FMI Sends Lost in Time to the Middle East

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FremantleMedia International (FMI) has inked a deal with Dubai TV that marks the first global commission of the Interactive Mixed Reality (IMR) format Lost in Time.

Created and co-produced globally by FremantleMedia and The Future Group, the Dubai TV version of the prime-time entertainment show will air across the channel’s pan-regional Middle Eastern and North African footprint. Lost in Time is the first interactive TV show to combine real-time special effects previously only seen in feature films with gaming on the second screen.

The first version of the format aired earlier this year on TVNorge in Norway. Using IMR, Lost in Time follows three contestants as they are transported to different historical eras, including the Wild West, Ice Age, Medieval Age and the Jurassic Period, where they compete against the clock in a series of epic challenges before going head-to-head in a futuristic end-game to win a jackpot prize and be crowned Champion. Using a smartphone or tablet app, viewers can be immersed in Lost in Time and play along in real-time or off the air. They can win prizes at home, competing against both show contestants and others from across the country.

Sarah Al Jarmen, the director of Dubai Television, said, “We have great confidence in the success of Lost in Time, the first collaboration and partnership between Dubai Television, FremantleMedia International and The Future Group. The new program is the first of its kind in the Arab world as it combines interactive mixed-reality technology and allows the audience to interact with the program via the dedicated smartphones and tablet app.”

Anahita Kheder, the senior VP of the Middle East, Africa and Southeastern Europe for FremantleMedia International, commented, “FremantleMedia is always on the lookout for new ways to tell a story, and Lost in Time is a completely new type of TV entertainment. Hugely ambitious and disruptive, Lost in Time’s immersive technology has global appeal. We are very excited to be working with Dubai TV to bring this loud and buzzy format to the Middle East.”

The Future Group’s CEO and co-founder, Bård Anders Kasin, and deputy CEO, board member and co-founder, Jens Petter Høili, remarked, “It’s fantastic that Lost in Time finds its first home outside of Norway in such a populous region, and the deal with Dubai TV represents an international breakthrough for The Future Group. The show and concept is made possible by our proprietary technology and creative team. We look forward to creating new games and adding new features to the apps for this exciting multi-territorial production.”