Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: NBC’s weight-loss reality series The Biggest Loser will be going into its upcoming 12th season without co-producing company 3 Ball Prods., which has been suspended from the show. J.D. Roth and Todd Nelson’s 3 Ball was brought in by Reveille and 25/7 at the very beginning to run physical production on the series created by Reveille’s Ben Silverman and Mark Koops and 25/7′s Dave Broome. “We can confirm that 3 Ball Prods. are not serving as active producers on The Biggest Loser for the time being,” Reveille said in a statement to Deadline. “Reveille will be assuming all production responsibilities for the long running franchise, with 25/7 Productions also continuing to serve as executive producers.“ (Since they first partnered on Loser, both Reveille and 3 Ball have been acquired, by Shine Group and Eyeworks, respectively.) Neither Reveille or 3 Ball would comment on the reasons for the split, which, at least for now, is temporary. There are 2 theories floated by sources. One is tied to a recent audit of the backend participation on The Biggest Loser, which Roth and Nelson allegedly raised questions about. The other is connected to Reveille’s recent shift in strategy to bulk up its executive ranks with creative and production executives. The company’s new president, Eden Gaha, is a veteran reality series showrunner. Reveille also tapped Linda Giambron as SVP and head of production, the first time the company has had a formal head of production, as it is gearing up to take on more production responsibilities on its series. Additionally, the timing of the suspension coincides with the solid premiere of 3 Ball’s own weight-loss reality series, which is in the vein of Biggest Loser, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. Production on Season 12 of The Biggest Loser started today.

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