TVFORMATS
Nadav Palti, president and CEO of Dori Media Group, talks to TV Formats about the worldwide success of the format Power Couple.
The international hit, created by Abot Hameiri, premiered in Israel in 2014 and was adapted later that same year in its first territory, Portugal. Its local Portuguese iteration scored a 48 percent ratings increase against heavy competition. “The rest is history,” says Palti, as the format became a worldwide success in over 13 territories, with over 30 seasons and 680-plus episodes.
“New territories are showing interest in Power Couple constantly,” Palti adds, noting that the latest territory to acquire it was Italy, where it will be produced by Mediaset. There are also new seasons coming in existing territories: a sixth season in Germany, fifth in Hungary and Brazil, third in Croatia, second in Mexico and Bulgaria and more.
“All the versions around the world are not really different ‘versions’ but more like different structures,” Palti notes. “The Power Couple format works like an accordion. In principle, all over the world, the same basic format cycle is produced as it was in the first Israeli original season. The only changes were made according to the needs of the broadcasting channels, regarding the number of episodes or the duration of each episode. Meaning, we take the basic cycle and ‘break it’ or reconstruct it, depending on the nuances and adjustments that each country is looking for. The original structure of the format is preserved.”
He adds that when a territory is localizing Power Couple, the main aspect to emphasize is that it’s all about relationships—how well do you know your partner, and how much are you willing to bet on it? “All the challenges, and the seasonal twists that we add and mix in, are there to help the reality and the ‘knowing each other better’ of the couples,” Palti says. “We don’t manipulate them; we don’t force them to expose their feelings toward each other. We are there to make them show everyone (and themselves) how well they work together as a team, how well they know each other. Everything that happens around that is their doing, their action.”
The show stays fresh each season with its casting, the integration of different challenges (which will bring different emotions and reactions) and changes in location and sets, says Palti. “But you’ll find out that what really attracts the viewers is that they can sit at home and recognize themselves on the screen. They ask themselves, ‘What would we have done in this situation? Do we know each other well?’”
Since the basic rules are the same in all iterations, one of the ways territories are localizing their productions is through the location—as it could be set within a luxurious villa or a house where participants are forced to sleep several couples in one room in bunk beds. They can also customize through casting celebrities or everyday people. The challenges bank includes dozens of selections, ranging from those with high production value or those with a lower budget; they can be challenging, funny, exciting or emotional challenges, all subject to the choice of countries. The elimination system is another aspect up for adjustment.
“The latest sales and commissions of new seasons for Power Couple, across so many territories in 2021, reflect the show’s ongoing ratings success,” Palti says. “The show’s longevity around the world is down to its authenticity, as viewers go through each couple’s journey in the show. Power Coupleprovides fresh, high-quality content just at the time our audiences need it the most.”
