TVFORMATS
Viacom International Studios (VIS) is slated to adapt its live-action comedy format Drunk History for Australian audiences.
The free-to-air broadcaster Network 10 has commissioned a season from Eureka Productions, following a format option and pilot deal brokered between Eureka and VIS in 2018. The news marks VIS’s first full series format pickup in the territory. The full series will premiere on Network 10 in 2020.
Drunk History features well-known comedians drunkenly retelling their favorite true historical stories which are in turn re-enacted by well-known celebrities. First launched in 2013 on Comedy Central in the U.S., the show has been adapted in the U.K., Brazil, Hungary, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland and on Viacom-owned Telefe in Argentina.
“Drunk History is a noisy, brand-defining show for Comedy Central and is great fun to make, offering plenty of scope for a wide range of casting and historical storytelling,” said Laura Burrell, head of formats and international content sales at VIS. “We’re very excited to have struck our first Australian format deal with Network 10 and Eureka Productions as it’s further evidence that our formats can be adapted to suit the needs of a mass audience anywhere in the world.”
In addition, VIS has announced the renewal of a long-term format partnership with Discovery Networks across the Nordic region for the reality show Ex on the Beach. The agreement involves production of seasons seven and eight of the show in Sweden, making it the longest-running adaptation outside of the U.K. Seasons three and four will also be produced in Norway and Denmark, with Discovery also taking an option in Finland. Each version of the show will be produced by Endemol Shine’s local production company.
