SCANDINAVIAN DUET
A couple of Danish & Swedish formats + Netflix's new unscripted slate
(FUN) DANISH KING
The combination of gaming and humour has always been popular, but the number of 'funny games' has recently increased exponentially, perhaps due to the current general gloomy climate. Consider the following recent examples: 20 Star Summer Vacation (FE 4 July), Le Bigdil (FE 27 June), El Gran Prix (20 June), Intervilles, Greg Gutfeld's What Did I Miss?, The Cerveau, Norges Dummeste, and many more.
The latest example of this trend is the Danish highly entertaining 'funny game' Kongens Efterølger ('King of The Castle'), an original format developed by the production company Laud People, which is scheduled to premiere tomorrow (26 July) on the Danish public channel TV2 and TV 2 Play.
All eight episodes of the show are set in the wonderful 16th-century Rosenholm Castle, where six Danish celebrities compete in 32 absurd and funny trials along the way, such as ring jousting with unreasonably short lances, playing blind man's buff with the castle blacksmith, and taking part in a particularly challenging sack race.
The brave competitors earn gold coins and privileges, all under the watchful eye of the ‘Master of the Court’, Tobias Dybvad. Their goal is to challenge the current king in a royal duel, with the winner receiving the honorary title of 'Den Kongeste Konge' (The King of Kings). However, the reigning king can make things more difficult for the others by imposing disadvantages, which makes the competition more unpredictable. The final day sees the ultimate battle for the throne.
This adds a small but interesting element to the spirit of the game and the fun of the challenges, namely the historical context, which adds an extra touch of appeal to this brilliant Danish format.
SWEDISH BI-DATING
Another fairly recent trend, this time in the ever-popular dating show genre, is what could be called ‘Dating Shows 2.0’, i.e. datings that explore love in all its forms and nuances, without limits or filters, sometimes even in a slightly provocative way (I’m thinking, of course, of the recent Virgin Island: see FE 18 Oct 24).
Another example is the recently announced Swedish dating format, Double Up Love (w/t), created by Meter/Jarowskij, part of Banijay Nordic, for Sweden's public broadcaster SVT. In this format, anyone can date anyone, regardless of gender.
The concept is simple. A group of bisexual people are brought together in a stunning villa to explore attraction, emotions, and forming new relationships, free from judgement and focused purely on connection. The bisexual singles navigate relationships freely using the high-stakes 'list room', where mutual choices lead to matches and exclusion. New arrivals continuously shift the dynamics, while a relationship coach helps participants confront old behaviour patterns and embrace unexpected connections in a judgement-free space.
A new twist on dating show genre, following the first gay dating show, I Kissed a Boy (2023), the lesbian dating show, I Kissed a Girl (2024), as well as Open House: The Great Sex Experiment (open relationships), Couple To Throuple (polyamory), and many more besides (including Are You My First?, which is covered in 'News in a Nutshell' below).
NETFLIX NEW SLATE (but with very little new…)
Netflix has unveiled its upcoming slate of new and renewed unscripted series. To be honest, there are no major new developments since the preference is to focus on established characters, genres and situations.
In Simon Cowell's Next Act, which is launching in December 2025, for example, the X Factor star aims to create the "next boy band sensation." According to the streamer, the series — produced by Cowell’s Syco Entertainment in collaboration with Box to Box Films — will follow Cowell as he holds “open casting calls” to find talent and releases the group’s debut single.
Love Con Revenge, which is set to premiere in the autumn, will see Cecilie Fjellhøy from The Tinder Swindler working alongside private investigator Brianne Joseph to expose romance scammers and help victims reclaim control, one takedown at a time.
Meanwhile, in Let's Meet Harry, produced by Unwell, former Dancing with the Stars contestant Harry Jowsey will date a new group of potential partners in the hope of finding true love and marriage.
The most interesting format seems to be Age of Attraction, produced by Velvet Hammer Media. It has at least one feature that sets it apart from other dating shows. The concept asks: does age matter when it comes to dating? According to the logline, age is thrown out the window when singles search for their soulmates in the series. Is love truly ageless, or will the years come between them?
The show is part of a current trend of age-gap love stories, as seen in films such as Julianne Moore’s May December, Anne Hathaway’s The Idea of You, and Nicole Kidman’s Babygirl.
NEWS IN A NUTSHELL
Telia Play in Lithuania has commissioned a local adaptation of Love on the Road, the reality dating format created by Tuvalu Media and distributed by the Belgian company Primitives. Telia's version, titled Meilė ant Ratų (Love on Wheels), follows three adventurous singles as they embark on a road trip through the Baltics, encountering romance, roadblocks and everything in between. Along the way, they will meet four potential matches, but only one of them will accompany them to their dream destination — if love sparks along the way. The series launched on 24 July.
Countdown to Delicious a new culinary series, is set to launch on Vizio WatchFree+, Vizio’s free streaming platform, on 25 July. The six-part show follows five celebrity chefs and influencers, each in a different city, as they race against the clock to make quick and easy meals from main dishes to desserts.
Hulu has scheduled an August 18 U.S. debut for Are You My First?, a new dating series from ITV America and Plimsoll Productions, with an international premiere on Disney+ set for the same date. First announced in spring 2024 under the working title Virgin Island, the series features 'the largest and hottest group of virgins ever assembled' and drops them in a custom-designed tropical paradise.
Disney+ and SBT have signed a partnership to jointly broadcast The Voice Brasil, which will return this year with a new adaptation after leaving Globo in 2023. The agreement establishes the simultaneous broadcast of the talent show, which will also feature special content on the Disney platform.
Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca has commissioned a local version of the reality show The Farm, distributed globally by Fremantle.
Dori Media Group and Abot Hameiri's new game show, The Auction, premiered on América Televisión in Peru under the title La Subasta on 20 July. The format sees two teams of five family members compete against each other. Each team is given an equal budget and must try to acquire prizes of the highest value while reaching the final and winning the grand prize.
Channel 4 has announced the first four unscripted comedy formats for its new YouTube channel, A Comedy Thing by Channel 4, which was unveiled last week.