1. FROM EAST TO WEST (I): THE DNA OF TALENT
Fremantle acquired from the Korean FormatEast the music talent show DNA Singer, we talk about on FRIDAY’S ESPRESSO of 10th December, which premiered on local network SBS during the lunar new year holiday on 1 and 2 February.
In this format, a family member of a celeb -whose identity remains secret till the end- performs on the stage in front of the judges, who must guess which celebrities they are genetically related to, in order to establish if they have the “talent DNA”.
Fremantle (which has already produced local versions of The Masked Singer throughout Europe and I Can See Your Voice for BBC One) will hold global distribution rights for the show outside Asia.
Another goal for Korean formats, strongly supported by the governmental agency KOCCA (Korea Creative Content Agency), that promotes and pushes the Korean content industry in a really effective way.
2. FROM EAST TO WEST (II) : SINGING WITH THE WALL
From Korea to Thailand: another singing competition with guessing elements. The Wall Duet has been created by Workpoint Group for digital TV channel 23 in Thailand and has been adapted first in Vietnam and then in Brazil. Now, the local Dutch version premiered on RTL in the Netherlands last Thursday (27th January) with the title Secret Duets.
Some famous singers are invited in the show. Each of them has to sing a duet with a mysterious partner behind the wall, without knowing his/her identity. Will the mysterious singer behind the wall be an acquaintance or an unexpected one?
The umpteenth little brother of The Masked Singer has been born.
3. …AND FROM WEST TO EAST
The Middle Eastern version of Say Yes to the Dress is premiering on February 11 on Starzplay, the Dubai’s streaming service.
The Arab version, which is the 25th adaptation of the popular series since 2007, when it first aired in US on TLC, features 20 brides from various cultural backgrounds all in search for their dream wedding dress.
Hosted by celebrity stylist Khalil Zein, the series was shot at the Hazar Haute Couture in Dubai, which houses a collection of dresses that accommodates bridal budgets ranging from $615 to $14,000.
Further north, Russian broadcaster Russia-1 has commissioned a local version of the studio entertainment format Anything Goes to be produced by WeiT Media.
Two teams of celebrities and comedians compete in a series of challenges involving unpredictable song, dance and sketch challenges. The most iconic is the ‘Slide Show’, where the stars act out funny scenes set inside the Anything Goes ‘sliding room’, built at an angle of 22.5 degrees to cause all kinds of drama and confusion.
The format premiered in 2011 on French TF1 (where it is now in its 10th season) with the title Vendredi, tout est permis, and has been adapted in 28 territories till now.