Trading Up with Upgrade

Gili Golan, the president of Tanin Productions & TV, talks to TV Formats about the reality game show Upgrade, which offers viewers the chance to trade-up their old household items by answering trivia questions.

The out-of-studio format originated from Tanin Productions & TV and was created by Golan, Saar Brodsky and Rodrigo Gonzales.

“When we created the format, we wanted to change the rules of game shows in the world,” Golan says. “In all the game shows around the world, the contestants always win a prize. We wanted to change that rule and say, in our game, you can win wonderful home appliances, but you can also lose one item from your house;if you answer correctly, we will upgrade your home appliances but if you are wrong, we will take one item from your house.”

The show was created in 2009 and first presented to Channel 10. “Right away they ordered a pilot from us, which was a very good pilot,” Golan says. “Channel 10 adapted it right away.”

In its first year, it was sold to ten more countries, including Romania, Turkey, Norway, Greece, Russia and China. “It became a huge success in each and every country it was broadcast in,” says Golan.

Upgrade has now made its way into more than 30 countries, with multiple seasons produced in China, Norway, Russia, Turkey, Romania, Greece, South Korea, India, Switzerland and elsewhere.

The local versions of Upgrade in Norway and Spain were done in the street, with upgrades to items such as iPhones, watches and sunglasses. In Brazil, a shopping channel adapted the show, and the viewers could buy online the products that were shown in the show.

“Upgrade is a great format for product placement and for marketing content,” Golan says. “A lot of companies can take sponsorship in this show because we are dealing with all the products that the contestants have at home: from TVs to dishwashers, microwaves to washing machines, blenders, cellphones and furniture. We see big companies take sponsorship on our show like Samsung, IKEA, cellular companies, computer companies and home appliances companies. This show is perfect for sponsorships, and it makes the production very cost-effective.”

Global Agency took on the distribution for the format in January 2019, and “they are doing a wonderful job,” Golan says. “We signed a couple of contracts, including France, Norway and Germany. This distribution company is like a home to us and they keep pushing Upgrade very well.”

He says that the U.S. is very much on his wish list to see a local adaptation, along with some more Asian and South American countries.

“The world is experiencing a pandemic with the coronavirus, and everybody is staying at home,” says Golan. “Upgrade is filmed in the contestants’ houses without them getting out of their home, so it’s very safe playing Upgrade during this coronavirus period, and the broadcasters should use Upgrade to entertain people quarantined at home these days and film Upgrade in order to encourage the population.”