ITV Studios Nordics Goes for The League of Extraordinary…

ITV Studios Nordics has optioned the format The League of Extraordinary…, a reality competition show, for Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway.

The show was a hit for CBC under the title Canada’s Ultimate Challenge. A blend of prime-time competition and social experiment, the format takes teams of strangers and places them in iconic locations around a nation to create intense, geographically specific physical and mental challenges.

The League of Extraordinary… has also been optioned for Germany by LEONINE Studios’ Madame Zheng Production (part of Mediawan). CBC recently ordered a third season of Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, slated to broadcast on February 27 on CBC and CBC Gem. The CBC original series is produced by Insight Productions and The Gurin Company. TGC Global Entertainment (TGC GE) holds the rights.

Anna Rydin, managing director of ITV Studios Sweden, who brokered the deal on behalf of ITV Studios Nordics, said: “Within ITV Nordics, we immediately saw the potential of The League of Extraordinary…. It truly stands out. We saw the premise of the show—creating a nationwide obstacle course delivers some unexpected, jaw-dropping moments in the wild and the authenticity of both the settings and the people who are genuinely doing their best to win creates a dramatic result with real high stakes.”

Cecilia Ingebrigtsen, TGC GE’s sales and acquisitions agent for Europe and the Nordics, who brokered the deal, said: “One of the hardiest genres in the global television industry is the large-scale, live entertainment event. The League of Extraordinary… is exactly that—but it’s so much more than an adventure game show. It places human endeavor, pressure, raw emotion and intense challenge against the backdrop of a country’s most beautiful natural locations and iconic landmarks. It’s a winning combination in every sense.”