FRIDAY'S ESPRESSO - 29th September
The most followed newsletter about unscripted in the world
1. THE RISE OF THE INFLUENCER-SHOW
Television is becoming more and more digital, and therefore the contents are adapting to this dimension as well (but, to tell the truth, without loosing their “original” tv structure). In particular, using influencers and content creators as protagonists (or hosts) is a developing trend.
A good example is Climax, a dating show that will premiere early October on 3Cat, the new streaming platform for young people of the Catalan television TV3 (and also on Twich, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram). The format has been created for the Tindercat users, a successful community born in Twitter Spaces (see also the “App-driven-formats” phenomenon: Friday’s Espresso 24th March and 14th July).
In each episode Climax will feature Catalan influencers who will be Cupids guests to stimulate the live participation of those who want to find love (or just meet people) and had signed up for an online casting. Every week three anonymous profiles (in order to preserve the spirit of blind dating) are presented to a protagonist eager to find love. Initially the singleton won’t even be able to talk to them and at the end he/she has to choose who of the 3 she/he wants to meet in person.
Another one is Desafío a la Fama (“fame challenge”) that premiered last Monday 25th September on the Ecuadorian channel Ecuavisa. The show, hosted by Eduardo Andrade and Fernanda Gallardo (pic) has the structure of a “classic” reality: 16 young content creators of different disciplines and targets will leave all together in a house-studio, with little contact to the world outside, and only regulated by the production.
During the three months of the competition, they will train their influencer abilities and will have to enlist the support of the brands sponsoring the program, that will provide the cash money each week. At the end, this amount will be the prize for the winner.
Both are good attempts to attract young audience, but maybe a bit more of courage and originality would have been worth the effort…
2. GAMING FOR CHARITY
Fund-raising shows for charity have a very long tradition, especially in Great Britain. Friday 10th November Game to Give (w.t.) is going to be on air live on BBC Three and the streaming platform BBCiPlayer, produced by BBC Studios Entertainment and Music.
Members of the public will have the chance to compete by playing three iconic games through the BBC Children in Need Sim Rig Tour, BBC Children in Need’s Just Dance for Pudsey and the Hado Tournament for BBC Children in Need.
A large number of celebrities, but also (consistent with the above article) content creators, influencers and gamers will challenge one another in this two-hour program; furthermore Children in Need has partnered with TikTok, where one can also see all the backstage in a 5-hour-action live-streamed. Viewers will be able to donate through text, a prize draw and through charity streams run by online creators.
A very good mix (at least on paper) of gaming, traditional show and digital.
3. ANOTHER SPORT-THEMED TALENT SHOW
After the Dubai-Italian connection for The Italian Dream (see Friday Espresso 22nd Sept), it’s interesting to report another brand-new sport-themed talent show.
D-but FC, about football as well, premiered last Friday 22nd Sept on the Mexican channel Azteca 7 and other digital platforms of Tv Azteca group. The concept & rules are exactly the same as all the other examples of this sub-genre, despite the fact that in the official press release it has been defined “innovative”. 36 young football-beginners (18 men and 18 women) live together in a house and overcome different sport challenges and trainings for 12 weeks.
The prize for the 2 winners is to join the First Division team of Mexican football Mazatlán FC, owned by Grupo Salinas, that also owns TV Azteca Group: a good example of an all-in-house-show.
Also in this case the goal is to appropriately join sport & entertainment, agonism & reality dynamics, action & emotions. A very unstable mix, quite difficult to find.
