Sparks Rack Up New Format Deals

STOCKHOLM, May 12: Several
members of the global format exchange collective Sparks Network have secured
new options and commissions, including Lebanon’s Imagic, whose game-show format
Check or Bet has been optioned
in six countries.

The BBC has purchased the
option for Check or Bet for the
U.K., and the format was also optioned last month in France, Germany,
Australia, Turkey and Poland. Check or Bet is a game show based on the principles of poker, but uses questions
instead of cards.

Local versions of the
reality format Back in Wedding Shape, co-developed by Sparks member BlazHoffski, along with VTM and
Zodiak’s Kanakna, will be produced in Sweden and the U.S. Back in Wedding
Shape is a reality format that
features a couple that decides to get back in the mental and physical shape
they were when they got married. TV4 in Sweden will make a local version of the
show for the fall, while the U.S. studio Warner Horizon has optioned the
format. A number of other countries are in negotiations for the format. It is
co-distributed by Sparks Network and Zodiak International.

Additionally, Sparks
Network has inked a representation deal with International Creative Management
(ICM), a talent agency with offices in Los Angeles, New York and London. ICM
will present projects from the Sparks catalogue to producers and distributors
in the U.S. and U.K. markets, as well as bring international format
opportunities to the management at Sparks. Sparks Network will be represented
by Greg Lipstone, the head of ICM's international television and media
division, and Kimberly Oelman, also in the Los Angeles office, as well as
London-based agent Pippa Lambert.

Sparks Network will also
represent the Rome-based new-media company The Blog TV, which works with a wide
community of video bloggers that contribute regularly to the TV shows that are
produced by The Blog TV. Examples of Blog TV productions include Blog Notes for National Geographic and Mommy for Discovery, a magazine-style program dedicated
to and produced by parents of newborn babies. During the last few months, Blog
TV has started joint ventures with the Sparks Network members Boomerang TV in
Spain and Elephant & Cie in France; projects are also in their final stage
of negotiations with Australian Sparks member Ambience.

Finally, the interactive
format 8 women, from Boomerang
in Spain, has been commissioned in Turkey for a daily run. The local version of
the series will be produced by the Turkish Sparks member Ay yapim. The format
is centered on eight women that give their unvarnished opinions about hot
topics.

—By Irene Lew