, what are we saying to the young about the value of human life, when we're willing to play games with peoples' health - even if we say it's in a good cause? And what are we telling them about the way to get your point across to the world? That it's OK to lie, as long as the people who make the show are in on the lie?

After Big Donor, I asked in a recent editorial, what's next? And, despite the hoax, that question still stands.

After all, when you think about it, Big Donor the hoax came perilously close to being the real article. It was only at the last minute, as the actress-come-donor was about to announce the 'winner' that the presenter stepped in and gave the game away.

How far are we away from a real version of Big Donor? What will the next generation of Big Brother look like? What will we be asked to watch when BB finally loses its attraction, or becomes too routine to hold an audience?

Right now, much of the reality TV genre is based on putting people together in fairly extreme situations, where they are manipulated and emotionally exploited, and then capturing their responses on camera. And, hungry for affirmation, the players agree to all this.

Who's to say, though, that someday we might not find entertainment value in turning the cameras on people who haven't consented to being filmed?

There's no doubt that so-called reality shows created in the Big Brother mould - if that's your true picture of reality, you probably need to get out of the house more often - provide a form of entertainment for a great many people. Their ratings are consistently high, especially among younger viewers.

However, we've recently seen the dangers of treating people as circus animals on TV, in the way that these shows often do. First of all, there was the infamous Shelpa Shetty incident on Big Brother. The Bollywood actress was subjected to racist taunts by a number of her fellow housemates.

It caused a furore in the UK and in parts of Asia. An official Ofcom enquiry found that the broadcaster, Channel 4, was remiss for breaching its code in, for example, exposing children to racism via an early morning repeat of the show.

There are many very conscientious and public-spirited people within Channel 4. I've had the privilege of meeting some of them. I'm fairly sure the station will take note of the warning it has been given - though I'm also fairly sure that Endemol will try to find new ways to push the boundaries of public taste.

Meanwhile, Australia's Big Brother was recently criticised for deciding not to tell a contestant that her father had died. Millions of viewers were aware of her family's tragedy before she was, as she was allowed no contact with the outside world.

At the end of the day, the only way to bring change will be for those who would otherwise have watched programmes like Big Brother and its younger siblings to switch off.

Once again, here's my challenge to all the Big Brother fans out there. What kind of world do you want to live in ten years from now? What kind of media do you want pumping values into the next generation - say, your own kids? What can we do now to set that in motion?