ISSUE ONE
FREMANTLEMEDIA
FORMATS ISSUE 01 - 2016/17
FremantleMedia Global Formats Magazine
FE AT URE
GET THE F*CK OUT OF MY HOUSE
October 2016 - March 2017
Join host Nicolette Kluijver and come revel in the chaos of the human zoo.
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FREMANTLEMEDIA
Trailers, episodes and more for over 1000 titles from FremantleMedia.
6/10/2016 10:20 PM
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Our Editors
ROB CLARK DIRECTOR GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT FREMANTLEMEDIA
Hello, Welcome to the first issue of FremantleMedia Formats. We hope that this in-house magazine will be an antidote to the usual catalogues that you will find at the market, and that you’ll want to take it home. It’s a good way for you to explore our rich and varied library of programmes and be entertained by our features and articles.
We have always taken an uncompromising approach to delivering unique ideas, and this October we’re thrilled to be bringing what I like to call our “Jekyll and Hyde” slate to Cannes. From loud, bold and provocative reality through to feel-good entertainment and impeccable gameshow classics, our attentiongrabbing slate has something for every network. In this issue, we travel around the world to bring you face-to-face with the producers and commissioners who make our shows happen; we meet the newest members of the FremantleMedia family, including Naked Entertainment’s Simon Andreae and Abot Hameiri’s Guy Hameiri; and we hear about life on the road from one of our flying producers. In an era characterised as the golden age of programming, the following pages will celebrate the most creative, unusual and entertaining formats on offer.
“…this October we’re thrilled to be bringing what I like to call our “Jekyll and Hyde” slate to Cannes. From loud, bold and provocative reality through to feel-good entertainment and impeccable gameshow classics…”
We hope you enjoy this MIPCOM and also hope to see you at the FremantleMedia stand. Come by and say hello! Rob
Hello, The trend for hot dramas doesn’t look like it will be cooling down. Here at FremantleMedia we’re leading the pack, as our worldwide producers continue to create news surrounding projects, partnerships with top creative talent, and adaptations of some of the top-selling novels of our time.
programming and building the fan bases for networks through the use of local talent to portray iconic characters. We’re looking forward to talking you through our format highlights at MIPCOM. Sarah
From the rave reviews for The Young Pope during the Venice Film festival and the anticipation surrounding our US team’s drama adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, to news of the dramas based on the world-famous Elena Ferrante novels and the Australian classic Picnic at Hanging Rock – our drama business is on an impressive rise. Adding to this rise is our ever-increasing scripted format slate. Local adaptations have proven themselves popular, and throughout our new magazine we’ll introduce you to titles from our catalogue, talk to the creatives behind the formats, and hear from a few of the producers that have adapted our titles for their local markets.
SARAH DOOLE DIRECTOR GLOBAL DRAMA FREMANTLEMEDIA
“With ready-made scripts and a fast-tracked development process, scripted formats are gaining traction and providing a healthy solution to the muchdebated writer shortage…”
With ready-made scripts and a fast-tracked development process, scripted formats are gaining traction and providing a healthy solution to the much-debated writer shortage, creating economically friendly primetime
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“It is a highly addictive programme… I constantly want to know what’s happened and how situations have developed. I got it. I see it around me, I’m sure the viewers at home are going to get it!” NICOLETTE KLUIJVER
Formats Magazine Issue One Published October 2016 Cover image of Nicolette Kluijver by William Rutten Thank you to everyone who contributed to the magazine. You know who you are! General Enquiries formats@fremantlemedia.com
www.fremantlemedia.com
Contents 32 F E A T U R E
THE WEDDING CAKE CHALLENGE
36 F E A T U R E
8 5 OUR
THE LIE DETECTIVE EDITORS
ROB CLARK & SARAH DOOLE
8 THE
38 E D I T O R I A L
THE PERFECT PARTNER
10
IN TERVIEW
26
CECILE FROT-COUTAZ
10 F E A T U R E
GET THE F*CK OUT OF MY HOUSE
14 T H E
HIGHLIGHTS
ROB CLARK LOOKS AT THE TRENDS
16 F E A T U R E
GAMESHOWS ON THE BLOCKS
22 F E A T U R E
WENTWORTH
26 F E A T U R E
FAMILIES GONE WILD
28 F E A T U R E
HEAR ME. LOVE ME. SEE ME.
54 A
JONATHAN BULLEN
16 40 F E A T U R E
58 F E A T U R E
100% HOTTER
46 F E A T U R E
CUE THE MUSIC
48 E D I T O R I A L
DIGITAL EXTENTIONS
52 F E A T U R E
SIDEWALK KAROKE
YEAR IN THE LIFE…
WEB THERAPY
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60 F E A T U R E
SUSPECTS
67 F O R M A T S
IN FOCUS
79 F O R M A T S
IN FOCUS
ENTERTAINMENT GAMESHOWS
91 F O R M A T S
IN FOCUS
REALITY
CONTENTS
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The Interview Cecile Frot-Coutaz became CEO of FremantleMedia Group in 2012, taking responsibility for global performance, strategy and direction after almost 20 years with the content company. She talks about the future of the industry and FremantleMedia’s role in an ever-changing television landscape. What’s been the biggest change in the industry since you’ve been at FremantleMedia? There are cycles, but the single biggest change is the advent of over-the-top platforms like Amazon and Netflix. These have altered business models and the type of programming that gets commissioned because you can now produce and distribute premium content that is quite niche. Take Narcos on Netflix: a brilliant show that no network would have commissioned five years ago because they couldn’t have made the numbers work. Comedy is doing well, which may be a reflection of the feelings of uncertainty across the world. Why do the big entertainment formats continue to be a success? A lot of effort goes into refreshing them every year. They tap into people’s dreams, and deliver a great one or two hours of emotion, entertainment and human stories. In short, they make you feel good. Is it challenging to get people to think that there’s more to FremantleMedia than talent shows? There’s always a lag between the reality and a shift in perception. We’ve been working on a lot of new things that will be airing this coming quarter and throughout next year, from The Young Pope to American Gods and Hard Sun. We still have more to do, but we’re getting there. How do you approach adapting dramas like Suspects, Wentworth or Web Therapy for another country? You need to add value in the adaptation process, rather than replicate the format exactly. Homeland is a very good example. They reworked the show so it made sense to the US public. With Suspects, for example, it’s about approaching a crime drama in a very different way, using film techniques that are associated more with documentary film-making rather than drama. Which show do you wish was yours? Strictly Come Dancing. Brilliant entertainment, exactly the sort of thing we do, and the producers have evolved the concept very smartly.
What would your turn be on Got Talent? Maybe a stand-in for a magician? On second thoughts, I think I’d be smart enough to stay far, far away from the stage. Will we ever see another big global hit? It would be depressing to think not, although it’s harder than it used to be and there hasn’t been one for years. This is because audiences these days have more viewing choices. Big tent-pole shows aren’t rating as high as they did five years ago, but are still doing really well. Do you remove them from schedules and take a risk on something new? The tipping point is when they start to lose money for the channel. What people forget is that many of them started out much smaller and didn’t do well in their first season, but nevertheless were still allowed to grow. What’s the next big thing in TV? The next big thing doesn’t usually have Next Big Thing written all over it. The Great British Bake Off is huge in the UK, but if you wrote the premise on a piece of paper, you’d think someone was kidding. Ultimately the next big thing will surprise us all. What has been your best day on the job? Reading the first script for Hard Sun, hearing Kelly Clarkson sing for the first time (I still listen to her!), watching the first rough cut of American Gods… those are the good days, and everything else is about supporting people so we can have as many of those days as possible. Which is your favourite title from the FremantleMedia MIPCOM line-up? This summer, ABC did a big night of classic game shows with interesting hosts. That’s one of our headliners at MIPCOM and it showcases how we reinvent big brands. We also have a show I won’t name, that’s a bit of a wild card and quite high-risk – but it has the potential to be fantastic. •
“[The big entertainment formats] tap into people’s dreams, and deliver … hours of emotion, entertainment and human stories”
THE INTERVIEW
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10 “This is unlike any reality show we have ever seen on TV. The pressure cooker nature of the format encourages real emotion from the contestants, which serves as a catalyst for great storytelling; and because of the amount of people involved, it means that the stories are changing from hour to hour. I have been working in television for 25 years and have never seen anything like this before�
Come Revel in the CHAOS of the Human Zoo. Philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre once said that “Hell is Other People�: and in this divisive and, at times, chaotic new show, that theory is certainly put to the test. Feature by Katie Begley
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One suburban home, 100 contestants, €100,000 prize fund and one winner… Get The F*CK Out Of My House crams a hundred complete strangers into a family home and lets them work out who’s top of the food chain as they compete to be the last person standing and win a huge jackpot prize. Creating a new genre of reality TV, the format will see uneasy alliances established, common enemies determined, hilarious moments exchanged and romances blossom within the pressure-cooker environment of a suburban house where nobody can leave without quitting the show. It will be survival of the fittest, as the 100 contestants are whittled down to one overall winner in what promises to be the most explosive voyeuristic show on television.
Raul Ter Linden, Creative Director of BlueCircle and producer of the reality series, says, “This is unlike any reality show we have ever seen on TV. The pressurecooker nature of the format encourages real emotion from the contestants, which serves as a catalyst for great storytelling; and because of the amount of people involved, it means that the stories are changing from hour to hour. I have been working in television for 25 years and have never seen anything like this before.” In this claustrophobic environment, nobody will be able to hide their true selves, and the full circus of the human zoo will come to the fore. Like any pack of animals, key characteristics will determine who comes out on top; will the champion be the wily old lion who uses wisdom to outsmart his rival? The chameleon who never shows their true colours? Or the snake in the grass who slithers in the background until his treachery is exposed? “You might think you have clear characters at the start,” adds Ter Linden, “but the contestant who is like a little mouse and may go unnoticed in Week One suddenly turns into a wild beast and dominates everything in week three.”
“…the contestant who is like a little mouse and may go unnoticed in Week One suddenly turns into a wild beast and dominates everything in Week Three”
The household elects a leader who determines how to spend the €100,000 prize money: will they spend it on home comforts and essentials, or will they be tightfisted and keep it all for the prize money? Whether it’s a toilet roll... or takeaways, a hot shower and heating or cigarettes, everything comes at a price. With no-holds-barred access to the contestants, the host and inhouse reporters are placed in the thick of the action, multiplying the mayhem as they meddle in the house dynamics, revealing secrets, telling lies and causing chaos within.
The first version of Get The F*CK Out Of My House has begun in Holland and just weeks into filming has already proved to be more dramatic than anyone anticipated, with mass walk-outs and multiple romances between the contestants. “It’s a loud show, and a lot of countries need loud shows right now”, says Ter Linden. “From what we have seen so far it’s a show that reflects a community on its own and with that come rows, romances and situations no one will ever be able to predict.”
“The potential for water-cooler moments on this show is huge”
Get The F*CK Out Of My House is full of characters, stories, emotion and highly unpredictable moments; and brings a whole new meaning to the saying “There’s no place like home.” •
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The Highlights Got Talent, The X Factor, The Apprentice, Family Feud, The Price Is Right, Wheel Of Fortune, Take Me Out, The Farmer Wants A Wife, Blind Date… When introducing Rob Clark, FremantleMedia’s Director of Global Entertainment, it’s probably easier to list the mega-formats he hasn’t helped hone for superstardom than those he has. Ask him to name his career highlight and there’s no hesitation: “Without a shadow of a doubt it’s Got Talent. I’m terribly proud of having helped steer it out into the world.” But if Clark had listened to those around him back in 2005, Got Talent would never have been made, let alone generated sales in 60-plus territories. “People told me variety was dead on TV”, he recalls. “They were wrong. What’s more, Got Talent is still alive and kicking and doing amazingly well.” Here, he draws on 30 years’ experience to identify the qualities a format needs to make it in today’s fragmented and digitally disrupted market.
SHOUT IT LOUD “…Youth-skewed formats need to be provocative and subversive enough to interrupt the online chatter…”
“Not all TV needs to be loud, but unless a format creates a buzz on social media it’s not going to grab the attention of younger audiences. I believe loud TV – Get The F*CK Out Of My House is a great example from our MIPCOM catalogue – needs to be provocative and subversive enough to interrupt the online chatter. They need to be waving a flag saying ‘Watch me!’ or nobody will.”
Get The F*CK Out Of My House (Netherlands)
MAKE AN EVENT OF IT
To Tell The Truth (US)
“The big talent shows are always scheduled as TV events, but this year ABC in the US did something different. It dedicated its entire Sunday evening schedule to gameshows, with amazing ratings both in overalls and target audiences. We produced two-thirds of the night. We have an amazing gameshow catalogue which is globally available: more broadcasters should follow the ABC example.”
Cue The Music (Sweden)
IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR “Networks need mass audiences, and in primetime slots that invariably means shows with family appeal. I’d argue that it’s the main reason the big talent shows are still on-air, despite pundits’ predictions. All the monsters like Got Talent, The X Factor, Bake Off and I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! work for the whole family, so if you’re after big audiences, forget small demos. You need good, modern-leaning, well-produced family entertainment.”
Celebrity Name Game (US)
MONEY MATTERS Alec Baldwin - Match Game (US)
GET TALENT “Talent is a useful way to win over broadcasters and audiences, but there are rules. The first is to use A-list talent whenever possible. Take America’s Got Talent, which has just had its best year for NBC for five years. Simon Cowell was on the show for the first time ever. Coincidence? Unlikely. The second is to use talent in unexpected ways. Alec Baldwin hosting Match Game is a great example of off-piste casting that intrigues audiences and makes them look up.”
“Networks are under increasing financial pressure, so they need good, affordable content – not just for primetime, but also to fill the periphery of their schedules. At FremantleMedia, we used to see ourselves primarily as purveyors of primetime entertainment, but not anymore. In the US we now make four stripped daily game shows and they’re doing amazingly well. Even our new primetime formats are more budget-conscious.” •
THE HIGHLIGHTS
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Celebrity Family Feud (US)
Match Game (US)
Family Feud (Australia)
To Tell The Truth (US)
One of the outstanding success stories on US television this year has been the resurgence of the classic game show format. Thanks to a pioneering Sunday night scheduling block introduced by ABC network during the summer of 2016, iconic titles such as Family Feud, Match Game and Pyramid are among the hottest TV properties in America. ABC’s production partner FremantleMedia is now aiming to bring the same innovative approach to broadcasters around the world.
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18 Rob Mills
Let’s Make A Deal (US)
The Price Is Right (France)
“I grew up with classic game shows and loved them. So I was excited by the idea of bringing back other formats alongside Family Feud” Who Knew? (Germany)
The root of the game show’s revival as a primetime force actually dates back to 2015 when Rob Mills, SVP Alternative Series, Specials and Late Night Programming at ABC, approached FremantleMedia North America about creating a Celebrity version of Family Feud for the 8pm slot on Sunday, running across the summer months. “Family Feud was doing really well in daytime syndication with Steve Harvey as host”, recalls Mills. “With Steve as anchor, we thought it could work in primetime and the ratings have proved that to be the case.”
Averaging more than 8 million viewers per episode, the 2015 edition of Celebrity Family Feud outperformed all competition, something Mills puts down to three key factors. “The first is that Family Feud is a great game that has stood the test of time. The second is the nostalgia people feel for shows like this, which are a cultural institution. The third was the comedy that Steve and FremantleMedia injected into the show.” Recommissioning the series for summer 2016 was an easy call. But Mills began to wonder whether the Feud factor could be extended across the evening into a three-hour block. “I grew up with classic game shows and loved them. So I was excited by the idea of bringing back other formats alongside Family Feud.” An obvious option, says Mills, was to revive Pyramid with ABC favourite Michael Strahan as host. “But there was a question mark over the third show. I really loved FremantleMedia’s Match Game but the big question was who could host it.” The answer, after a good deal of research and negotiation, was actor Alec Baldwin, who proved to be an inspired choice. Building on the success of summer 2015, ABC delivered another superb set of ratings with all three shows outperforming expectations and already recommissioned for 2017. “Again, it was the combination of great games and comedy that really appealed”, says Mills. “One commentator called it beach TV, which I think is a good description. It was fun, you didn’t have to think too hard and it was enjoyable for all the family.” The success of the shows wasn’t the only significant thing about ABC’s strategy. “The ABC marketing team came up with the idea of branding and promoting the block as ABC Fun & Games”, adds Mills. “That really struck a chord with the audience and helped the network stand out from the competition.” Aside from its ability to cut through the clutter, the ABC Fun & Games block has an added benefit. “These three shows are very dear to me. But the block means we have the flexibility to swap one out and put another one in”, continues Mills. “For example, we are also having a lot of success on Tuesday with another FremantleMedia show, To Tell The Truth, which is hosted by Anthony Anderson. It would be an option to substitute that – or another show – into Sunday evening.”
Password (US)
L-R: Rob Mills, Mallory Schwartz, Jen Mullin, Alec Baldwin, Scott St. John
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Rebound (UK)
“The depth of our gameshow archive, combined with the company’s on-theground production and packaging expertise, means we could put together an entire block of titles based around local preferences for any broadcaster anywhere in the world” Family Feud (US)
The concept of a flexible branded block made up of iconic gameshows also has significance for FremantleMedia, adds Jen Mullin, co-CEO of FremantleMedia North America. “I know that our global team is looking at whether ABC’s success can be replicated by other networks around the world. It’s something they’ll be exploring with broadcasters at MIPCOM.”
Jen Mullin, co-CEO FremantleMedia North America
Mullin’s advice to international networks looking to follow ABC’s lead echoes that of Mills. “Comedy has played a big part because the right hosts can make these shows relevant and fresh for new audiences. But it’s also important to realise these games have stood the test of time because of their simplicity. Previous revivals have sometimes strayed away from the core proposition, but this time we went back to the core of what audiences always loved. We really stayed true to them.” “The depth of our gameshow archive, combined with the company’s on-the-ground production and packaging expertise, means we could put together an entire block of titles based around local preferences for any broadcaster anywhere in the world”, adds Rob Clark, Director Global Entertainment at FremantleMedia. “We have many classic formats and a number of new titles which have achieved local success and are waiting to travel. The beauty of the ABC schedule concept is based around four principles: create an event of the night, cast A-list talent, produce it for comedy and use tried and tested formats.” Even if there isn’t scope to create a primetime block like ABC, Clark continues, “These shows are schedule-friendly: they can play in daytime, prime time or as events. In the UK, ITV is airing a Match Game Christmas Special with comedian David Walliams as host. Meanwhile in Germany, Who Knew? is having an amazing run, both as a record-breaking daily strip and winning the night with its prime time specials.” An added bonus, says Clark, is that this new attitude to gameshows is due to their great appeal with young audiences. “We’ve seen this recently with Australian Family Feud, which has been attracting a much younger demographic than expected. In a nutshell, I think what we’ve learned from the recent revival is that executed, in the right way, these classic formats are virtually foolproof.” •
Celebrity Name Game (Angola)
Sale of The Century (US)
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JAILBIRDS Feature by Toby Bourne
There are three words that spring to mind when considering Australian drama Wentworth: opportunity, universality and ambition. Not the kind of words usually associated with prison – but then, that’s what makes this format so special.
Set in a modern-day women’s prison, Wentworth is a reboot of cult drama Prisoner. The critically acclaimed show has had favourable comparisons to Breaking Bad, and is hugely successful both at home and abroad. With a fifth season in production for Foxtel’s SoHo channel, Australia’s home for HBO programming, and the format already sold to Germany, Holland and Belgium, Wentworth is here to stay. One of the key movers behind Wentworth’s success is Jo Porter, Director of Drama at FremantleMedia Australia. Although too young to have seen the original (“My parents didn’t think it was suitable viewing for a young lady”, she jokes), Porter speaks proudly of a show that gives Australia’s female actors opportunities hard to find elsewhere. “It’s women of all shapes, sizes, race and strata”, says Porter. “This was the case with the original and we’re proud to be keeping that tradition.” Expanding on how this appeals to viewers, she says: “They aren’t the norm. There’s a recognition from audiences who see part of themselves, and that is very powerful.” The themes and experiences of incarceration, particularly for women, remain the same wherever they are found - strangers being thrust together, and bonds being formed between those with nothing in common but their imprisonment. These are the reasons why Wentworth continues to be a success, whether as a revival or as a readily adaptable format with hours of scripts to draw upon. “It’s a fairytale in reverse,” says FremantleMedia Belgium’s Dave Heuten, summing up Wentworth neatly. Working with production company Marmalade, Heuten and his team have taken the format to bring a local version to the Belgian audience. “There are only women in the series, which is something we’ve never seen in Belgium, and that’s what attracted me”, he continues. “With men there’s usually a fight going on and that’s it, but with this show there’s more conversation.”
“Every territory that has adapted it has said how much they’ve enjoyed the ability to attract the very best actors”
What’s more, being set in a women’s prison gives its predominantly female cast the chance to bring nuances and complexities they might not find in other roles. Thus Wentworth makes itself very desirable to the finest talent available. “Every territory that has adapted it has said how much they’ve enjoyed the ability to attract the very best actors”, says Porter. Having drawn on both the Australian and Dutch version for his own adaptation, Heuten has solid advice for anyone else looking to buy the format. “Study as many episodes as you can, from as many different countries”, he says. “Don’t think you have to re-write, because it’s already out there. Use the international knowledge.” Universal stories are what hold the potential for Wentworth to run far into the future, and, as an ensemble piece, the drama isn’t reliant on one central character. “This allows you to keep refreshing the pool of interesting and complex personalities”, says Porter. And while Prisoner’s 692-episode run might be hard to beat, it’s also a challenge to rise to. “We’re very happy to keep making this for a very long time. We have ambitions to go and go and go.” •
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Producer and creator Simon Andreae
“Rather than focusing on survival techniques from experts, this is more a drama about dynamics within a family”
FAMILIES GONE Ever wondered how you might cope marooned on a desert island, thousands of miles from home? Could you survive in the tropical wilderness with only the rest of your highly dysfunctional family for company? Feature by Karen Hockney
That is the challenge facing Families Gone Wild, an honest, gritty and extreme portrait of family members at war. When home is a daily battleground, being transported 6,000 miles into the Panamanian jungle represents one last chance to dig deep, fix relationships and finally learn to understand – and love – each other. One of the first productions in a new partnership between FremantleMedia and Naked Entertainment, this highly addictive, no-holds-barred reality drama goes to air on Channel 5 in 2017. It doesn’t duck the emotional fallout: desperately unhappy siblings and parents are forced into an uneasy coalition as they search for water, build a fire, make a shelter and hunt for food while facing up to the many hazards of jungle life. “We wanted to find a hard-core
survival backdrop that was both beautiful and terrifying,” explains producer and creator Simon Andreae. “Rather than focusing on survival techniques from experts, this is more a drama about dynamics within a family, with storylines that will appeal to male and female, teenage and adult audiences.” Viewers accompany the families on an emotional journey as they navigate unforgiving jungle tracks with just one day’s training and a backpack containing only the bare essentials. Cold, wet and hungry after a tropical rainstorm, one family faces the gutwrenching choice of whether to kill the baby crocodile they have adopted – and named – or endure a fourth night without food. Communication and teamwork are crucial, but there are also ugly confrontations as
each individual faces up to accusations, recriminations, squirm-inducing confessions and uncomfortable truths. “My family isn’t working, we just don’t get on”, says one teenage daughter. Her mother adds: “the whole family is broken but we don’t talk about it.”
the Internet and social media to shut the door, so taking that away forces them help each other in a way they wouldn’t have to at home, and gives them a reason to become a family again. It’s redemptive, uplifting and fascinating to watch.” •
“The idea of putting a troubled family in a scenario where if they don’t get on they don’t get out is a fascinating social experiment”, says Simon. “It’s a slice of the non-fiction cake that hasn’t been explored. We asked psychiatrists, psychologists and sociologists if this was a beneficial thing to do, and they said it could help in resolving issues.” “Often fractured families don’t spend much time together”, he continues. “They use
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HEAR ME. LOVE ME. SEE ME. The highly entertaining Hear Me. Love Me. See Me. sets out to prove that when searching for love, looks aren’t everything. The format takes one singleton and sets them up with three dates in one day. There’s just one small catch… they aren’t allowed to see what their dates look like. Guy Hameiri, co-founder of Israeli reality TV powerhouse Abot Hameiri, thinks the time is right for a dating show like Hear Me. Love Me. See Me. Their first production since FremantleMedia became majority owners of the company in January, the brand new concept has all the makings of an international hit. “TV shows today need to be authentic”, he says. “After almost 20 years of reality, viewers feel everything is being manipulated.” Cleverly pairing family entertainment with fly-onthe-wall documentary, the programme sees a single lady simultaneously date 3 different guys in the space of 24 hours. The twist? The encounters are virtual, and not once does she see what her potential partners look like. Using the very latest technology, a portable but inconspicuous compact video camera is strapped to the chest of each suitor allowing the couple to chat, laugh and flirt – but not see each other’s faces. She meets his family and friends, sees where he lives and works, all in real time, but whether he’s handsome or not remains a mystery. “A few years ago, we would have needed three satellite dishes and huge electronic cables to create this kind of scenario, and the cost would have been massive”, says Hameiri. “Thanks to today’s 4G mobile technology, however, the production is super-light.”
“Thanks to today’s 4G mobile technology, however, the production is super-light”
“TV shows today need to be authentic”, he says. “After almost 20 years of reality, viewers feel everything is being manipulated”
“Using the very latest technology, a portable but inconspicuous compact video camera is strapped to the chest of each suitor allowing the couple to chat, laugh and flirt – but not see each other’s faces”
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LOVE ME. Crunch time comes at the end of the day when she selects one man, and only then will his face be revealed. Will they connect? Will they like what they see? And most importantly, will personality take precedence over looks? For Penelope Landini, a 26-year-old Bologna-based mother-of-one who took part in the Italian production, the answer was a resounding Yes. She fell for Luca, a computer engineer who loves to cook and coaches football to kids in his spare time. “People rely on looks, it’s what we’ve been nurtured to do”, says Penelope. “Dating can be difficult, especially when I tell people I have a young son, but my heart chose Luca before I saw him.” What’s more, they’ve stayed in touch. “It was a fantastic experience that definitely influenced my approach to dating,” she says. It’s not only participants that are on board; viewers are falling for the format too. A ratings success in Israel and Italy, the show is set to go global in 2017 with new productions in China, Thailand and on TLC in the US, as well as strong interest from other European countries. Yet another dating hit from FremantleMedia, Hear Me. Love Me. See Me. is the perfect antidote to a social media-based society obsessed with ‘hot or not’, and one that really tests the theory that sometimes love is blind. •
“Dating can be difficult, especially when I tell people I have a young son, but my heart chose Luca before I saw him”
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Feature by Karen Hockney
When two hot genres – Baking & Weddings – collide, the result of this happy matrimonial is The Wedding Cake Challenge. Who can resist the opportunity to be a fly-onthe wall during the frantic and highly charged preparations for the most important day in any couple’s life – their wedding day? The cutting of the cake is surely one of the highlights of any wedding celebration. Inspired by the current obsession for baking, this warm and gently competitive series offers three teams of talented and ambitious amateur bakers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to create a dream wedding cake for the happy couple. The twist? They have just 24 hours to create it and bake it. Fraught with emotional highs – and lows – The Wedding Cake Challenge gives viewers an addictive and voyeuristic peep not only into the baker’s kitchens but also into what really goes on behind the scenes of a bride and groom’s big day. Like a wedding cake, there are many layers and ingredients to this exciting new format, which was created by Blue Circle for RTL 4 in Holland. Take one baking competition and whisk in one happy couple and their real-life wedding ceremony before adding a liberal sprinkling of emotions, a dash of tears and joy, a smattering of pressure and a soupçon of poignant memories. Then blend well, turn up the heat and watch until it rises to perfection! There are moments of high tension and comedy gold from the bakers, and this is mixed in as the biggest day of our bridal couple unfurls. Wid and Bradney, one of the baking duos from the show, said: “It was a rollercoaster. It was very challenging to bake a wedding cake in only 10 hours, but we had a great time doing it! You just do what you think is best and hope that the couple will like it.”
“We saw taking part in the show as a great adventure which gave our wedding day an extra dimension. The episode really captured all of the special moments from our big day and created extra memories for us to look back on.” The winning baker also wins a cooking workshop with one of the world’s leading patissiers: but it’s the chance to watch the ‘just marrieds’ enjoy their creation and share it with their guests that is the ultimate prize. The Wedding Cake Challenge whets our voyeuristic appetite for witnessing the close shaves, faux pas and icing disasters that might loom, as well as allowing us to be party to the excitement as the big day unfolds. •
As the audience enjoy teasing glimpses of the last-minute preparations before the couple make their vows, our bakers discover if they can stand the heat in the kitchen. The final minutes tick by until the emotional reveal when the newlyweds carry out a taste test, before deciding which cake will grace their reception. This format is feel-good television at its best as the triumphant team wins the prestigious accolade of adding that extra special ingredient to the most important day in a newlywed couple’s lives. Lisa and Sean Taylor, one of the wedding couples featured in the series, added: “The Wedding Cake Challenge took a lot of stress out of our hands as we didn’t have to think about the cake at all.”
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36 It’s a question almost as old as time:
ARE YOU TELLING
ME THE TRUTH?
A fascinating and original programme, The Lie Detective is a compelling mix of emotion, tension and sometimes resolution – where the participant’s responses ensure that the truth will come out. Produced by True North, this brand new Channel 4 series takes potential, current and ex-couples, who are first polygraphed and then made to ask each other 20 questions about their relationship whilst being mediated by a behavioural expert. The 20 questions begin in a light-hearted tone but quickly become deeper and more intense as the expert forces the couples to be honest. Ranging from “Are you in love with me?” to “Did you sleep with my best friend?”, compellingly candid questions are asked and answers given, but are they telling the truth? Lengthy explanations, crossed arms and blushes are just some of the reactions that indicate No. But although the polygraph can verify the truth about past indiscretions, it’s the way the couples react to these revelations whilst in front of each other that reveals their true feelings and allows the ‘human lie detective’ to interpret whether the subject is ‘leaking deception’.
with the truth “ Only can you make an informed decision ”
“The Lie Detective gives couples closure”, says behavioural expert Dan Ribacoff, who worked on the first True North production. “Once you plant the seed of doubt, it can grow into a forest. There’s a lot of miscommunication and misconception in relationships, and only with the truth can you make an informed decision. We clear the smoke and give people peace of mind.”
Each episode cleverly interweaves five different couple’s stories throughout, culminating with each couple stepping into an elevator together at the end of the show with fixed-rig cameras – and giving the viewers a look into the couples’ reactions (which can be anything from stunned silence to passionate kissing). Kaisha Driscoll, who dumped her fiancé Damien after finding him on Tinder for the second time in 18 months, is delighted they both went on the show. “It sounded like fun, and Damien and I always had so many questions about each other that had never really been answered. We needed to clear the air to start again, and going on the show taught us that communication is key to any relationship. We’re back together now, and we know we need to talk more and not be afraid of upsetting each other by being honest. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done.” Although social media has changed the game a little, allowing people to both open up online to a degree that they never would in person – but also to hide behind a screen and manufacture a persona – this show has at its heart a concept that will never age. Relationship issues will always be around, and The Lie Detective is here to sort them out.
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Perfect Partner The
Having come from an advertising agency background, when I joined FremantleMedia I was very aware that the company owned the biggest global entertainment formats.
by Sam Glynne The company had been very active in the commercial brand partnership space – who didn’t know about the game-changing Coca Cola integrations in American Idol? I soon learnt that the story goes much further and wider than Idols, with an unrivalled line-up of formats produced in hundreds of territories, many of them working with advertisers on-air, off-air and in the digital universe. A key role for me is managing the global network of FremantleMedia’s branded entertainment activities around the world. It now encompasses nearly 2,000 deals from 600 different consumer brands, across 50 different TV formats in over 75 territories. From integrations in our big formats to original Advertiser Funded Programming, the collaborative relationship with advertisers spans genres and continents. From day one though, there was one show that stood out more than all the others, and that was Got Talent. Every year we do more advertiser deals with this format than any other. The show has been made in 69 different countries and even achieved a Guinness World Record for the most successful reality TV format. It has top-rating audiences with nearly half a billion viewers in 10 years. What advertiser wouldn’t covet association with a megabrand of this ilk?
“The success that we achieve on Got Talent is a benchmark for all our global brandfunded activities”
“The best branded entertainment examples embrace the spirit of the show and tie it in with their own campaigns.” Its brand values are positive and inclusive: it’s life-changing, optimistic, has big emotions and appeals to all the family. It has universally great production values, features celebrity talent, yet is also playful and fun. For these reasons the show attracts brands from every sector from FMCG to automotive, from tech to finance. Brands come on board in lots of different ways. On-air they feature in TVCs, bumpers, product placement and branded integrations. But increasingly brands join us on YouTube and Facebook, benefitting from the billions of views we have, and also in the bespoke apps we create for the show. We work with brands off-air in terms of licensing and events. Each production can carry up to 10 different brands.
Last year on Britain’s Got Talent, the cereal brand Shreddies featured Nana’s Got Talent (gymnastic geriatrics!). For Asia’s Got Talent the airline Jetstar decaled an aeroplane with the show’s logo. In the US Dunkin’ Donuts sponsored Dunkin’ Save, a Google real-time voting mechanism. In China’s Got Talent, a Skoda fell from the sky to deliver to the judges to the show venue. We only work with brands whose values work with our formats and we do our integrations in ways that are fresh, creative and non-intrusive. The success that we achieve on Got Talent is a benchmark for all our global brand-funded activities and we’re excited how this space will continue to develop in brave and exciting ways. •
The best branded entertainment examples embrace the spirit of the show and tie it in with their own campaigns.
“For Asia’s Got Talent the airline Jetstar decaled an aeroplane with the show’s logo”
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Inspired by the Instagram and selfie generation, 100% Hotter hones in on Britain’s most outrageous fashion frock-ups, stripping away the fake tan, hair extensions, piercings and false eyelashes to reveal their inner natural beauty lurking beneath the artifice. Feature by Karen Hockney
“…Over the last couple of years there has been a huge explosion in hair and beauty vlogging on YouTube…”
Stripping away fake tan, hair extensions, false eyelashes and outrageous clothes, 100% Hotter is the world’s first extreme makeunder show. The fascinating and addictive series, which attracted the highest audiences for an original production on 5Star (UK) in 2016, provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for make-up addicts and fashion failures to be restyled by a team of fashion and beauty experts. “The idea,” says creator and producer Simon Andreae, “stemmed from the increasing popularity of online beauty tutorials. Over the last couple of years there has been a huge explosion in hair and beauty vlogging on YouTube. It seemed odd that the makeover format had fizzled out across most TV networks despite this demand.” The contestants’ OTT style can make them seem intimidating, but hang-ups and confidence issues soon become apparent. Viewers watch as they tentatively and reluctantly remove the thick make-up and extreme outfits they have come to rely on, and even shred their unsuitable wardrobe, garment by garment. It’s a transformation that takes each one on an emotional journey, as the team works to create a less radical but still genuine new look. Encouraged to rethink her leave-nothing-to-the-imagination fashion sense, peroxide blonde locks and three layers of foundation, one Barbie-obsessed teenager sheds tears of joy as the softer, prettier and more natural version of herself emerges for the first time. With results put to a public vote before and after their transformation, even their families and friends can’t believe what they see.
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“Achieving hotness by making under rather than making over is a paradox that we like”, says Andreae. “The Facebook and Instagram generation can use filters and airbrush photos, so it’s easy to be disappointed by the way you look in real life. We wanted to encourage people to find a more understated and individual look rather than the caricature-like conformity created by social media.” •
This is more than a physical makeover show: it’s about building trust, finding confidence and discovering someone’s true personality.’
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ENTERTAINING THE WORLD
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CUE THE
MUSIC The engaging 4 x 60-minute format was developed as a prime time Saturday night slot for SVT - Sweden’s biggest broadcaster - by Per Blankens, who, as former Executive Producer of American Idol knows a thing or two about masterminding a winning musical formula. “There are not many moments where a whole family will watch a show together”, says Per. “TV isn’t that social campfire gathering any more because people watch on demand on their iPad. Cue The Music is for every generation, so maybe it can fill that gap. The kids can teach their parents and grandparents a thing or two, and vice versa.” Two teams of three celebrities from the worlds of pop, rock and even opera battle it out through five rounds of random
Per Blankens – Executive Producer, Cue The Music
Prepare to start tapping your toes as family viewing makes a timely comeback in the shape of Cue The Music. This fast-paced, high-tech music quiz has something for everyone – from fans of Queen to Kings of Leon and everything in-between.
and amusing trivia questions – plus a Guess The Intro section that will stump all but the most knowledgeable musos. The pressure is on as they aim to show off their expertise on everything from 1960s music to film soundtracks, before a final decider round caps off the fun. “Everybody loves a music show. The intro contest has been around forever at the pub quiz or office party, and I wondered why we hadn’t made it part of light entertainment”, says Per. “It’s fun, you hear great hits, there’s competition and celebrities. This show has it all.” To up the ante, a dazzling array of talent from music legends through to present-day chart toppers make surprise guest appearances, performing their biggest hits as the studio audience join in.
“The series launched incredibly well and was SVT1’s #1 show of the day: it was also 24% up on the channel (12-59)”
Two factors set this high-octane format apart from the rest. The first is a pair of high-tech, illuminated runways, which pulse in response to possible answers. Each team member has to jump on the correct light to score for their team, making fast physical reactions as much a part of the game as musical knowledge. “It’s more fun if teams are up and moving around rather than at a desk hitting a buzzer”, says Per. Second, thanks to a synchronised app created by Monterosa, viewers can engage in a real-time, parallel experience to the on-screen
teams, competing against other household members and family or student buddies, as well as the celebrity players. “The rule was that whatever was happening in the studio, the audience at home had the same rules so they could enjoy the exact same experience”, says Per. “It’s great because the app will attract younger viewers, and they even post their results online.” All this makes for a fun, inclusive atmosphere, which extends effortlessly into the viewer’s home. •
“It’s fun, you hear great hits, there’s competition and celebrities. This show has it all”
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48 Entertainment in a digital world FremantleMedia belongs to a generation of international TV content creators with digital in its DNA.
License a programme or format from FremantleMedia and be prepared to take it to a fully digital level. You will be embracing social media, melding it with secondscreen apps, instant messaging, live online audio-visuals and other interactive media to connect with viewers. This approach has made the company a pioneer in making digital part and parcel of video entertainment intellectual properties (IP).
TOM HOFFMAN, VICE PRESIDENT DIGITAL & SOCIAL MEDIA FREMANTLEMEDIA
“We know television has evolved and a smartphone is more likely than ever before to be in the viewer’s hands”
As Los Angeles-based Tom Hoffman, Vice President, Digital & Social Media (Global), FremantleMedia, says: “We know television has evolved and a smartphone is more likely than ever before to be in the viewer’s hands. That can’t be ignored because, unlike traditional television on its own, social media never sleeps. It is always on.” FremantleMedia’s ‘digital extensions’ ensure the shows are always on for fans, including the highly demanding Gen Xers and Millennials. (See ‘Digital Case Studies’) A cohort of ‘flying producers’ spreads the company’s digital gospel to its 31 offices worldwide where 10,000plus hours of shows are produced yearly. They also share highly inventive uses of YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter et al with local broadcasters. “We give viewers a purpose to use social media during shows,” Hoffman adds. “Also, social media is no longer only about 140-character tweets. Video is the thing, and the core product at FremantleMedia is video. It is an exciting time to be in a place where media technology is developing all the time.” •
the digital reach
of social media
1.71bn monthly active users
Instagram 500m monthly active users
the internet
smartphones
connections
users
3.2bn
313m monthly active users
Snapchat 150m daily active users
2.1bn
YouTube
3.25bn hours watched monthly
Sources: eMarketer; United Nations; the companies
DIGITAL CASE STUDIES Cue The Music (Gissa Laten!) in Sweden on SVT In Sweden, an app was developed for the one-hour music quiz show to allow the audience to play along at home.
As Hoffman observes: “This is an example of a television show that was launched with an app. We didn’t wait to see if it was a hit first. The app is not something we layered on afterwards. The technology was built right into the show.”
La Banda on Univision, the largest Spanishlanguage broadcaster in the US Six months before the first season of the ultimate boy band singing contest (co-produced by FremantleMedia and Syco Entertainment), the producers and Univision started working on the social media strategy. By the time the series launched in September 2015, the number
The X Factor Australia on Seven Network Three days ahead of Season 7’s official television premiere last year, FremantleMedia and the network pre-premiered the first episode exclusively on Facebook. It took only six hours to nab 100,000 views of the first half alone. Once that threshold was crossed, the producers and
of La Banda’s Facebook Page Likes had leaped from 4,000 to more than 100,000. Normally, the digital components are centred on only a programme, not the contestants. But as this series progressed, the contestants were invited to tell their own social-media stories with a greater degree of freedom than was standard. “It projected the true excitement of ordinary boys becoming celebrities in real-time participation with the public,” Hoffman says. “The conversations became about the contestants instead of only the show. That’s a win for everyone.”
digital team knew in advance they had a winner. Hoffman remarks of the pre-premiere strategy: “ That VIP sneak preview for fans worked and Facebook helped measure this type of views in that very short space of time. Moreover, it was the broadcaster’s idea, which was a delightful forward-looking and innovative development for us.”
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SIDEWALK
KARAOKE Japan may have invented Karaoke, but it is in New Zealand that this popular form of entertainment has been given a new technologyoriented twist. Pango Production’s CEO, Bailey Mackey, had been trying to crack a gameshow format in the music space for some time, when he came across GRAPP Technologies’ app from the USA which turned his idea into a workable production. The result is Sidewalk Karaoke, a fun-filled format which launched on Maori Television and was the highest-rated show for the channel in 2016. “I saw the app and I had this light bulb moment of how it could work in a karaoke gameshow,” Bailey explains. To fit with cost-effective New Zealand budgets he wanted a show that would be shot out and about in the streets and shopping malls, while feeling as spontaneous as possible to the viewer. “There are no castings: people just turn up – we get absolutely everyone in this show from kids to grandmas singing their hearts out. It’s why it’s so family-friendly and appeals to such a wide audience.” Where other music competitions involve rehearsals, Sidewalk Karaoke’s key ingredients are spontaneity and simplicity. Contestants are randomly approached in the street. Their singing is evaluated by the specially designed app, which plays the role of the judge, based on the speed, pitch and tone of the contestants singing. If the contestant is judged to be good enough by the app they go through to the final round which involves convincing passers-by in the street to sing a duet.
According to Bailey, the show’s success has a lot to do with the energy shown by everyone involved in the programme: contestants themselves, the presenter, but also the people behind the camera. “We had great fun making the show; it’s a real privilege to witness so much talent out there on the streets. People just stop and perform on their way out to dinner. There is a real randomness to it and that’s what makes it so special. We had hilarious moments watching them race around trying to find a duet partner. We were also helped by the app: not only does it play the role of the judge but it provides the simple iPad plug-and-play setup on the production. The tech also allows for viewers at home to play along.” FremantleMedia has picked up the global TV rights of the show following fierce competition. Bailey explains: “I was besieged by interest from companies all around the world wanting to get the format rights. Everyone liked the fact that it was a very simple music gameshow, with three rounds and an app attached – but mostly that it’s such a hugely high-volume, low-cost show that can be made anywhere on any budget. But I wanted to work with FremantleMedia as they know music and they know gameshows. I knew they’d be the right partner for us.” As we know, Karaoke is universal and can be watched by any age demographic. Bailey agrees “Sidewalk Karaoke has huge family appeal. It’s everyone’s guilty pleasure!” •
Bailey MacKey, CEO – Pango Productions Ltd
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54 A Year in the Life of
J
ONATHAN BULLEN
“What’s needed varies from country to country, which means that no two productions – and certainly no two days – are ever the same”
‘How do FremantleMedia’s six flying producers spend their time?’ Global Entertainment’s Jonathan Bullen gives us the low-down. I’ve probably clocked up a few hundred thousand kilometres in the air over the past year, but if you take on this role and complain about travel, then you haven’t read the job description very well. Visiting the different territories that produce our formats to advise on how to shoot a show, ensuring that the core format is maintained and that production quality is high - these are all essential to my work. What’s needed varies from country to country, which means that no two productions, and certainly no two days, are the same. Recently I travelled to China to launch a science comedy gameshow called The Eureka Moment. A format can’t be generic – you have to localise it – and China is a very different market to the Netherlands where the original The Eureka Moment was created. It has been a steep learning curve, and I’ve had to absorb a lot of information, as well as get used to the national broadcasting tastes and local cultures. The Netherlands’ version is a mediumscale show and more focused on members of the public, whereas in China it’s a big entertainment spectacular with a large celebrity cast. Chinese
shows have a very strong emphasis on education, so the University of Beijing Science Department was hired to monitor the science in the show. The turnaround from first meeting to transmission was about a year, which is unusual as the Chinese market moves extremely quickly. This year I also gave a speech at the 2016 Shanghai TV Festival China Formats Day. I focused on how formats in the West are made with longevity in mind. In China, formats in general have a shorter shelf life, so I explained that we at FremantleMedia use our global company network to cross-pollinate new and fresh ideas, so that our formats never stand still. For example, the core elements of Idols or The X Factor are the same as when they launched, but over the years the tone has changed and new ideas have been introduced. The market is crowded and the formats world is a tougher place now than ever before. Crucially, you have to consider the impact of social media on our shows. By using these platforms, we have the ability to create a dialogue between the people watching the show, the people making the show and even the people in it.
La Banda, the show that searches for a new boy band, has been huge fun to work on. We launched in Hispanic USA in 2015, and this year we have produced the format in Thailand and the Philippines where boy bands are very popular. All the contestants are really energetic, enthusiastic, optimistic and have amazing stories, which is essential because if you don’t have great content, then you don’t have a show. The Hispanic series is on its second season, so to move things forward and appeal to a wider audience, we’ve widened our search to include girls – and the results have been amazing. Finally, I got married this summer, which was more complicated than any show I’ve ever had to produce. It’s the big new format set to run for the rest of my life! •
Innovation Strategy for Long-Running Entertainment Hits - Shanghai TV Festival 2016
Stewart and Jonathan
“I was married this summer... It’s the big new format set to run for the rest of my life!” Paul Riggio (FM EP), Jonathan, Angie Castro (EP Syco) - La Banda S2 production in Miami
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We’ve got fast food and fast banking, why not have fast therapy too? That’s exactly what self-obsessed therapist Fiona Wallace – lead protagonist of hit comedy format Web Therapy – believes is the next step in an age where you don’t even have to get out of your car to order a meal.
“...what’s great about this format is that it can be adapted locally with ease”
No time for therapy? There’s a format for that... In the stomach-clenching awkward comedy Web Therapy, Fiona turns her back on traditional 60-minute sessions to give her clients a web-based pep talk in just 180 seconds – with hilarious and often cringe worthy results. Screened entirely via webcam, viewers delve into the lives of both her and her large list of clients, who quickly realise that this psychotherapist is more money-grabbing and manipulative than she is a trustworthy counsellor. The 30-minute format, the brainchild of top US producers Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky and writer/director Don Roos, is a partscripted, part-improvised comedy which started online before becoming an Emmy nominated TV show in America. The programme has crossed the pond, with local versions of the format being commissioned in Poland, French-speaking Canada and also in Spain, where it was produced by FremantleMedia Spain and commissioned by Movistar+.
Eva Hache as Dr Rebeca Miller (Spain)
“Lisa Kudrow was the star of the American series but what’s great about this format is that it can be adapted locally with ease”, says Nathalie Garcia, CEO, FremantleMedia Spain. A top vehicle for female talent, taking the central role in Spain is actress and stand-up comedian Eva Hache, who plays narcissistic therapist Rebeca Miller in the 16x30 minute series. She’s joined by a raft of acclaimed comics and celebrities who bring an entirely new set of needy wives, cheating husbands and domineering bosses to life. “We’ve found that the scope to be creative is huge and it’s a very clever idea”, adds Nathalie. “Spanish audiences need a fast pace because they switch over quickly, so we have more characters than the American version. We can also go into topics that are relevant: for example, everyone in Spain is quite political at the moment so we can go into that, as well as popular culture and romance.”
Agata Kulesza as Dr Lucyna Kole-Bojarska
With no need for huge sets, Web Therapy is simple to shoot, with segments often taking just two hours. As a result the original series has attracted A-list stars including Meryl Streep and Gwyneth Paltrow, who don’t have to give up more than a few hours of their time. FremantleMedia Spain has taken the easy style to the next level by taking the sets to the stars in what the team have dubbed their ‘Web Therapy Winnebago’. “One of our actors couldn’t get to set so we put it in a van and took it to them,” explains Nathalie. “It means we can travel around and go to the actors rather than them coming to us all the time. “You can also do it very cheaply, because at the end of the day it’s just a small set and and you can have as many characters as you want. It’s very versatile. You just need a very good storyline and amazing actors!” •
Edith Cochrane as Dr Florence Champagne
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“…Once you’ve got your confidence, this is the best show to make”
Feature by Toby Bourne
SLEUTHS ON THE HOOF Suspects ditches the script to breathe new life into crime drama. And the innovation doesn’t stop with improvisation.
With its original incarnation already in a fifth season, Suspects began life as a commission for the UK’s Channel 5. At first glance its essential premise is simple: each fast-paced episode starts with a crime being committed and follows it through investigation to the case’s conclusion. What makes it such gripping viewing, however, is the fact that it’s shot documentary-style to a storyline only. There is no script. None of the actors know what their fellow cast members will say next. Thus, the shooting of the drama can be just as tense as the watching of it. So it’s no surprise Germany and the Netherlands have commissioned local versions of Suspects and there is a lot of interest from producers all over Europe. Suspects is the brainchild of Paul Marquess, Managing Director of Newman Street Productions, and a veteran of long-running shows including The Bill, Brookside and Hollyoaks. But it was a stint on scripted reality soap The Only Way is Essex that inspired his latest. “I was with a couple of friends of mine”, Marquess explains. “They said, ‘You should put those production techniques together with a cop show.’” And so Suspects was born. The show came together quickly from there, but improvised dialogue wasn’t the only innovation brought to the table. Marquess and his team introduced a fixed-rig camera set-up, usually only seen in documentaries, for Suspects’ key interview room. Because the audience can see the whole room, they know there’s no crew in there, creating realism, intensity and claustrophobia. This is heightened by the lack of a script. If an actor babbles, trips or freezes, he or she simply looks more suspect. It’s a subtle trick that creates a truly immersive viewing experience.
Innovation continues into the edit suite; the story is cut from what’s shot rather than what the storyline says. Anything unusual can be kept, adding to the drama. “We’re after the unexpected”, Marquess says. “It’s a very, very different post-production process.” Unsurprisingly, actors have been scrabbling to join the show. While Suspects’ detectives get the thrill of running own their interviews, genuinely interrogating the suspects before them, guests love it too. And it’s not only for the opportunity to prove themselves in their craft. With each episode shot in just two and a half days to maintain the show’s momentum, appearances can even be fitted in alongside other acting commitments. “We get lots of agents calling up”, says Marquess, “which is a great position to be in.” It’s a position that’s come to Marquess with time. Guido Reinhard, producer of UFA’s German take on Suspects, has more recently had to tackle the preconceptions of actors and their agents about non-scripted formats. “But it’s easy to do that with the quality of the original,” he says. Both Reinhardt and Marquess admit that neither of their productions have been an easy ride – but both have been worth the challenge. Reinhardt’s top tip for any new producer is to go back to the source. “Talk to Paul Marquess, listen well and try to understand the format”, he says. “Paul knows every inch of the format personally.” “I envy them”, says Marquess, of anyone looking to take Suspects on. “Because we’ve already done it, it can never be as terrifying for them as it was for us… Once you’ve got your confidence, this is the best show to make. It’s just great. It’s really fantastic.” •
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YOU ARE WHAT YOU WORSHIP
COMING 2017
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64 FremantleMedia is home to one of the world’s largest portfolio of formats, including the world’s biggest and most innovative format titles, created for every hour of the schedule and proven successful in all corners of the globe.
ENTERTAINMENT Page 67
GAMESHOWS Pages 79
REALITY Pages 91
in focus
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Page 68–69 Chef On The Block Don’t Stop Me Now Everybody Dance Now The Eureka Moment Got Talent The Kid’s Got Talent Page 70–71 Fittest Family The Great Christmas Light Fight Hear Me. Love Me. See Me. La Banda Page 72–73 Idols
ENTERTAINMENT IN FOCUS
Idols Kids Let’s Get Gold Master Athletes My Mom Cooks Better Than Yours Page 74–75 My Name Is… Recipe To Riches Take Me Out Page 76–77 Thank God You’re Here Through The Keyhole Who Lives Here? The X Factor The X Factor Kids
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Entertainment that shines
GOT TALENT The talent show with NO age limit, NO talent restrictions and NO cultural boundaries. Acts ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous: in fact, anyone doing anything is given the chance to win the hearts of a nation. At stake‌ a life-changing opportunity. Since its launch in 2006, this awardwinning entertainment brand has been breaking audience rating records worldwide and is now one of the most successful and progressively growing entertainment brands in the world. The No. 1 entertainment show in 18 territories, The Guinness World Record holder for Most Successful Reality Format, Got Talent now airs in 22 territories globally, launching in new territories every year, with more on the way. Watched by millions, with over 24 billion hits on YouTube and over 22 million likes on Facebook globally, Got Talent is a phenomenal global success that has dominated worldwide for a decade.
THE KID’S GOT TALENT There’s no competition… no judges… no buzzers. Where anyone can do anything… as long as it’s not too grown up! It’s all about showcasing incredible children with extraordinary talents and finding what really goes on in the heads of our stars of tomorrow. With the chance to share the best of the best from an unsurpassable global archive, we celebrate the iconic format’s fantastic children… past, present and future. The Kid’s Got Talent is the perfect partner to TV’s biggest entertainment brand.
THE EUREKA MOMENT
CHEF ON THE BLOCK
Strap on those safety goggles! Get ready for the hilarious, larger than life, explosive entertainment show. This show is packed full of laughs, madcap experiments and fun-filled family games. Fresh and explosive, this entertainment gameshow pits two couples against each other as they test their popular science knowledge, coming face-to-face with a range of dangerous stunts and wacky experiments in a bid to win a luxurious holiday.
Take three experienced chefs, three very different restaurants, three delicious menus: mix them together, and you have a television recipe that will make your mouth water. Putting their reputations on the line, the chefs and restaurateurs battle it out to become the nation’s favourite restaurant.
EVERYBODY DANCE NOW DON’T STOP ME NOW A rapid-fire, high-stakes talent contest, where everyone thinks they’re a superstar. Each week a group of aspiring performers held in “The Pit” set out to prove they have star quality. Whether a comedian, variety act or singer, they had better be entertaining or they’ll face an undignified but hilarious exit.
The hit Dutch dance format for every age, for every style, for everybody. It’s time to light up the dance floor! Entertain the judges with your performance – the dance floor turns green and you dance on; fail to impress and the floor turns red and you’re off: there are no second chances. The ultimate winner is chosen by the viewers.
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LA BANDA Entertainment giants Syco Entertainment, FremantleMedia and Saban present this fresh and energetic music series for all audiences that is on the hunt for the ultimate pop band. Unique catwalk-style auditions catapult contestants into the limelight. Each boy and girl walks the ‘red carpet’ lined by hundreds of screaming fans who literally hold their fates in their hands via a dedicated app. Impress more than 75% of the fans and the judges’ room doors open for the boys and girls to enter and face the jury. If not, their dream is over before it began. Premiered on Univision in 2015, the format takes a brand new approach to the talent competition, but this time, the fans are in control!
THE GREAT CHRISTMAS LIGHT FIGHT The nationwide search that challenges diehard Christmas fanatics to dazzle a judging panel of makeover and design professionals with breathtaking displays of holiday paraphernalia and Christmas lights. Their task is to find the household with the lightest, brightest and mightiest festive display ever. With tantrums, sabotage and one or two shocks along the way, the heat is on to find the merriest and most impressive festive home.
HEAR ME. LOVE ME. SEE ME. The genre-defining dating format from the makers of the world’s biggest dating shows. It’s a blind date with a huge difference as one single girl dates three guys in a day, without ever leaving her room! The bachelors each wear a camera on their chest so that she can see and share their lives but never see their faces. They’ll chat, laugh, flirt and even fight… and because the camera never lies, she may learn more than she wants to when she is introduced to families and friends. After an intensive day of fast-track dating, it’s decision time! Before she sees them, she has to choose the one that’s won her heart. They’re genuinely looking for love, but when they finally come face to face, will their eyes follow their hearts? Innovative, authentic, with broad mainstream appeal, this flexible format puts the rules of attraction to the ultimate test… because when it comes to dating, looks aren’t everything.
FITTEST FAMILY National sporting superstars coach super-fit families who face extreme challenges and tough endurance courses in this competitive arc. Working with them on fitness and diet, pushing them to the limits of their endurance, who will deliver the fittest family to glory? The last family standing takes home the prize money and the ultimate accolade of being crowned Fittest Family.
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72 IDOLS Idols has become the defining entertainment show of our time. With billions of viewers around the world and over a million global auditions, it has changed more lives and created more stars than any show in the history of television. Idols is a unique combination of brilliant and sometimes not-so-brilliant auditions, unforgettable moments and amazing performances, discovering talent that has gone on to win awards and dominate charts around the world. Since its launch, this dynamic format has been successfully produced in 55 countries including Germany, South Africa, Poland, India and Sweden, while the Emmy award-winning American Idol ranked no.1 in US ratings for eight consecutive years. In the Netherlands, it returned to TV screens mesmerising viewers and premiering as RTL5’s highest rating show since 2006.
More productions and new territories every year
Dominating pop culture conversation, it has had a profound effect on the music industry, and thanks to the integration of social media has remained fresh, addictive and keeping audiences hooked. With new territories launching in 2017 the Idols story has just begun.
MY MOM COOKS BETTER THAN YOURS Now in production in over 19 territories, this fast-paced culinary gameshow combines cooking, competition, comedy and family dynamics. Two teams, each comprising a Mom and her culinarily challenged adult son or daughter, compete to impress the judge and each other – but there’s a delicious twist: the moms can only coach from the sidelines. Served weekly or stripped, My Mom Cooks Better Than Yours is the ultimate recipe for gripping, laughout-loud television dishing up a rich portion of lively competition, family tears and tantrums.
MASTER ATHLETES The high-octane sports entertainment show that combines the compulsive drama of reality TV with the tragedy and triumph of athletic competition… all set within a high-tech studio environment. Eight mixed couples compete against one another as they seek to master a set of gruelling sporting challenges over the series. Only the strongest team can survive and claim victory.
IDOLS KIDS Idols Kids sees talented 7 to 15-year olds take part in the world’s most famous singing competition. Idols Kids follows the structure of the award-winning Idols format but with a fresh sensibility, tailored to the talented young singers taking part.
LET’S GET GOLD Where Sports & Entertainment collide… Let’s Get Gold sees Sport take the stage like never before in this spectacular new format for all ages. Sports teams from across the country are offered the ultimate opportunity – to turn their sport into a dazzling display of technique, skills, creativity and entertainment as they perform to win a lifechanging cash prize for their local sports club.
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TAKE ME OUT The world’s No. 1 dating format is the provocative, visual and electrifyingly funny show where it really is first impressions that count! 30 single ladies… all with the same goal… to find a man to light up their life. All have an opinion on what they want from a guy. To stay in the game they keep their lights on, but if they don’t like what they see they switch their lights off. Until it’s time to turn the tables – the single boy gets his chance to do the choosing. This hilarious show is a brilliant addition to any schedule, with proven success as a daily strip or a weekly prime time. A global hit that has been lighting up audiences around the world, Take Me Out is the brightest, shiniest, funniest dating show… on the planet.
MY NAME IS… A nationwide competition to find the best young and adult impersonators of world-class performers – from Justin Beiber to Amy Winehouse, from a junior J -Lo to Puff Daddy, from Beyoncé to Lady Ga Ga – this show has ‘them’ all.
RECIPE TO RICHES In this truly interactive reality entertainment format, home cooks compete for the life-changing opportunity to turn their muchloved recipe into a mass-market brand. Voting via social media, web and phone, viewers can taste and buy the best recipes from each show in their local store as they crown the next supermarket sensation.
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The X Factor artists have sold more than 150 million records worldwide, including 130 No.1 and 250 top 10 records
THE X FACTOR The X Factor has been watched by a staggering 350 million viewers across the globe. Its epic production values, combining emotional auditions, the battle of the judges and incredible performances from solo singers and groups, come together to create the best of inspiring entertainment. The format has generated 50 locally adapted versions with a further six countries debuting the programme in 2016. An enduring favourite in the UK, Australia and Hungary, it has also been the #1 entertainment show in Denmark for 8 consecutive years, while the 10th Italian series continues to improve season-onseason recently attracting its best-ever ratings on the channel. Social media is crucial to its top-ranking status. The X Factor app provides exclusive content, quizzes and games that have been downloaded over 2.4 million times, while the show has 5 million UK based YouTube subscribers, 6.9 million Twitter followers and a massive 8.8 million Facebook fans.
THANK GOD YOU’RE HERE Filmed in front of a live audience, with NO script, NO rehearsal and NO second chances, our guest performers walk through a DOOR to be greeted by the words “Thank God you’re here! ” and a scenario they know nothing about. Brilliantly funny, there is NOTHING like it. Spontaneous, witty, hilarious and unpredictable, this comedy series tests the improvisational skills of its celebrity guests.
THE X FACTOR KIDS The search is on for a whole new generation of talent, where 7–14 year olds compete as groups or solo singers to become the next singing sensation.
THROUGH THE KEYHOLE Playing Sherlock in celebrities’ homes, this classic TV format takes viewers for an exclusive look inside the lavish, exotic and sometime quirky homes of the rich and famous. A panel of celebrity guests, assisted by the studio audience, have to guess ‘Who lives in a house like this?’ The hilarious UK series of Through the Keyhole is enjoying outstanding ratings, becoming one of the highest-rated entertainment shows for the channel.
WHO LIVES HERE? In each episode, five strangers tour each other’s homes together and try to figure out who lives where. Using their best powers of social perception and domestic detection, they’ll sleuth their way through each space, matching up design style with personality. Whoever makes the most correct home-tohomeowner matches will take home bragging rights and the cash prize.
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Page 80–81 Celebrity Name Game Family Feud Page 82–83 Man O Man Match Game Password Press Your Luck The Price Is Right Page 84–85 Rebound Sale Of The Century Strike It Rich To Tell The Truth What’s My Line Who Knew? Page 86–87 Bring On The Games Cash Or Splash Hole In The Wall
GAMESHOWS IN FOCUS
The Boxing Glove Total Blackout Page 88–89 All New Hotstreak Blockbusters Card Sharks Child’s Play Distraction Everybody’s Equal Freeze Out Going For Gold Let’s Make A Deal
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Gameshows... a winning format
CELEBRITY NAME GAME Funny, fast-paced and packed with famous faces, this gameshow combines laugh-out-loud comedy with the best pop culture, all in an amazing party atmosphere. Contestants team up with real-life celebrities in a head-spinning battle to identify the biggest names in showbiz and sport. Devised by Courteney Cox and David Arquette, it’s easy to grasp and can work across television schedules and flexible time slots.
FAMILY FEUD As one of television’s longestrunning, highest-rated and most loved gameshows, Family Feud reveals that the simplest question can generate the most outrageous answers. It ignites the finest aspects of a classic gameshow… the rivalry, the teamwork, the audience participation, the despair and the triumphs. It’s a perfectly constructed format that makes perfect television.
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MATCH GAME The hilarious quiz gameshow with fabulous prizes to be won in every rapid round. Two contestants battle to match minds with six celebrity guests, when they fill in the missing word from a funny phrase presented to them by the host. Through the ‘Super Match’ and ‘Tie Break’, players try and find the celebrity who matches their choice of answer. Lots of humour and banter comes out of the mismatches and double-entendres, making this a great celebrity vehicle.
PASSWORD The very addictive gameshow where super-quick minds and clever clues could unlock some fabulous prizes. Two teams made up of a contestant and a celebrity try and communicate with each other by giving one-word clues to the hidden ‘password’. Played against the clock, it’s a test of vocabulary, teamwork and clear thinking.
MAN O MAN Produced in over 21countries the iconic male beauty show Man O Man takes the level of attractive men, humour, entertainment and audience play to levels that were unimaginable when the program premiered on our screens back in the 90s. The new Man O Man should be able to assemble not only a wardrobe, but also cook a meal and change a baby’s nappy... and does he still need a six-pack?
THE PRICE IS RIGHT The most successful, the most famous and the most loved gameshow in the history of television. With its continuing phenomenal success in the US, The Price Is Right has become a legend and is now attracting its 6th generation of fans. Along with its iconic ‘Wheel’ and the showcase final, this show has more dramatic points than any other game today. The Price Is Right can be played in any time period and has proved to work as a once-a-week primetime extravaganza or as a strip in daytime or access to primetime. So ‘Come on Down’ and join in the success!
PRESS YOUR LUCK It’s suspense and strategy, it’s noisy and addictive, it’s television’s most competitive gameshow. A high-energy game of good fortune and wit where three contestants compete to earn spins on the big board in an effort to win cash and prizes, all whilst trying to avoid the dreaded devilish Whammy!
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84 TO TELL THE TRUTH One of the greatest game shows of all time has been reinvented for the 21st century. It’s bigger… better… and more insane! The rules are simple: A panel of quick-witted celebrities question three guests, all of whom claim to have the same extraordinary secret. The celebrity sleuths must figure out who’s lying… and who’s telling the truth. The people they meet will be impressive, strange and at times incredibly brave, especially when it comes to the ‘prove out’ round which closes every show…
USA ABC’s #1 new weekday entertainment show of the year so far and Germany’s SWR’s #1 game show… and that’s the truth!
Add to this crazy mix a larger-than-life comedic host guaranteed to see the funny side in every question and answer, and To Tell The Truth becomes hugely entertaining and utterly unpredictable. In a final twist, the celebrity who’s been fooled the most must watch and cringe as the host tweets a humiliating but hilarious lie to the world... one that can’t be denied for 24 hours. It’s a classic gameshow that’s set to run and run. And that really is the truth.
STRIKE IT RICH The gameshow that blends excitement with unbelievable risk as three teams of two race across a hi-tech set answering questions and banking prizes. With each screen containing either a prize or a ‘hot spot’ and with ten screens to conquer, each team tempts fate when they make a move. The aim is to be the first across the game board to win a chance to play for the prize jackpot.
SALE OF THE CENTURY The fast-paced, pop culture shopping-based gameshow, ideal for a daily strip in daytime or access prime. As players are tempted to spend some or all of their winnings on items offered at hugely discounted prices, will they manage to save enough to reach ‘Shopper’s Paradise’ and take home the big sales prizes? One of the most powerful and durable shows in television history, this is a game where every player can go home a winner.
WHAT’S MY LINE Four celebrity panellists try and guess the occupation of each contestant before accumulating 10 ‘No’s’ to their questions. Lots of quips and banter from the panel – and contestants with unusual jobs – give this format a wonderful and effective line in humour. Each show features a mystery guest, with the panel trying to guess their identity whilst blindfolded.
WHO KNEW? What do sea otters do when they sleep? What can peel garlic in seconds? These are just a couple of the unusual questions asked in this offbeat, brand-new quiz show. It’s funny, compelling and easy to follow, with a promise that you’ll leave every episode knowing something completely new. The gameshow guaranteed to get you talking.
Following it successful series in 2015, S2 continues to break records on ARD in Germany. In Slovakia S1 is 28% above slot average (12-54) with 2nd series commissioned. Coming soon to The Czech Republic, Slovenia and Lithuania.
REBOUND The ultimate fast-paced quiz for the quickest brains, as players go head to head in a Q&A battle of wits… but outplaying their opponents is only half the challenge as they face the relentless Rebound Bar, ready to sweep them out of the game. Original, competitive and boundless play-along fun as players take on each other to take home the cash.
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FremantleMedia and Fuji present the ultimate gameshow pick and mix! Your opportunity to create one tailor-made knock-out package from our most successful gameshows – Hole In The Wall, Body Bowling, The Noise, All-Star Athletics, Strike A Pose, Total Blackout and The Boxing Glove – all with proven broadcast track records. Whether you mix and match two or more, as segments in a show or as a stand-alone programme, play them in teams or as individuals… one thing is guaranteed, a laugh-out-loud smash hit! No matter what the combination, put together the ultimate knockout format with these proven ratings winners and create your own hit!
THE BOXING GLOVE In this original gameshow every question is set by the ultimate Quiz Master, a giant boxing glove travelling towards each player at the speed of an express train. Only a correct answer can stop the glove, guaranteeing a funny & frantic gameshow that takes the Hole in the Wall concept to a whole new level. One wrong answer, one moment of hesitation, one slip of the tongue equals disaster - a punch like Mike Tyson, and an icy bath. But beware: all it takes is just one slip and the contestants risk being dunked in a pool of water, slime, or even ice!
CASH OR SPLASH Fun and frolics abound in this quiz show where every question comes with a laugh, as teams compete for cash prizes in a race against the clock to avoid the splash. The 3-in-1 gameshow comes in different rounds: make a dash for the cash in Run Quiz Run, avoid the punch from The Boxing Glove & hang on for dear life in Clock Hanger! But beware: you need to think quick to avoid the icy cold dip. It’s a team game that can be played in any order, in one or two pools… and with the scope to add new games to keep the show fresh. The quiz show where you can play along – as long as you can stop laughing.
HOLE IN THE WALL The trickiest, fastest, wettest show on the planet has been a worldwide success. All you need is two teams, a POOL, a WALL and a HOLE. A moving barrier speeds towards the waiting players and they must quickly contort themselves, find a balance and try and fit through the weird and wacky cut-out shapes in the wall. Strike the right pose or be swept into the pool below with hilarious consequences.
TOTAL BLACKOUT In this hilarious game, players never know what they might find when entering the room of darkness, but the chances are they will come face-to-face with their worst nightmare. They will scream, but you will definitely laugh in this devilishly funny gameshow of chills, thrills and spills, as contestants face challenges in total darkness.
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FREEZE OUT The gripping quiz show of physical dexterity and mental skill played across a huge six metre slab of ice! In this fast and furious game, players need to be hot on general knowledge and cool under pressure – because as well as answering quiz questions, they’ll also need to master the iconic ice board.
GOING FOR GOLD This award-winning audience participation game promises compulsive and entertaining viewing for all ages. The brain-testing quiz challenges the reflexes and general knowledge abilities of 100 contestants. Through a series of four separate and rigorous elimination rounds, only one will emerge the victorious, if exhausted, champion.
ALL NEW HOTSTREAK A very lively and colourful re-versioning of the classic Hotstreak. Two teams of five play two rounds of classic Hotstreak followed by two rounds of charades. The winning team goes through to repeat the process against another team. The winning team plays a word association game to win an increasing amount of money and then return in the next show to play again.
LET’S MAKE A DEAL Buy, sell or trade what you have for something better – or lose everything. That’s the dilemma offered to every player on Let’s Make A Deal. Probably the most adaptable format in the world, it’s a game of speculation, temptation, nerve and luck. Let’s Make a Deal is the perfect mix of high tension and high comedy as risk versus reward provides guaranteed quality entertainment everywhere.
CHILD’S PLAY Welcome to the world as seen through the eyes of a child. The onus is on the adults as they pit their wits against each other to decipher what on earth the children are describing. Fun-filled, primetime, entertainment for all the family.
DISTRACTION It’s young, edgy and hilarious, it’s the craziest quiz ever created and it makes for compulsive viewing. Imagine a show where a question such as ‘What’s ice made of ?’ can win you a fabulous cash prize or a brand new car. Now imagine having to answer it while being thrown about by a professional wrestler... that’s Distraction.
BLOCKBUSTERS This classic gameshow is an irresistible quiz show that places a single contestant against a team of two players, in a daring battle of wits and words. Using single-letter clues to the answers, the players compete over a series of rounds to be first to get across the board, while trying to ‘block’ each other along the way.
EVERYBODY’S EQUAL An exciting series of visual multiple-choice questions and a studio audience armed with a four-button keypad in a knock-out battle of knowledge to the last man! In a ‘winner loses all’ final skirmish, the embattled and tense finalist takes on the audience for the big prize share-out!
CARD SHARKS In this fast-moving gameshow, couples compete across the game board in the signature high-low game. Using giant traditional playing cards, they predict whether each card will be higher or lower than its predecessor. With excitement and laughs at the turn of every card, Card Sharks is the ultimate ‘shout at the screen’ television for viewers of any age or demographic.
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Page 92–93 An Hour To Save Your Life Benefits Street Choir Of Hard Knocks Football Nightmares Four Rooms Hear Me. Love Me. See Me. Page 94–95 Grand Designs Help! I Have Nothing To Wear Help! My Husband Is DIY-ing House Of The Year How Clean Is Your House The Farmer Wants A Wife Page 96–97 Lords & Ladles My First Holiday OCD Road Trip Project Runway She’s Got The Look Two Worlds One Street Welcome Home
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Reality... as real as it gets
HEAR ME. LOVE ME. SEE ME. The highly entertaining genre-defining dating format Hear Me. Love Me. See Me. is devised by the FremantleMedia-owned Israeli production company Abot Hameiri and sets out to prove that when searching for love, looks aren’t everything. The format takes one singleton and sets them up with three dates in one day. There’s just one small catch… they aren’t allowed to see what their dates look like.
AN HOUR TO SAVE YOUR LIFE Gripping medical reality series which follows the moment an emergency call is made and the expert medical attention a patient receives in this critical first hour. With 360-degree access to specialists, both at the scene and in the hospital, together with candid testimony from the medics themselves, this observational series gives a unique insight into the dilemmas and innovations of emergency care.
CHOIR OF HARD KNOCKS 50 homeless and disadvantaged people who’ve never sung before are put under the guidance of an inspirational Music Director for 6 months. The challenge: to step into the limelight and perform in front of thousands of people at a gala concert finale. This inspirational programme gives homeless people a voice, as they embark on a journey that will give them a sense of purpose and ownership, an opportunity to participate in society and the chance to rise above their dysfunctional lives.
BENEFITS STREET The groundbreaking reality format that forces viewers to examine how they really feel about welfare. With its radical new approach to storytelling, the series highlights social issues through the reality of life in some of the country’s most benefits-dependent neighbourhoods. With each episode themed around a central topic, from parenting to relationships, from drug addiction to self-improvement or immigration, the series tackles these controversial issues head on.
FOOTBALL NIGHTMARES Developed in conjunction with iconic footballing legend Gianluca Vialli, Football Nightmares combines drama, excitement and love for the beautiful game as two ex-professional players embark on a mission to restore the confidence of failing amateur football teams. Stepping off the pitch and into the dressing room, the professionals have just seven days to put the players through their paces and turn the team’s performance around.
FOUR ROOMS Sellers are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sell their most precious possessions to four of the nation’s top dealers. In Four Rooms every object has a story and every object has a price: once a deal has been accepted or rejected, there’s no going back. Who will cut the deal of a lifetime? Who will let it slip away? This entertaining programme is a clever mix of high tension, jeopardy, drama and intrigue.
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THE FARMER WANTS A WIFE Romance blossoms in the countryside. This format is the antidote to urban reality shows. Hunky farmers sow the seeds of true love, but how many will harvest a wife? So forget the milking, the mowing and the manure: The Farmer Wants a Wife and this series is here to help him. Real people, real lives, real romance. Hugely successful in the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Austria and Poland, it is particularly popular in France, where ratings top those of any other content on channel M6. YouTube 6.6m subscribers and 1.2 million Facebook likes indicate younger viewers are also engaging with the show, further highlighting its widespread appeal.
HELP! MY HUSBAND IS D-I-YING Meet the wives whose lives are in chaos: each one of them is married to a Do It Yourself fanatic who can’t seem to finish a single job! Our team can fix a husband’s shocking handy-work but can it mend marriages that seem beyond repair?
GRAND DESIGNS The architecture programme that features fascinating stories of ambitious and innovative homeowners who are creating the house of their dreams. Tracking the projects’ progress through detailed informative filming, we witness the pressure and difficulties involved in the construction of unique houses.
HOW CLEAN IS YOUR HOUSE? The hugely successful home ‘clean-over show’ with a difference, fighting filth and dishing the dirt on grime. Viewers get to see inside some of the dirtiest homes imaginable and meet the occupants. Cue our two brilliant hygiene experts: can they stop the rot?
HELP! I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR 60% of women have ‘nothing to wear’ but have a closet full of clothes! In these standalone shows the frustrated partner recruits our style guru to help out. Together with the woman, the stylist goes about reorganising, restyling, recycling and repairing this out-of-date wardrobe into a new, sexy, stylish collection of clothes.
HOUSE OF THE YEAR Good architecture surprises, inspires and transcends, but the best architecture transforms lives. Over this series we discover the most spectacular and life-changing homes being built today. By recognising and awarding the very best of domestic architecture, the programme adds an element of competition that is unique amongst property shows.
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96 “The key to the success of My First Holiday lies in its authentic and unfiltered look at the world.” -Chris O’Dell
MY FIRST HOLIDAY This award-winning series captures that magical feeling of travelling to a foreign country for the first time – by following ordinary people as they take their very first steps in a different country. In each episode, real individuals from different backgrounds and generations – a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend, or dad and daughter, or mum and son, one of whom has never travelled abroad before – arrive at the airport, where they first learn their destination. It might feel strange and a little scary but it also opens up a wonderful new world. Based on a home-grown idea from FremantleMedia Belgium, this is a heartwarming series. It’s rated incredibly well in Finland and has now been recommissioned for a second season. It received a fantastic reception from international broadcasters upon launching at MIPTV 2016, and deals from around the world reflect the endearing nature and broad appeal of this format.
OCD ROAD TRIP Life-affirming and compelling reality series that seeks to help participants with severe obsessive-compulsive disorders. As they embark on a lifechanging journey, the sufferers brave extreme challenges to overcome their condition.
LORDS & LADLES Three of the country’s top Chefs take viewers into the nation’s finest homes for a culinary adventure with a difference! Together, they’ll recreate lavish feasts from days gone by and take a fascinating peak at how the other half lived. From the chateaux of France to the palazzi of Italy, from the castles of Germany to the mansions of Hollywood royalty, everywhere has its food… and everywhere has its history.
SHE’S GOT THE LOOK Join us as women over 35 from all walks of life compete to win a contract with a top modelling agency and a big cash prize. More beautiful, more relevant and more powerful than ever before, they all have a story to tell – and now it’s their turn to shine.
TWO WORLDS ONE STREET Fascinating and original, this insightful factual format zooms in on people sharing the same street, with one very big difference: some are wealthy, and others are not. Throwing a spotlight on the gap between rich and poor, this captivating format takes on one of life’s biggest questions: Does money buy happiness? You might just be surprised by the answer.
PROJECT RUNWAY The exciting, glamorous reality series that sees talented young fashion designers and their models battle for catwalk stardom, with the chance to showcase their creations to the world. To earn this honour, the designers must compete in a series of demanding challenges that test resourcefulness and creativity – to determine who has what it takes to be a success in the world of fashion.
WELCOME HOME The heartwarming family format about community, friendship and giving back to the ones we love. The programme sees friends create a wonderful home makeover to improve the life of a deserving family or individual. Welcome Home! is a prime time event filled with all the emotion of life’s good deeds, as the deeply moving reactions of the whole family are captured to inspire us all.
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ENTERTAINING THE WORLD
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ISSUE ONE
FREMANTLEMEDIA
FORMATS ISSUE 01 - 2016/17
FremantleMedia Global Formats Magazine
FE AT URE
GET THE F*CK OUT OF MY HOUSE
October 2016 - March 2017
Join host Nicolette Kluijver and come revel in the chaos of the human zoo.
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FREMANTLEMEDIA
Trailers, episodes and more for over 1000 titles from FremantleMedia.
6/10/2016 10:20 PM