SevenOne Clinches New Deals on The Successor

MUNICH, January 8: SevenOne International has secured new format deals with SBS 6 in the Netherlands and TV2 in Hungary for The Successor—The Next Uri Geller, which premiered in Germany today on ProSieben.

The talent competition series, based on an Israeli format, sees ten contestants vie to become the successor of famed mentalist Uri Geller. In the Netherlands, the first episode will air on January 26 on SBS 6. Both stations will produce their shows at MMC Studios in Ossendorf, Germany. SBS 6 will be using ProSieben’s studio infrastructure, but will produce the Dutch version with local contestants and hosts.

ProSieben’s The Next Uri Geller—Unglaubliche Phenomene Live is hosted by Stefan G?. The Dutch version, under the title De Nieuwe Uri Geller, is hosted for SBS 6 by Tooske Ragas-Breugem and Henkjan Smits. The Hungarian debut on TV2 is scheduled for this spring. Each of the three stations will carry eight episodes.

The Successor, created by Keshet Broadcasting, Kuperman Productions and Uri Geller, is based on an Israeli TV format that aired in the spring of 2007 on Keshet’s Channel 2, with an average audience share of 50 percent, the highest figure for any program in the history of Israeli TV.

SevenOne has already sold the format to six countries. NBC was the first to air it on U.S. television in October 2007, under the title Phenomenon. Canadian station CTV carried the NBC adaptation, which Australia’s Channel Nine also acquired for 2008.

Jens Richter, the managing director of SevenOne International, commented: “In Israel, The Successor broke every ratings record. After the talent show has already been sold to the U.S., Canada and Australia, we’re now thrilled to have The Successor amaze European viewers as well.”

—By Kristin Brzoznowski