Big Brother, the Channel 4 programme that ushered in the reality television revolution, is to be dropped after ten years of transmission, the broadcaster announced yesterday.

To its detractors it is the vulgar epitomy of voyeurism, to its fans it is an innovative social experiment; but nobody would question that the show has been the most ground-breaking, and controversial, television programme of the decade.

Kevin Lygo, Channel 4’s director of television, used the channel’s autumn season launch to announce that he had decided not to renew a £60 million-a-year deal with Endemol, the programme’s production company, when it expires next year. The channel will broadcast one final series of the show in 2010, as well as another celebrity version.

Mr Lygo said that despite the fact that the current series was attracting an average of only 2.2 million viewers per instalment — compared to more than 5 million in previous outings — it was still a profitable endeavour. The decision had been made for creative reasons.

He said: “Big Brother is still profitable for Channel 4 despite its reduced popularity and there could have been the option to renew it on more favourable terms. But Channel 4 has a public remit to champion new forms of creativity.

“That remit has been an essential part of the weird chemistry behind Big Brother’s success, but it’s now what is telling us that the programme has reached a natural end point on Channel 4 and it’s time to move on.”

Amid an ongoing debate over the future of public service broadcasting, and renewed appeals by Channel 4 for help to fill a predicted £150 million funding gap, the move to dump Big Brother is being seen by many as a convenient political move to bolster the broadcaster’s public image.

To amplify the point, the channel announced that of the £60 million annual saving, £20 million would be pumped into its drama budget. It promised an increase in original productions, announcing three new commissions, including a four-part serial from Shane Meadows, which will be the Bafta-winning director’s television debut.

Julian Bellamy, head of programming at Channel 4, said: “Big Brother will leave a huge hole and filling it will involve the most fundamental creative overhaul in our history.”

He said that the channel was not looking for a like-for-like replacement, but wanted a variety of programming to fill the 200 hours of the schedule left empty, adding that he was keen on commissioning a “quirky, returnable series aimed at younger audiences”, in a similar vein to the hit show Shameless.

Other broadcasters immediately ruled out taking on Big Brother, although it would be considered commercially naive to publicly declare an interest with more than a year to go before the Channel 4 contract ends.

Dawn Airey, chief executive of Five, said: “No, we won’t be bidding for Big Brother; it feels like the show is coming to its natural end.” Stuart Murphy, director of programmes at Sky One, said: “We talk to Endemol all the time but aren't discussing Big Brother with them.”

Endemol confirmed that it was not in discussions with other broadcasters, and hinted that it may use the wide take-up of broadband internet to take the series online. Tim Hincks, chief executive of Endemol UK, said: “Big Brother has revolutionised television in many ways, and we need to think about how to revolutionise the internet.”

Big Brother launched the career of Jade Goody, who first appeared in the show’s third series, in 2002, before notoriously returning as a celebrity contestant in 2007, when she became involved in a race row with Shilpa Shetty that generated more than 50,000 public complaints and almost cost the channel bosses their jobs.

The format also propelled the comedian Russell Brand to fame, as host of the spin-off show Big Brother’s Big Mouth.

Former contestants on the show said that they thought it had run out of steam. Craig Phillips, winner of the first series, said: “Big Brother is undoubtedly tired. The bottom line, though, is that Big Brother remains a highly profitable show for any broadcaster and so I can’t see any reason why another broadcaster wouldn’t want to pick up the UK rights for 2011 and beyond. People remain transfixed by reality television.”

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