1- MORE THAN 90 GREENLIGHTS FOR MTV
Paramount’s MTV Entertainment Studios unveiled a slate of more than 90 greenlights between originals and renewals across multiple platforms. Among the original (but not too much ;) projects, we point out 4 (3 from MTV and 1 from VH1).
Dating at Sea (w/t). Daters from all over the world board a singles cruise, but what they don't know is there's a major barrier to finding love - the language barrier, because no one on board speaks the same language. We have to stress that the concept is (too) similar to Channel 4’s The Language of Love (see Friday’s Espresso 1st October).
Love at First Lie: Who’s a Couple and Who’s a Con. Think you can spot a liar? Play along as couples go head-to-head to uncover who among them are in a genuine relationship and who's faking their love to con others out of the cash prize. Also in this case unfortunately it is a kind of copycat format: the concept is exactly the same as HBO Max’s Fboy Island (see Friday espresso 13th May).
Power Game (w/t). A social experiment series in which 13 strangers are given absolute power to control the lives of those around them. Their morality will be put to the test as they try to get ahead by any means necessary – deception, manipulation, conspiracy – in hopes of taking home a cash prize.
Hall of Love: The Ultimate Dating Experience (VH1). 3 single best friends will enter a literal "hall" of eligible men, who are all ready to commit. Inside this dating utopia, the women are in control as they search for real love. But they quickly realize that having too many ideal choices is harder than it seems.
2- KISS AT THE FIRST SIGHT
BBC Three has unveiled the new gay dating show I Kissed a Boy (w.t.), to be hosted by singer and TV personality Dannii Minogue.
The format follows ten single men as they head from UK to the continent to find their Mr Right, and it all starts with a kiss. Before they arrive, the guys will be paired up with their strongest match and as soon as they meet, they kiss. No small-talk, no flirting, just one passionate kiss that might take their breath away.
Over the course of the series we’ll find out whose spark will ignite and who will end up together in the ultimate summer of love.
3- LA SCREENINGS (IN PRESENCE) IS BACK!
Last week the “in presence edition” (the first one after the pandemic) of LA Screenings (18th - 20th May) took place. Here some brief notes from 2 protagonists.
“LA Screenings is reborn. With few, but important participants, the event met the expectation of the attendees by offering a good space and meeting time at the Fairmont Century Plaza. Both its lobbies, as well as the meeting tables, the suites and the panels organized by Prensario have been a meeting place for the main protagonists of the entertainment industry. With many novelties and different projects from what had been handled prior to the pandemic, buyers, distributors and developers met face to face again and the result was positive. Without forgetting the pertinent care applied by some of the attendees, such as certain distance and masks, nothing threatened the normal development of the meeting activities. Over time, we will surely see the participation of the markets grow in quantity, but the presence of the most outstanding players in the industry gave shine to this first face-to-face meeting of LA Screenings after the pandemic.” Martin Mariani - Murga.
In this edition of LA Screenings “there seemed to be fewer buyers / attendees but the strong representative from all the streamers made it seem that everyone came ready to move forward. The high demand for content has exploded and it’s exciting to explore the great opportunities available for each genre and audience. It’s time to think out of the box, to explore international co-pros, new alliances and investigate innovative ways to produce for less! Fascinating time.” Rose Marie Vega - RMVISTAR.