France’s W9 Orders New Game Show Les Cinquante

Banijay Productions France, part of Banijay’s French collective of labels, is to produce the brand-new game show Les Cinquante for W9.

In the series, a playful and Machiavellian game master, the lion, challenges 50 reality TV stars to a relentless and unpredictable series of knockout challenges that only he can control.

A large cash prize is up for grabs, but the players are facing each other, not for themselves, but to win for one of the viewers who can download the show’s app to join their favorite’s fan club and potentially win the prize of €50,000 ($49,800).

Florence Fayard, managing director of Banijay Productions France, said: “After the success of our franchises such as Les Marseillais (Party Workers) or Les apprentis aventuriers (Good Luck Guys), we are very proud to announce the creation of this new format. Les Cinquante is the new king of ‘closed door competition’ with strategies at the heart of the game and strong involvement of the public.”

James Townley, global head of content development at Banijay, added: “Through our Creative Fund, we invested in Les Cinquante as it is a great addition to the entertainment space and our catalog. It is unpredictable, interactive, and wildly entertaining. France remains an important market when it comes to creativity and creating new formats. This year we have already seen the strength of French IP with Chaucon Son Tour launching in Spain.”