Nordisk Scores U.S. Deal for Reality Format

COPENHAGEN,
April 2: 25/7 Productions in the U.S. has secured the rights to the reality
format 71 Degrees North
from Scandinavian distributor Nordisk Film TV World.

The deal was
brokered by William Morris. 25/7 Productions is headed up by Dave Broome as
managing director. Broome is behind the successful format The Biggest Loser, currently in its sixth season on NBC,
and plans to pitch 71 Degrees North to U.S. broadcasters.

The series
recently launched in Holland and Belgium. A celebrity version of the format has
premiered on RTL5 in Holland and on 2BE in Belgium. The Belgian version has
outperformed other long-running reality shows such as Survivor and Peking Express.

In 71
Degrees North,
participants are subjected to harsh conditions, and are pushed to their
physical and mental limits.

Nordisk Film TV
World’s Karoline Spodsberg, commented: “There is nothing else like this show
available in the market at the moment.
The series’ current success in Holland and Belgium and the pick up in
the U.S. means that it is truly time to bring the format back to the attention
of international buyers. We are seeing there is a real need for this type of
extreme reality series in schedules right now and we’re very excited about the
show’s renewed potential.”

—By Irene
Lew