Nordic World & Fremantle Pact for National Treasures

Fremantle has acquired the format rights for the multiplatform series National Treasures from Nordic World in a number of key territories around the world.

Created by Irish producer EZ Films, National Treasures explores the social history of a nation by uncovering the objects in the hands of its citizens at a series of roadshow events. The format is driven by a web platform, audience participation and user data.

The series was first broadcast this spring in a prime-time Sunday night slot on Ireland’s RTÉ.

Nordic World CEO Espen Huseby commented: “National Treasures is a wonderful format that brings a nation’s history alive in a truly entertaining and informative way. It has all the ingredients that delight and engage viewers of all generations. The show was an instant winner when it aired on RTÉ and I believe that it will have the same success wherever it is broadcast.”

Levina Negi, VP of global acquisitions and development at Fremantle, commented: “National Treasures is a charming show that has the ability to travel brilliantly. Viewer engagement is a key element of the format and every household will have one or several objects and documents that illustrate and recount their country’s history that they will want to share.”

EZ’s Dave Clarke added: “We are delighted to be able to bring the National Treasures format to other markets outside of Ireland and it’s very exciting for us to see other countries use the National Treasures model to let the public rediscover aspects of their history and culture. The unwavering support of RTÉ and the National Museum of Ireland during the production of the series was extremely important in allowing National Treasures to reach its potential.”