EUROPEAN GAMES
Games & quizzes from Spain, the Uk, French & Italy
Game shows, and quizzes in particular (which are a subcategory of games), continue to form the ‘backbone’ of unscripted programming, particularly among generalist TV channels (but not only). The following 3 articles analyse some recent examples from Spain, France and the UK (with a pinch of Italy).
SPANISH ADAPTATIONS
Firstly, Trivial Pursuit is set to launch on Spain’s public broadcaster La 1 (RTVE) in the near future, with Basque presenter Egoitz Txurruka at the helm. The show is based on the TV format created by Talpa Studios and Hasbro, which is in turn based on the iconic board game of the same name. The Spanish version is produced by Satisfaction Iberia, which has produced two other quizzes for RTVE: The Floor and La Conexión – The Connection.
The TV version of Trivial Pursuit was originally launched on the US's CW Network in October 2024, and a second season has just been announced following its strong debut. Contestants compete on a giant game board, answering questions from different categories to earn wedges and reach the centre before their rivals, winning a cash prize in the process.
Each episode features three rounds and a finale. In round 1, five contestants answer trivia questions from various categories. The fastest player to answer correctly wins a wedge and chooses the next category. The goal is to fill their trays with wedges, but only four contestants can advance – the fifth is eliminated.
In round 2, each player answers six individual questions, one per category, moving closer to the board’s center with every correct answer. Only the top three players proceed to round 3.
Round 3 starts with players positioned based on their progress. They must race to the center of the board, answering questions to push opponents back and secure their spot. Only one advances to the finale, where they must answer questions from all categories. Each correct answer moves them forward, with up to €25,000 at stake if they can beat the clock…
RTVE's quiz offerings also include the 'ultra-classic' US show Jeopardy!, produced by the Spanish production company Lavinia Audiovisual and broadcast on La2 at 12:30. This is followed by the iconic ITV quiz show El Cazador (The Chase), originally produced by Mediacrest and, in its final stage, by ITV Studios Iberia.
On the commercial side, Mediaset España has given the greenlight to a local version of the French daily game show Hold On To Your Seat for its main channel Telecinco, with the local title Agarrate al Sillón. Production in Spain will be handled by Bulldog TV and the show will air daily in Telecinco's access prime time slot, according to Can't Stop Media, which is responsible for the format's international distribution.
Everyday, 6 contestants compete in 2 rounds to become the challenger and get the right to go head-to-head with the reigning champion in order to force them off their seat.
The contestants must play with strategy to answer trivia questions for which they select the difficulty level and thus the number of points to win: 1 point if they play with 2 possible answers; 3 points if they play with 4 possible answers; 5 points if they play without possible answers.
In the final round, the challenger must face the champion. First, they play with a topic chosen by the champion. Then the champion plays with their favourite topic. The player with the highest score wins. The champion either remains in their seat to increase their money pot, or there is a new champion, unless the challenger accepts the champion's cash offer to remain in their seat.
In France, where it is broadcast under the title Tout le Monde Veut Prendre sa Place (‘Everyone wants to take their place’) it has accumulated 16 seasons and more than 5,500 episodes since its premiere in 2006 on the public channel France 2. In addition to Spain, the format has also been adapted in Belgium, Japan and Turkey.
Interestingly, while the first game originated as a board game from which a television quiz show was derived, this second originated as a television format from which a board game was created.
ITALIAN - FRENCH - BRITISH- FRENCH AGAIN GAME
It all began with Campanile Sera, an Italian game show that was broadcast on Programma Nazionale — the only one at the time — from 1959 to 1962. It was a comedic game in which contestants from towns in northern and southern Italy were asked questions and took part in athletic challenges.
The first Italian version led to the French adaptation, Interville, which aired from 1962 onwards and was always very successful. It was first broadcast on RTF (Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française), the French national public television broadcaster, and then on other broadcasters, the last of which was Gulli, which is owned by Group M6.
Among others, Interville inspired the British version It's a Knockout!, which first aired on BBC One in 1966. Now, Banijay Entertainment is bringing It's a Knockout / Interville back to French screens with a reboot produced by Banijay Production Media. The new series is set to launch on the public channel France 2 this summer, starting on 3 July, after a 10-year hiatus, and will comprise four live primetime shows.
As in the original version, this historical and multi-layered game show sees teams representing towns and cities competing against each other in a series of comedic challenges, which often involve wild costumes. Returning to France after more than a decade off the air, the new version of the format will offer new twists while retaining its signature elements of high-energy games, slides, turntables and the series' trademark wall.
The revival will also feature Topa, a fun cow mascot designed by Zep, the creator of the French comic character Titeuf. In each episode, one team member will wear the Topa costume to tease and hype up their opponents in a playful manner.
UK QUIZ CHANNEL
As further proof of the importance of games and quizzes in contemporary media, ITV Quiz started airing on 9 June at 9:00 am: the first programme was a signed version of Lingo.
ITV Quiz is a dedicated channel offering viewers a constant stream of brain-teasing entertainment from 9 am to 1 am every day. It is available via Freeview , Freesat, YouView, Sky Q , Sky Glass.Virgin Media, as well as via streaming on ITVX. The shows will also be uploaded to the official YouTube channel soon. You can subscribe to the channel now clicking here.
Playing host to a line-up of the broadcaster’s favourites, this bran-new quiz channel features a launch month billing of celebrated programmes and award-winning formats such as Lingo, Tipping Point, Wheel of Fortune, Tenable, Deal or No Deal and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
The idea stems from the fact that for nearly 70 years, quiz shows have consistently been a part of ITV's DNA (and all 'generalist TV'). The day after ITV launched in September 1955, Take Your Pick made history as the first British TV quiz to offer a cash prize. Within three years, ITV had turned quiz shows into a national obsession, airing them six nights a week. Last year, 43 million people watched a quiz show on ITV channels, accounting for 69% of the population. Quiz shows amassed an impressive 185 million streams on ITVX in the last year.
So, enjoy the programmes and long live quiz shows!
NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
Banijay Entertainment is launching a new travel format in France, La Meilleure Destination Vacances (The Best Holiday Destination), which is set to premiere on M6 on June 21. Produced by Endemol France, the format follows a panel of celebrities as they embark on a journey to uncover the ultimate summer getaway within one of the world’s most visited countries.
Golden SixTONES, a new entertainment show featuring the Japanese boy band SixTONES, will be available to watch on Netflix internationally on a catch-up basis.
TV3 Group has commissioned a local Lithuanian version of Warner Bros. International Television Production’s (WBITVP) Impractical Jokers.
This marks the 14th adaptation for hidden camera prank show, which was originally created by the American comedy troupe The Tenderloins. In each episode, comedian friends compete to embarrass each other in public with outrageous dares.
Banijay Rights has announced that MasterChef is returning to Argentina, following an agreement with Telefe to secure several seasons of the programme. The Argentinian network will produce and broadcast the programme.
