BBC Studios Sends Fact or Fake to Germany

BBC Studios has secured its first international format deal for Fact or Fake with German broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), ARD’s free-to-air channel for Bavaria.

The show sees three guest comedians presented with viral videos, social media posts, sensational newspaper headlines and urban legends, after which they must filter out what is real and what is fake. The German adaptation, titled Fakt oder Fake, is set to premiere in 2022.

The original series, created by Sandrats Media Company, launched in Austria on ORF 1 in 2019. ORF recently revealed it would be returning for a third season in January 2022.

André Renaud, senior VP of global format sales at BBC Studios, said: “I’m thrilled that having just launched the Fact or Fake format at BBC Studios Showcase in February, we have already secured our first license of the format with BR. Fake news is such a hot topic in recent years and this series demonstrates, in a hilarious and entertaining way, just how difficult it is to separate fact from fiction. I’m sure the German audience will be just as entertained by this unique show as their Austrian neighbors have been.”

Dr. Reinhard Scolik, head of program at BR, said: “Panel shows are hard work but made to look easy. The more the panelists can speculate, debate, argue and, of course, fantasize, the better. We believe that Fakt oder Fake is the right TV format to make the panelists play with a serious topic of our times in a fun way; the everyday challenge to understand what’s fact and what’s fake in (social) media. I can’t wait to see Fakt oder Fake in our program!”