Million Dollar Island Set for Australian Adaptation

The Talpa social-experiment format Million Dollar Island has been picked up by Seven for an Australian edition.

From Eureka Productions, the local version of Million Dollar Island is slated to air in 2023. Deals for the format have previously been secured with NBC in the U.S. and MBC in the Middle East. It launched on SBS6 in the Netherlands in March.

Million Dollar Island sees 100 people try to stay on a remote desert island for two months for a chance at winning $1 million. In addition to surviving the harsh conditions with limited means, contestants can gain and lose bracelets worth $10,000 in various ways—though each starts with one. By the last day, only a few contestants are left on the island. In the finale, they’ll each get their chance to cash in their bracelets in a test of nerve—or lose everything at the last minute.

Million Dollar Island is a format created by John de Mol’s Talpa Concepts and Monday Media.

Angus Ross, Seven’s chief content officer of entertainment programming, said: “John de Mol has developed some of the most original, successful and impactful formats in television history. The gameplay, strategy, emotion and drama—set in a beautiful, remote location—will make Million Dollar Island one of the must-watch TV shows of 2023.”

Paul Franklin, Eureka Productions co-CEO, said: “Million Dollar Island is event television at its best. Playing out in a stunningly exotic setting, this will be an unmissable series packed with intrigue, secret alliances and incredibly high stakes. We’re thrilled to be bringing such an exciting show to Seven’s viewers.”

Maarten Meijs, CEO at Talpa Entertainment Holding, added: “Million Dollar Island’s lightning pace into the big territories is a testament to its hybrid capacity to strengthen both linear and streaming platforms in the quickly changing media landscape. We’re thrilled to be working with Eureka and Seven on this next-generation social experiment.”