1. A BUNCH OF NEW FORMATS FROM AROUND THE WORLD (PART II)
The second part of some interesting formats from around the world recently launched.
DENMARK. Mastiff TV Denmark, part of Banijay Nordic, is adapting the hit studio entertainment format Starstruck for DR1, the oldest TV channel in Denmark. Originally created by Banijay UK label Remarkable Entertainment, Starstruck has been the Saturday evening hit show in ITV and a second season is under production.
The show transforms members of the public into some of the world’s biggest music icons. They will line up as three different interpretations of the same artist and give a combined performance for the judges.
FINLAND/AUSTRALIA. Another interesting format from Finland (see FE 3rd Feb): Ultimate Escape, maybe the best adventure reality of the last season. Originally created by Rabbit Films for Discovery+ and TV5 Finland, the second series has just been filmed and will air in autumn 2023; crowned Best Reality Format at the 2022 International Format Awards, it has been officially commissioned by Seven Network and is set to air on Seven Network and 7plus later this year.
The concept is simple: there are 24 hours, 24 clues and 24 calls to release a celebrity from a locked container in the middle of nowhere. A host is on mission to face the most extreme conditions and solve the hardest clues in order to save the celebrity from an unknown location.
The celebrity locked in the container has access to information, clues and tips that will help the host find them. That’s all, but the breath-taking Finnish landscapes and the thrilling race against the clock make this format really spectacular.
JAPAN. Coming Bingo, from TV Tokyo Corporation, combines the classical Bingo game with trivia questions. 25 participants, divided into 2 teams, have the same unique professions, like athletes, hostesses and so on. The questions are related to the secrets of the profession and the number of correct answers is the drawn number.
2. MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT MEETS SURVIVOR
When a format performs very well it’s natural to try repeating the success. This is the case of Married at First Sight (2013 Denmark, 31 total launched versions), to which the authors have just attached the classical survivalist / adventure part. The result is Stranded On Honeymoon Island: an “adventure dating show” hybrid.
It starts exactly like Married at First Sight: 4 couples are matched by experts following a speed dating event, but they don’t know which partner has been chosen for them until they see them at the altar; then it continues like a “survivor style show”: the couples are abandoned on their own on a deserted tropical island and left to fend for themselves for two weeks.
In each episode crates wash ashore containing tools crucial to their survival, personal greetings from home, or even a little luxury to sweeten their day. After the two weeks the couples are separated and return to civilization, where they must make a life-changing decision. Will they renew their commitment and stay together, or will they go their separate ways?
Created by Snowman Productions, the series is being produced by PIT and it will debut in March on the Belgian broadcaster VTM2. Red Arrow Studios International will distribute it internationally.
3. THE DEBUT OF CONTENT AMERICAS
A report on Content Americas (that took place at Hilton Hotel of Miami from 24 to 26 Jan) from Sarah Coursey, SVP International Content, Happy Accidents.
Miami is back on the international TV map once again, as the city hosted the inaugural debut of Content Americas. Focused on the Latin American and US Hispanic market, with buyers from North America and around the world in attendance, it was a buzzy and exciting event. Studios such as Sony, Telemundo, Disney and Fremantle held court, with TV channels from across the southern hemisphere scouting for series, films and formats.
The US Spanish-speaking market has been growing in leaps and bounds, with the expression “200 percenters” recently coined by Telemundo Studios, defining a new generation. This group is young (20-35), educated and self-identifies as both 100% Latino and 100% Hispanic. Content produced for this demographic should therefore reflect this connection to the roots of viewers' home countries as well as a Hispano-American identity.
Part of the shift that Content America celebrates is duly noted in the new Spanish language divisions of prominent US production companies, such as Propagate Content. Its principal, Ben Silverman, was a keynote speaker, and as an early adopter (and adapter!) of Latino shows, from Ugly Betty to Jane the Virgin, he's been following the trend for years. By 2050, one in three Americans will speak Spanish, and the producers who are first to market will be poised to profit from this seismic demographic shift.
The so-called “cooling off” of global streamers, with tighter budgets in exchange for smaller rights positions, is opening the doors for co-production opportunities, and the Latin world has taken notice. Expect to see more creative deals being made between the US, Mexico and Latin America, as the likes of Netflix and Amazon keep just a few territories, leaving the rest to be sold separately, or to regional channel groups.
In all, Content Americas was a fascinating look into what's in store for the Latin market, with more creativity, cooperation and partnership between countries, and an ever-growing US appetite for all things Spanish-language.