The Biggest Loser is an American reality television show that began broadcasting on the NBC network on October 19, 2004. The seventh season began on January 6, 2009 and ended on May 12, 2009 with a three-hour finale. The show is now preparing for a 9th season and season 8 premiered on September 15, 2009 at 8:00PM ET.

Premise

The basic premise of the show is that obese people become contestants who are competing to win $250,000 (originally $100,000) by losing the highest percentage (originally the highest amount) of weight. The term loser is normally intended to be an insult; in this case, it refers to someone who loses weight. The first season began with 12 contestants, while the second season began with 14. The third season began with 50 contestants, one from each state. The fourth season began with 18 contestants divided into 3 teams. The fifth season began with ten teams of two people each, and the sixth season began with 8 teams of two. The seventh season began with 11 teams of two.

In the first three seasons, contestants were housed on a large ranch that offered plenty of indoor and outdoor space, a pool and a fully equipped gym. In the fourth season, the ranch was changed and renamed college campus, known on the show as the Biggest Loser Campus. In the sixth season, the contestants' setting reverted to a ranch.