Endemol Secures Babes on the Bus

LONDON/OSLO: Nordic World’s dating series Babes on the Bus has been optioned by Endemol and is set for a global rollout.

Endemol optioned Babes on the Bus for the world, excluding the Nordic territories and France, where it is already under option by TF1. The series was produced by the Norwegian independent Monster Entertainment for TVNorge, where it currently airs in a prime-time slot.

The series features 25 urban singletons who would like to swap their towny existence for rural living, complete with a rural soul-mate. Over 10 weeks, the “babes” tour the country by bus, visiting ten small communities. At the end of each visit, the women must decide whether to stay put or move on to the next village. The show’s ultimate goal is to return to the city with an empty bus.

Jan Salling, the chief operating officer and director of sales of Nordic World, said: “Babes on the Bus is the first Norwegian format ever to have created a real buzz on the international market. It touches on a topical issue for many territories—the rapid depopulation of the countryside as people flock to towns and cities—but at its core are the solid ‘bankers’ of dating and reality. This deal with Endemol is a game-changer not only for Monster and Nordic World, but for the entire Nordic format industry. It’s a real vote of confidence in a Nordic concept that we believe has the makings of a global superformat.”

Grant Ross, the global head of format acquisitions for Endemol, added: “Babes on the Bus has already performed extremely well in a small but competitive market and we have great confidence in its international potential. Its appeal lies in the way it delivers classic reality TV entertainment and jeopardy whilst celebrating the best of rural areas and the fantastic characters that live there. In short, we believe this deal adds another hit format to our catalogue.”