1- NETFLIX GAME
It’s the news of the week: Netflix is preparing the unscripted version of its most successful scripted property Squid Game, to be produced by UK prodcos Studio Lambert and The Garden, with the title Squid Game: the Challenge.
An open casting call has just been launched online for the series with applications being solicited for English-speaking US, UK and international contestants.
Apart from that, up to now the only confirmed facts are the number of episodes (10), the number of players (456, as in the scripted series) and the huge prize of US $4.56 million that will go to the winner at the end of various games inspired by the drama, as well as new challenges.
Transforming a content /franchising from scripted to unscripted is an understandable operation, especially in this case, in which the fiction is based on games. But it’s anything but easy, and the risk of disappointing the viewers is pretty high (see Friday’s Espresso 1st April).
Squid Game holds the record as Netflix’s most popular series, with over 1.65 billion view hours in the first 28 days after its September 2021 premiere (but it’s also good to remember that this date -and all similar dates of the streaming platforms- are produced by the streaming themselves and can’t be verified by third parts: this lack of transparency is one of the greatest problems for the modern media scenario).
2- STAY HUNGRY!
In Israel they are Hungry for Love, a new dating show from Stampede Ventures in partnership with Tadmor Entertainment, which has received a straight-to-series order from Israeli network HOT Entertainment (the shootings will start this month).
The series has one single rule: no one eats on their own. So, for the participants looking for love, every meal they eat has to be a date, till they find their soulmate. The promise is is that if we all become active in the search for love as in the preparation of the next meal, the chance of love increases.
In Uk they are Hungry for it, on air on BBC Three on prime time and then on BBC One. The show will follow 10 young and rookie chefs learning how to make it in the food business, followed by 2 mentors and judges (the rapper and Tv chef Big Zuu and the personal celebrity chef Chef Kay Kay).
Nothing original in the concept, but the good pace and the funny challenges (e.g. “levelling up” party food and dishing up burgers to 100 diners) make this program a good example of a cooking show for Gen Z.
3 - GETTING DRESSED IN SYDNEY
In conclusion, a short jump in Australia. Made Up Stories and Mother Media group are producing Undressed, that will be soon on air on Network 10.
The format, a mix between a classic make-over program and a social experiment, is based on the question: “If we change our clothing, can we change our lives?”.
A group of Australians will start a life-changing journey, exploring what drives their clothing choices and challenging them to make new choices that will create the lives they desire. In fact, we judge each other mainly from our outfits and that’s why it is truly possible to dress for success.
This Sydney-shot series is hosted by journalist Kathryn Eisman (pic below)