Facing the Classroom to See More Adaptations

Vivendi Entertainment’s factual-entertainment format Facing the Classroom has a host of international deals in the works.

Facing the Classroom will be adapted by Polsat for TV4 and TV6 in Poland and is scheduled to broadcast this fall, and The Middle East Broadcasting Center will also adapt the show for the region in 2019. In the U.K., RDF (a part of Banijay Group) entered into an exclusive option agreement with Vivendi Entertainment for the series. Vivendi is also working on adaptations in two Latin American countries with a global OTT platform, in Spain where Unicorn has an option and in Canada with a network.

These new developments in the show’s global expansion come on the heels of adaptations in The Netherlands, where the series launched on SBS6 in early January; Italy, where Rai 3 aired 30 episodes last fall; Lebanon, which saw MTV broadcast the show in ten weekly prime-time slots last spring; New Zealand, where TVNZ aired two prime-time specials before the last general election; and French-speaking Belgium.

In France, C8 has already commissioned seven additional prime-time episodes of the format, expanding its scope outside election time and mixing in celebrities among political candidates, after a ratings spike when various presidential candidates, including Emmanuel Macron, appeared on the show in spring 2017.

In each episode of the format, several public figures, including politicians, actors and athletes, are questioned by 20 kids in their classroom. The questions cover a range of topics and give the audience the opportunity to see public figures in a rare light.

Matthieu Porte, executive VP of international and development at Vivendi Entertainment, said: “We are very proud to be winning this award for the second time (after Guess My Age in 2017) and look forward to these two new adaptations! We also can’t wait to know the results of RDF’s development in the U.K. and are convinced this format will also be on air in the U.S. soon, as it would be amazing to see both the primary and presidential candidates interviewed by American kids.”