A+E Networks Scores Recommissions for Formats

A+E Networks has landed new seasons for treatments of its formats Top Dog, The Rap Game and The UnXplained.

In Germany, Top Dog has been renewed for a third season by RTL. Locally titled Der beste Hund Deutschlands, the show sees expertly trained dogs competing with their owners in a series of rounds that test speed, agility and communication, all on a supersized, Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course.

The Rap Game has been picked up for a fifth season by BBC Three. Produced by Naked Television, the U.K. version finds exceptional local MCs from around the country, pairs them with celebrity mentors who train them and give them a crash course in the music business, then has them compete in epic MC showdowns in front of a panel of judges.

The factual format The UnXplained has been renewed for a third Spanish-language season by HISTORY Channel LatAm to air across all of its territories in the region. Locally titled Inexplicable Latinoamérica and produced by Del Volga Productions, the LatAm treatment finds John Leguizamo utilizing top scientists and individual accounts to unearth new insights into phenomena ranging from UFO encounters to evil possessions.

“It is through deep collaboration with our treasured partners that we’ve been able to garner a fantastic track record in finding formats that transcend cultures and borders and truly tap into the zeitgeist of the moment, as evidenced by the latest commissions from our industry-leading partners,” said A+E Networks’ director of international format production and acquisitions, Crispin Clover. “Each of these formats has continued to attract strong audiences in vastly different territories worldwide, and those audiences continue to grow season after season.”

Additionally, Alone: Australia, the first iteration of the company’s global hit format produced in the region, is now the most-watched SBS-commissioned series in the network’s history, averaging over 1 million viewers per episode on linear TV and on-demand.  “A+E Networks is incredibly pleased that viewers were so riveted by Alone: Australia, especially since we were able to partner with SBS and ITV Australia to create a true phenomenon that rapidly became water-cooler TV,” Clover.