Chris Tarrant to Front New Hidden-Camera Show

LONDON: UKTV has signed Chris Tarrant, host of the British Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, to present a new hidden-camera show for Watch.

Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose, originally commissioned from North One under the title My Little Soldier, watches as kids aged 3 to 6 head out on missions in the adult world. The 8×1-hour series combines hidden-camera location shoots with live studio to show parents how capable their children can be. The children only find out that they are part of the show when put in the live studio in front of an audience with their families. The new series begins filming this month, set for an October premiere on Watch.

Tarrant said of the new series, “They say never work with kids or animals. But you know what? They’re wrong! Kids are funny, magical and always surprising. What parent hasn’t told an anecdote about the funny things their children say? This show totally captures the spirit and the inherent comedy of children—it’s the kind of family entertainment I love.”

Lisa Perrin, UKTV’s director of entertainment commissioning, commented, “As a childhood fan of Tiswas I adored Chris Tarrant’s joyful interaction with the kids and that’s exactly why he makes the perfect host for this new family series. Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose is a wonderfully heart-warming and capricious show which takes you from laughter to tears and back in every single episode. You just can’t second guess the reactions of the children as they delight in their newfound independence.”

ALL3MEDIA Group’s entertainment and format executive, Ruth Wrigley, said, “We are delighted that UKTV have taken Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose. It is one of those rare things—a fresh original entertainment format with mass appeal. It is edgy, funny and charming all at the same time—a big show with big ambitions.”

Watch’s channel head, Paul Moreton, added, “Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose is an endlessly surprising and entertaining new format which the whole family will gather together for. The fun is all in the children’s reactions—its something that we can universally share delight in.”