Banijay’s Cuarzo to Adapt Studio Lambert Format

MADRID: Cuarzo Producciones, Banijay Group’s production outfit in Spain, has received a commission from Canal 9 for a local version of the ALL3MEDIA International format The Village.

Cuarzo will produce eight one-hour episodes based on the Studio Lambert creation—which aired on Channel 4 in the U.K. as Love Thy Neighbour—for broadcast in the fall. It follows 12 families as they compete to win a beautiful home in a tranquil village.

Pedro Rodriguez, managing director of Cuarzo Producciones, said, “The Village is an ideal format for Spain where tight-knit rural communities are very much a way of life and broadcasters are always looking for ways to reflect that in their schedules. We can’t wait to see what happens when we try this interesting experiment here.”

Nick Smith, ALL3MEDIA International’s VP of format sales, who brokered the deal with Cuarzo, added, “The issue of getting a foot on the property ladder and home ownership expense is a genuinely universal one—and it is an acute issue in Spain. We are confident that Cuarzo will make The Village a highly engaging and entertaining series with a fascinating and informative angle on this subject.”