LUCKY 13: A “MINIMAL” GAME
Games, and especially quizzes, are a kind of 'safe haven' in these rather complicated television times: they are relatively cheap and - as a rule - guarantee good results. Among the various sub-groups, we can also mention the division between 'big' and 'minimal' games.
The first category includes games with a strong visual impact, either because of the large number of participants (The 1% Club and The Floor among them), a significant scenic aspect that characterises them (Mental Samurai/Mental Masters, The Quiz with Balls) or for other reasons.
The second group has none of these and relies entirely on the strength of the rules and the mechanism, which, if well designed, still guarantees excellent results. The classic The Chase is the ultimate example of this genre.
Lucky 13, from executive producer Kevin Bacon & Studio 1, which will premiere this summer on ABC, is part of this second group. The quiz tests contestants' knowledge with 13 true-or-false trivia questions, but with a twist: how well do they know what they know? and, just as importantly, how well do they know what they don't know?
A qualifying true/false question is asked and the fastest right answer plays the first round: Lucky 7, that consists of seven true/false questions under a timer. Each right answer is worth more money, from $1,000 and up to $20,000 for a perfect 7. Contestants are asked to predict how many they think they got right before their answers are revealed, and a right answer adds a $10,000 bonus.
After two pairs have played, the team with more money can choose to keep their money or give it up to play Lucky 13 and play for the jackpot. If they don't play, the other team is forced to play. Lucky 13 is played in the same way as Lucky 7, but players are asked to predict how many answers they get right. If they guess correctly, they win the money they got. If they don't, they get nothing.
FOOD ON CRUISE
'Trav-food', or formats that combine cooking with travel and adventure, is a trend that is particularly popular in (but not limited to) Anglo-Saxon countries. Recent examples include 12 Dishes in 12 Days (ITV, see FE 25/08/2013), Around the World in 80 Weighs (Channel 4, see FE 12/01), Tom Kerridge Cooks Britains (also on ITV, coming soon, see FE 8/03) and many more.
Now Judi Love's Culinary Cruise (soon on ITV1 and ITVX, produced by Title Role and funded by Emerald Cruises) joins the list with a different and interesting twist. The series will follow comedian, TV presenter and former MasterChef winner Judi Love (pictured) as she travels to five different destinations on a luxury yacht called the Emerald Azzurra, taking in all the culture and scenery that each destination has to offer, before picking up some local ingredients and returning to the ship to cook some local dishes for the guests on board.
The cruise takes in the Mediterranean, starting in Kotor in Montenegro, passing through Parga, Kerkira and Kefalonia, and ending in the popular Greek town of Itea.
The charm of local cuisine and dishes, combined with the excitement of travelling and discovering the wonders of the world: this is the simple but highly effective recipe of ‘trav-food’.
LIVING IN THE CANADIAN WILDERNESS
Prime Video has unveiled seven new unscripted projects that have been greenlit in Canada, including true crime docu-series and three projects from Canadian comedian Tom Green. But the most intriguing seems to be the factual reality Hard North, which follows the tried and tested ‘Into the Wilderness’ trend, but takes it to its ultimate conclusion: instead of a time trial, the contestants face the adventure of a lifetime.
A group of young Canadians embark on a challenging four-season mission: to build a life in the vast and unforgiving Canadian wilderness. The series takes viewers on an adventure through some of the country's most remote and rugged landscapes as these aspiring homesteaders face the harsh realities of living off the land, building shelter and foraging for food and water.
The series is produced by Blue Ant Studios, in association with Prime Video and (which is quite remarkable) National Geographic and APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network), the first national Indigenous broadcaster in the world, launched in 1999.
NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
Mistura Beirão, a brand fund programme produced by Shine Iberia Portugal and sponsored by the Portuguese liqueur Licor Beirão, premiered last Saturday 15th June on Portuguese TVI. 10 professionals compete to be crowned the best cocktail maker in Portugal
Last Monday 17 June, Invictus, ¿te atreves? ('Invictus. Do you dare?') premiered on Spanish channel La 1. The format, produced by RTVE in association with Boxfish, is the adaptation of the British A League of Their Own
Talpa Studios' quiz show, The Quiz with Balls, will premiere on German RTL on Wednesday 24 July with the title Splash - Das Promi-Pool-Quiz
The Floor, another Talpa Studios format, will be adapted by Belgian broadcaster VTM. The show, which is now open for casting, will be produced by Dok1
The Mexican channel Azteca 1 premiered the eighth season of La Isla, an adaptation of Caracol Televisión's original format, El Desafío
The musical show Perrea, Perrea (‘perrea’ means ‘twerk’), focusing on the phenomenon of reggaeton, will premiere Monday 8 July on the Spanish platform Movistar Plus+
MTV’s Pimp My Ride’ team will launch the new Netflix series Resurrected Rides with comedian Chris Redd as host. The new motor makeover series will premiere on July 24
A second season of the French adaptation of CJ ENM’s I Can See Your Voice, locally titled Show Me Your Voice, will premiere on French channels M6 and M6+ on July 8