SPANISH SECRETS
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE is preparing ¿Algo que declarar? (‘Something to Declare?’), a dating show based on the American series Baggage, which has been broadcast on the Game Show Network and hosted by Jerry Springer. The show is distributed by NBCUniversal Formats, which is part of Universal International Studios.
The original series premiered on 19 April 2010 and ran for four seasons. A spin-off series entitled Baggage on the Road aired for one season and debuted on 7 January 2015.
The series — a combination of dating and reality show formats — gives three contestants the chance to win over a potential date. Each contestant has three suitcases on stage: one small, one medium and one large. Each suitcase contains an embarrassing, gross, unique or weird proposition that the contestant may have. These cases represent the 'baggage' that they must confess to and defend. The larger the suitcase, the greater the level of shame or embarrassment that the secret carries.
During several rounds, the secrets of the three suitors are gradually revealed through their suitcases. Ultimately, the main participant chooses a suitor. Once this decision has been made, the main participant's secret, which is hidden in a large red suitcase, is revealed. If the chosen suitor accepts it, the couple will win the prize and go on a trip together to get to know each other better.
Compared to the American version, the Spanish version seems to shift the focus more towards 'pure' dating than a reality show. The main goal is to find the partner of their dreams, and the suitcases containing secrets make the search more exciting and full of twists and turns.
The format is produced by RTVE in collaboration with Boomerang TV, with comedian and actor Pablo Chiapella as the master of ceremonies.
SPANISH SUMMER PRIX
In the last issue, we wrote about Interville, a French summer game inspired by the Italian programme Campanile Sera (1959). Interville, in turn, inspired the Spanish game El Gran Prix del Verano ('The Grand Prix of the Summer'), a prime-time summer television competition which, like its Italian and French predecessors, showcases fun competitions between small towns. Produced by Europroducciones, it was broadcast on the main public channel, La1, for eleven seasons from 1995 to 2005.
In summer 2023, the public broadcaster RTVE resumed the programme with the title El Gran Prix, produced by RTVE in collaboration with EuroTV Producciones – Grupo iZen (and distributed internationally by Newen Connect, parent company of Grupo iZen), which became the best television premiere of the year. It was therefore confirmed for the following year, and for this summer.
But this year there is news: Prime Video has teamed up with RTVE to broadcast the new season of El Gran Prix. Specifically, Amazon's platform will upload each episode in Spain immediately after its broadcast on La 1. The new edition will be presented by the famous host Ramón García alongside Madrid-based actress and comedian Lalachus and RTVE journalist Ángela Fernández.
The Grand Prix features mixed teams from ten small Spanish towns competing in a series of funny physical challenges, usually played in outlandish costumes. There are also general knowledge games in which the mayors and celebrity godparents are tested. Some of these games involve live heifers, known as 'vaquillas'. In the first editions, these were real heifers, but they were later replaced by an anthropomorphic heifer portrayed by a person. The aim is to become champions of the year.
A cheerful, colourful, entertaining and light-hearted show: perfect for summer.
PORTUGUESE BIG BALLS
The Quiz with Balls is heading to Portugal, where it is scheduled to air on TVI — one of the country's leading commercial broadcasters — this autumn. The Portuguese version is being produced by Fremantle Portugal and will be recorded at the Talpa Studios hub in Argentina.
The format was created and distributed by Talpa Studios, premiering successfully in primetime on the free-to-air TV channel SBS6 in the Netherlands in 2023. Since then, the game has also been produced in the US, Germany, Spain, Argentina and Uruguay.
In each episode, a team of five friends, family members or colleagues, competes for a cash prize by answering one quiz question after another. For each question, each team member chooses one of six answer options. The answer options are linked to the balls, which start to roll when all answers are given. If a player stands on a correct answer, the ball stops in time. If not, the ball will knock the player into the pool.
Each question has as many correct answers as the number of players left on the platform. In the case of question 1, that means five correct answers and one wrong answer. With each player falling into the pool, a wrong answer is added to the six answer options of the next question. For each team, the key is to stay as complete as possible for as long as possible since the tenth and final question is worth a huge cash prize (25.000€ in the original version).
This is another refreshing game that combines play and fun — perfect for summer!
NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
Primitives, the Belgium-headquartered specialist TV formats distributor, has announced the first UK commission for Zero Stars, making the UK the sixth European country to invest in the Danish-originated factual entertainment format. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) UK has commissioned a new 8 x 60 mins series, to be produced by CPL Productions and slated to TX in early 2026.
Channel 4 has teamed with Tesco Mobile for the new branded entertainment series The Great British Phone Switch, slated to bow on June 19. Designed to bring families closer as they navigate the transition from teens to adulthood, the show sees parents and their children swap digital lives for 48 hours under the guidance of the presenter and a clinical psychologist.
Leading independent distributor All3Media International has secured the global distribution rights for a selection of brand-new premium unscripted titles from Candour Productions: The Essex Millionaire Murders, The British Blood Scandal: Poisoned at School, The Disappearance of Jay Slater (w/t) and Slaying at Sycamore Gap (w/t).
Mediaset España has confirmed the renewal of its main reality shows for the next season, including Supervivientes: All Stars (Cuarzo Producciones), Gran Hermano (Zeppelin TV) and La Isla de las Tentaciones (Cuarzo Producciones).
US unscripted producer Bunim/Murray Productions (BMP), a Banijay company, is partnering with X Games on a reality competition series titled X Games Battleground to mark the 30th anniversary of the action sports event.
Globo's Brazilian adaptation of the Fox format Next Level Chef will debut with a spin-off focusing on the show's mentors. Developed by Studio Ramsay, the production company of chef Gordon Ramsay, Next Level Chef sees three types of chef compete in three kitchens operating simultaneously on a three-level set with a mobile platform and 30 cameras.
In collaboration with Shine Iberia, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE is preparing the talent show DecoMasters, in which ten celebrity couples will compete to become interior design professionals.
RTVE is also preparing the local version of Race Across the World, which we'll discuss in the next issue….
