1. FORMATS IN HOTELS
Hotels have always been a suggestive location where to set a program, so it’s not surprising that there are many that use them for (almost) every kind of format. For example we can mention, among others, Hôtel du temps, Hotel Römantiek, The Time Hotel and so on. Now, 2 new formats have been added to this list.
The first one is the Spanish reality ¡Vaya Vacaciones! (“What a holidays!”) produced by Cuarzo Producciones, part of Banijay Iberia, in co-development with Mediaset España, that will be launched in the Summer.
Presented by the host Luján Argüelles (pic), this brand-new reality will see eight celebrity couples staying in an all-inclusive luxury hotel, accompanied by a couple of their choosing. Together, they will enjoy the sun and sea of the Dominican Republic—however the serenity can’t last forever due to a twist that has not yet been revealed.
The second one is El Hotel de los Famosos (Hotel Vip), announced during the 2023-24 Upfront Presentation of TelevisaUnivision, the world’s leading Spanish-language media and content company, that took place in New York City last 16th May.
Hosted by Roberto Palazuelos and Karina Banda (pic), the format brings 16 celebrities to compete in a role-playing game at a hotel. Select celebrities will be “guests” and the others will be the “staff.” Their place and role will be determined by their performance in both physical and mental tests each week. At the end of the week, one participant will be eliminated and in the finale we will discover who is the winner of the grand prize.
2. UNCONVENTIONAL TRAVELS WITH ITALIANS
Remaining in Neo-Latin-speaking countries, in Italy on May 23rd debuted Viaggi Pazzeschi (“Amazing Journeys”) on Sky Group’s TV8, produced by Banijay Italia and hosted by Victoria Cabello and her best friend Paride Vitale (pic), the couple who won last year's edition of Pechino Express Italy.
In this travel show, Victoria and Paride will visit six destinations: Helsinki, Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Marrakech and Liverpool. In each stop, 3 “locals” -i.e. Italian expats who have been living in the episode's city for a long time- will propose unconventional experiences, far from those popular among average tourists. The hosts will literally be at the mercy of the locals, who will each propose surreal experiences that will most likely lead to hilarious travel gags and dynamics. At the end of each episode, the hosts will elect the winning local, chosen according to their unquestionable judgment.
The format combines travel with comedy show, a mix that usually works quite well, and that’s why it is used in a number of recent formats (for example, the Finnish Travel Battle, see Friday’s Espresso 14th April). Of course, in this kind of programs the key is the charm and pleasantness of the hosts rather than the mechanism and the rules of the format itself.
3. JOE REBOOT
The big wave (it’s much more than a “simple” trend) of reboots and spin-offs continues all around the world, stronger than ever. Only last week, a new slate of returning classics were announced. For example: The $100,000 Pyramid, Celebrity Jeopardy!, Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and Press Your Luck, Shark Tank, Judge Steve and other on ABC, Survivor and The Amazing Race on NBC, ¡Allá tú!, (Deal or Not Deal) on Telecinco, Spain, after a 12-year hiatus; and we could go on and on.
Among them, the one that surprised me most was the announcement of the reboot of “reality hoax series” The Joe Schmo Show for cablenet TBS, produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and Fly on the Wall Entertainment, with original creators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
The original show premiered in 2003 on US channel Spike and at the time was something really unique. The program is actually a fake reality and a great comedy show, with only one real contestant -the “Joe Schmo” of the title- who believes that all the crazy things happening around him are true, while all the others participants are actors playing a part. At the bottom, the iconic, hilarious final revelation at the end of the first series (apologies for the quality of the video).
But this was 20 years ago. Reality was the flagship genre and the big worldwide phenomenon of TV, and times were completely different. What sense does it have now to relaunch a show like this, which, moreover, can last only a few series (after a while even the most naïve of the Joe Schmos will understands that it is a fake)?