Further Sales for Who Do You Think You Are?

LONDON: Deals have been secured throughout Scandinavia on the Wall to Wall format Who Do You Think You Are? by Outright Distribution.

In Norway, NRK is producing its own local version, with a license for an eight-part series to be produced by Norwegian indie Monster Entertainment. DR in Denmark also went for a local format commission, for six episodes due to air in late 2009 or early 2010. DR has selected 18 finished episodes from the U.K. series to air for Danish audiences as well. The broadcaster further acquired the upcoming U.S. series, commissioned by NBC, which will feature the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Lisa Kudrow and Susan Sarandon.

Sweden’s SVT aired the first series of six episodes of their local version, Vem tror du att du är?, in a prime-time slot earlier this year. SVT re-commissioned a second series of five episodes, which will launch in September. SVT is currently airing six of the U.K. finished episodes.

These new licenses bring the total number of local versions of Who Do You Think You Are? to 13. Finished versions have also been acquired across the rest of Scandinavia, with MTV3 Finland taking the first five complete U.K. seasons and the first available half of the sixth for its Ava channel. MTV3 also signed up for the U.S. series. In addition, the broadcaster secured a format option for the territory.

Leonora Teale, the senior sales manager for Scandinavia at Outright, said: "Years of Who Do You Think You Are? being launched successfully around the world and the continuing great ratings in the U.K. all contribute to four Scandinavian countries breathing new life into the format. We fully anticipate this trend to be replicated in other territories."