FRIDAY'S ESPRESSO - 6th October

The most followed newsletter about unscripted in the world

1. NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN UNSCRIPTED

We’ve written several times about these issues (for example: Friday’s Espresso 17th Feb, 17th Mar, 21st July…). How AI (and other technologies) will manifest in terms of mainstream TV production and creation remains to be seen; probably it won’t change the entire Tv landscape, because human beings always need the “warm” and cosy shows with a “human touch”. But for sure a group of formats will use these new tools in a massive way to create new forms of entertainment. Two (+1) new titles confirm this trend.

The first one is fA.I.King It!, created by Insight TV, the Netherlands-based broadcaster and streamer. This format, heading to Mipcom this month, tasks professionals and audiences to distinguish which paintings, poems or songs were made using AI. Will painters, writers and professional talkers suddenly be competing with AI? Or is there something truly unique to human creativity that cannot be emulated?

Very interesting concept (and answers), but too similar to ARTificial, from Dutch TV prodco Concept Street, presented in the “Fresh TV Garden” by Virgina Mouseler at the last MipTv (see Friday’s Espresso 28th Apr).

Insight Tv will also present The Next Crypto Gem, described as the world’s first cryptocurrency gameshow, that we already mentioned in Friday’s Espresso 10th Mar.

The third example is Date in Metaverse, created by Finnish UpToLevel Media and described as “Sexy Beasts' meets cutting-edge digital realms, all set within the opulence of a luxury hotel”.

A participant checks into an upscale hotel. In their suite, they interact with a high-tech screen, selecting an avatar for three virtual dates. Avatars range from menacing monsters and aliens to dynamic gameplay characters, but all are equipped with intricate face animations at multiple points, allowing them to convey expressions with unparalleled vivacity. After these virtual interactions, they make their choice and transition to an elegant nightclub setting. Here, they mingle with other participants, aiming to identify their chosen match from the avatars.

2. A COUPLE OF LINE-UPS FOR MIPCOM: BANIJAY…

MipCom is coming and it’s time for prodcos and distributors to present their line-ups. Let’s go through some of them, focusing on the titles we missed in the last issues.

Let’s start with Banijay, whose format Rush was on air last April on the Australian Channel 9. In this travel adventure series twelve everyday Aussies (Australian people), led by the Australian survivor star David Genat (pic), travel on one of the most exhilarating places on the planet, visiting some of the most pulsating cultural festivals, huge events and exotic locations in Brazil, Turkey, Jordan, India, Thailand and so on.

The teams are taken to an unknown starting location known as a "Drop Zone" wearing noise-cancelling headphones and blackout goggles in order to be deprived of all senses; after removing their goggles and headphones to start the race they must work together to complete the mission and reach the Escape Zone. The last team is forced to eliminate one member of their team. After 40,000 kilometres travelled over nine countries and 6,800 kilometres covered, the winner gained the $100,000 prize.

Unfortunately, many aspects seem too similar to other formats already seen, first of all the Belgian Destination X (Friday’s Espresso 24th February).

Buddy Games, produced by Bunim/Murray Productions and distributed by Banijay Rights, was on air last September on CBS. The American actor Josh Duhamel invites six teams of best buddies to face off in a series of outrageously reimagined summer camp games, based on his decades-long “Buddy Games” competition and tradition with his own childhood friends. Over the course of the series, these teams of forever friends will bunk together while strategically plotting against each other for a prize of $200,000 and bragging rights as the first ever Buddy Games Champions.

Not particularly original, but funny and really entertaining.

3. … AND RED ARROW

Also from the recent catalogue of Red Arrow we pick up a couple of formats. The first one is Smart10, a studio-based game show, inspired by a board game, that has been on air on the Austrian public television ORF since the end of April. In each episode, two pairs of friends, partners or relatives compete against each other to answer questions on a giant dial and bank cash.  Every round contains one general knowledge question and 10 options. The 2 teams take turns in answering questions, that include finding 10 right answers, Yes or No questions, or bring the answers in the correct order. Only the best team gets the price money at the end of the program.

Also the second one is a game show, Wir Gegen Die! (“Us Against Them!”), that premiered on 26th September on the German channel ProSieben. A celebrity sibling duo takes on another famous family pair to see who can claim to be the better siblings. Over a number of rounds, the siblings play against each other in a mix of knowledge and skills games, earning points and collecting random jokers to provide them with an advantage, or make it harder for the other team in the final.

Journeying through the siblings’ lives, they are tested on how much they know about each other: e.g. who was the youngest when they had their first kiss? Who do family members think is the smartest? The siblings with the most points win the “Us or Them trophy”.