REBOOT vs YOUTUBISATION
And a trio of American game shows
SPANISH PYRAMID
The 'macro-trend' of reboots, whereby formats from the past are revived to trigger the 'nostalgia effect', is gaining traction once again. The latest example is the Spanish game show La Pirámide, a local version of the US show The $100,000 Pyramid (originally $10,000, then $25,000, and then $50,000), which was distributed by Sony Pictures Television and premiered on CBS in 1973 before moving to ABC the following year. The Spanish version, produced by Globomedia (owned by The Mediapro Studio), will be broadcast daily in the afternoon on La 1, RTVE's main channel, hosted by actress Itziar Miranda.
It’s a word association game which is a little too long and complex to explain here. In short, two teams, each consisting of a celebrity guest and a studio contestant, attempted to guess a series of items relating to different categories within a short time limit based on clues given by their partners. In the main game, the title of each category was cleverly worded to give team members a vague idea of its subject matter (e.g. 'Loosen Up' – things that are stiff; 'Made Public' – things used by the public; 'The Woodsman' – things a carpenter uses).
Technically, it's not a reboot because the game has never been released in Spain before (and therefore cannot trigger any ‘nostalgia effect’). Furthermore, in my humble opinion, it's a good game, but not a great one, and there are much better ones on the market. Taking refuge in the past is not always the best option…
HOT TUBE
'Youtubisation' (i.e. drawing 'new' formats from YouTube) is a macro-trend that is both contrary to and complementary with the reboot macro-trend mentioned above. The latter is aimed at a more mature audience, while the former aims to capture a younger target audience.
Moving from Spain to Germany, Tresor Productions, the German unscripted production company owned by Keshet International, has teamed up with Endgame Entertainment to bring the viral U.S. interview show Hot Ones (created in 2015 for YouTube by Chris Schonberger from the U.S. based First We Feast) to Germany, where it was launched exclusively on YouTube on 3 July 2025, with the support of Uber Eats as a sponsor. The comedian EmmVee is the host.
As is well known, Hot Ones features celebrities being interviewed while eating increasingly spicy hot wings. It is not only really rather good, but also rather valuable: struggling media company BuzzFeed sold the IP to investors for $82.5 million last year. The original U.S. version, hosted by Sean Evans, has run for 360 episodes across 27 seasons since launching in 2015, and has featured interviews with such A-list celebs as Dakota Johnson, Gordon Ramsay, Jennifer Lawrence, Billie Eilish and Idris Elba, among others, attracting up to 100 million views. With 14.8 million YouTube subscribers on First We Feast, cult status has been established thanks to celebrity memes, social media reactions and international headlines.
Essentially, 'Reboot' and 'Youtubisation', despite seeming very different, are two sides of the same coin. They both seek and rely on successful IP, whether it's old glories from the past or new content from social media.
A TRIO OF AMERICAN GAMES
And to conclude, a trio of game shows from America.
Perù. La Subasta (The Auction), produced by América Multimedia, is a game show combining intuition and luck that will be broadcast on América Televisión in July. Two families, each consisting of three members accompanied by a celebrity guest, compete to make the most strategic investments with an initial sum of money. Throughout the programme, the teams compete to win mysterious locked boxes, the contents and real value of which are only revealed once they have been purchased.
Participants must trust their intuition and work as a team to make the best investment, guided by cryptic clues, unexpected challenges and risky decisions. The grand prize is a sum of up to 20,000 Peruvian soles (almost €5,000), in addition to the items accumulated during the competition.
US (Netflix). Also in the US, boxes are at the centre of a game, starting from the title: What's in the Box?, a game show produced by Rollercoaster Television (part of ITV Studios) and hosted by Neil Patrick Harris (star of How I Met Your Mother), due to launch on Netflix in December.
The concept revolves around giant boxes containing prizes, surprises, and unexpected reveals. Host Harris will lead pairs of contestants through rounds of fast-paced trivia as they attempt to guess the contents of each box. As the game progresses, the competitors' intelligence, strategy and endurance will be tested in challenges that go beyond simple trivia. The show has a psychological element, with shifting alliances and unexpected twists rewarding players who have sharp instincts and a bit of luck.
US (Syndication). Scrambled Up will premiere on 8 September in national syndication. The show is hosted by comedian and actor Michael Yo and is produced by Keller/Noll and Crazy Legs Productions.
In this game show, four contestants must solve mixed-up words and phrases that are unscrambled before their eyes. The clues get easier as the tiles unscramble. The first player to buzz in with the correct answer will have the chance to win the £10,000 grand prize.
What a great moment for game shows around the world!
NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
The Seoul-based international format agency Something Special has signed a pair of option deals with Flanagan Production (a subsidiary of STUDIO TF1) for two hit Korean formats: Still Alive, a fun reality competition programme in which ten contestants find clues and compete against each other in a mysterious mansion, and The Penthouse Game, a high-stakes financial competition series created and produced by Channel A in which individuals experiencing financial difficulties compete for a cash prize.
Amsterdam-based independent distributor Lineup Industries has secured a new international commission for its award-winning comedy format Taboo, with NRK signing on to both produce and broadcast a local version of the show for Norway.
Mediaset España will produce a new season of 100% Únicos alongside Shine Iberia (Banijay Iberia). The show is an adaptation of the format The A Talks, created by Cant Stop Media, and will be broadcast on Cuatro.
Seven.One Studios International’s The Hunt (w.t.) is set to be adapted in Germany by Joyn and ProSieben. Redseven Entertainment, a Seven.One Studios company, and Motion Entertainment, a division of WPP Media, are making a celebrity version of the reality competition for Germany to air in 2026.
Banijay UK's Initial and Zeppotron are teaming up again to develop a UK edition of the new comedic competition show Let's Play Ball. First unveiled in spring this year, Let’s Play Ball was co-developed by Banijay Benelux’s EndemolShine Nederland, Talpa Studios, and Signal.Stream.
Hybe Latin America, the Mexico-based division of the South Korean music and entertainment company Hybe, has chosen the name Santos Bravos for its new music project and the all-male group that emerged from the reality TV show of the same name. The TV show will follow 16 up-and-coming Latin talents as they showcase their abilities in the hope of being selected to join a new Latin pop group.
Travel with Snow Man, a new series featuring the popular nine-member boy band Snow Man, will premiere on Nippon TV on 27 July. The uncut version will then be available to stream globally on Disney+. Produced by Nippon TV, the upcoming series will be the first unscripted travel show from Japan to be released on Disney+.
Thai free-to-air network Channel 3 has ordered modelling competition series The Face, marking the show’s return to Thailand after a six-year hiatus. Produced by Bangkok-based prodco Kantana, it is scheduled to premiere on July 19. The Face franchise previously ran in Thailand for eight seasons from 2014 to 2019, with iterations including The Face Thailand Men and The Face Thailand All-Stars.
Telemundo Internacional will present the fourth season of Top Chef VIP in Latin America, a culinary competition that returns with new challenges and the participation of 20 celebrities who will have to leave the glamour behind to face the demands of professional cooking.
