PLATFORMS & THE UNSCRIPTED: Netflix 3 - Prime Video 1
3 Netflix's originals - 1 Prime Video's reboot - 1 brand-new Dutch talent show
THREE NETFLIX’S ORIGINALS
Over the past few days, Netflix has revealed details of its new unscripted slate, three of which are completely original. The most interesting seems to be Million Dollar Secret (w/t), from Wheelhouse UK and Spoke Studios, and hosted by British actor Peter Serafinowicz (pictured): a competition series in which one contestant is given a million-dollar prize and the other 11 contestants battle to hunt them down and claim it for themselves.
The mechanics and rules have yet to be revealed, but here's how the competition works, in Netflix's own words: “The million-dollar prize is won by one of 12 players right at the start of the first episode. Now, the others will hunt them down – eliminate the millionaire and the money moves to someone new. When should they strike? Too soon and they become the target; too late and they may never get the money. Meanwhile, the millionaire can try to get rid of the cash if the heat becomes too much. This is a game of strategy and alliances, where predators can become prey in the blink of an eye.”
We don't know much yet, but the formula of "strategy, a $1 million prize, alliances and betrayal" seems quite intriguing. Just a note: please change the working title, it really is a bit too banal...
The second original project is Building the Band (always a working title), produced by Remarkable Entertainment and Banijay UK, that seeks to discover the next great music group without bandmates initially meeting face-to-face. The series brings together 50 of the most talented singers to compete for a chance to form their own band without ever seeing each other, until they perform live.
All they have to go on is musical compatibility, connection and, hopefully, chemistry. What will happen when the bands finally meet?
The third (Battle Camp - w/t, from British prodco Thames) seems the most classic and (at least on paper) the least original. The former protagonists of Netflix's reality shows return to face a physical and mental competition, with a giant spinning wheel randomly deciding who stays and who goes. The winner takes home a prize of $250,000.
ONE PRIME’S REBOOT
According to K7's Tracking The Giants - The Top 100 Travelling Unscripted Formats 2023-2024 report, Prime Video launched the most unscripted formats in 2023 (more than Discovery+, Paramount+ and Netflix), earning it the title of ‘rising format buyer’.
A good signal. This time, however, he decided to play it safe and launch a ‘super-tested’ and ‘ultra-classic’ reboot: American Gladiators, the physical competition series (but it's easier to just call it an ‘action game’), with MGM Alternative and Amazon MGM Studios handling production duties in association with Flor-Jon Films: casting is currently underway.
The format premiered in the US in 1989, matching a cast of amateur athletes against each other, as well as against the show’s own ‘gladiators’, in contests of strength and agility. The success was immediate: it was sold in more than 15 countries (not including the countless plagiarisms) and a huge number of spin-offs have been produced (among them, International Gladiators, Gladiators 2000 and the children's version Train 2 Win).
The reboot of the British version premiered Saturday 13 January 2024 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer - after a 15-year hiatus - hosted by Bradley Walsh together with his son Barney: the first episode was watched by more than 6 million viewers with a 38% share, becoming BBC’s most-watched show of the year.
This decision to play it safe is understandable, of course, but to deserve the title of ‘rising format buyer’, one should be a little more daring with some original projects…
WELL-ROUNDED DUTCH MUSICAL TALENTS
Dutch content house Talpa Studios has created a new talent competition series, The Headliner, which will premiere on RTL 4 in the Netherlands in 2025. The premise of the format is that of a 'classic' talent show: two coaching duos, made up of some of the country's most famous artists, search for protégés with the potential to become the next big music superstar.
However, there are some elements of originality. Firstly, on a moving stage that will physically measure their success in real time, rising if they get enough votes, or falling if they do not (it will be interesting to see this in action...). Then, as they progress through the various phases of the programme, the contestants will have to convince not only the coaches and the audience, but also other important links in the music industry chain, including ticket buyers, bookers and venue owners. So, The Headliner isn't just about the best voice, it's about the complete entertainment package: proving that you're a truly rounded artist.
The winner of the show will have the opportunity to perform at the prestigious De Vrienden van Amstel LIVE concert series, held annually in Rotterdam in front of an audience of (in total) over 200.000 people.
NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
Following the success of the first series of Gran Hermano Chile, which has become a multiplatform audience phenomenon, Chilevisión, DIRECTV and Banijay Rights have formed a strategic alliance in which DGO, DIRECTV's live TV and streaming platform will have an exclusive channel for the 24-hour broadcast of the second season, which will begin in the second half of 2024
Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and 3Point0 Labs have teamed up with The Whole Spiel to develop a boxing-based competition that “aims to bring boxing back to its roots as fighters from across the country are highlighted in a tournament style”
Warner Bros. Discovery's cable network TLC is launching The Baldwins (w/t) next year: Alec Baldwin, his wife Hilaria and their seven children will star in a reality series about themselves. Here is the presentation of the series made by the two protagonists
The hit franchise The Real Housewives is getting a German spin-off. The Real Housewives of Munich will launch on 6 July on the RTL+ streaming service. Six episodes are planned, each of which will revolve around a specific event: a luxurious birthday party, a trip or a ski race...
BBC Factual has ordered Nadiya’s Cook Once, Eat Twice, helmed by celebrity chef and author Nadiya Hussain, for BBC Two and iPlayer
The Korean International Non-Scripted Content Association (INSCA) is actively working to establish itself as a key player in the world of unscripted content. After a first conference in November 2023, INSCA organised the SPP Partners Day: Non-scripted Content Session, a two-day event taking place in Seul on 3-4 June.
