TV Formats In-Demand Recap

The TV Formats In-Demand reports this month spotlighted hot shows in two super-popular areas: game shows and dating and relationship formats. If you missed them, here’s your chance to learn about some of the most-compelling format concepts on offer in the global marketplace.

Game Shows

Game shows never go out of style, and the three profiled in this report all deliver a unique spin on the well-worn genre. In Red Arrow Studios International’s Beat the Channel, two popular presenters get the chance to win a 15-minute live broadcast slot—where anything goes. Since its launch on ProSieben in Germany, it has been licensed to territories including France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands and the Middle East. “The original production (Joko & Klaas gegen ProSieben) is a massive hit in Germany,” says Tim Gerhartz, senior VP of global sales at Red Arrow Studios International. “The series has generated not only huge ratings but unprecedented PR and social media buzz too. It’s perfect for channels looking for noisy, event programming and also offers unique cross-promotion and brand-integration opportunities.” Banijay Rights’ ABC commission Don’t is a physical comedy game show where families can win money by following one simple instruction: Don’t. Licensed into Mexico, it combines physical comedy, family dynamics and never-before-seen stunts. The game designs are flexible and the show’s strongly comic personality can work at all budget levels. A League of Their Own has been an enduring hit on Sky One and Red Arrow Studios International has been notching up deals on the format around the world. The format has been successful in Germany (Sky), where three seasons have aired and a fourth is in production, and in Denmark (Kanal 5), where five seasons have aired. The format has also been adapted in Australia (Network 10) and most recently in the U.S., where it airs on CBS as Game On! “A League of Their Own is a high-energy, supersized panel show that offers great prime-time family entertainment,” says Gerhartz. “Sports and entertainment are universal concepts and the format blends both in an original, comedic way, which appeals equally to men and women. It’s flexible and scalable, so works for a range of broadcasters, and is the perfect solution for TV schedules in a year without major sporting events.”

Dating Shows

These dating and relationship formats help participants find love in a range of unique ways. From Constantin Entertainment, the JOYN original series M.O.M is an age-gap-love reality dating show that was top five among users overall in 2020, top three among users in May/June, top five in watch time in May and top two in watch time in June on the streaming platform. The format has been optioned in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy. On offer from Soho Productions, Love Is In the Air is a live dating/matchmaking format that started in Turkey, where it was a hit for ten years. It also became successful in the U.S., where a second season is about to start in September on UniMás TV. It has been licensed to territories like Germany, Romania, Mexico, Colombia and Kazakhstan. “It’s perfect for channels looking for high-energy, attractive programming,” says Zeynep Peker, the creator of the format. “It’s suitable for cross-promotion and brand-integration opportunities.” Armoza Formats is offering up Guys in Disguise, which has been adapted by Rede Record in Brazil, Kanal 2 in Estonia and ProSieben in Germany. “Guys in Disguise takes away the common element of judging people solely on their looks and gives the suitors the opportunity to show their personality in a humorous and secure way,” says Sharon Levi, head of sales at Armoza Formats. “Also, our fun-filled disguises give these suitors a safe place to speak freely and openly about themselves and their attraction to the single in ways they were never able to before, despite knowing her already.” In Global Agency’s The Married Game, four men, three married and one single, take a savvy bachelorette out on dinner dates and try to convince her that they are single. If she guesses right and chooses the single bachelor, she leaves with him on an all-expenses-paid trip and wins the prize money. If she guesses wrong, the married man who deceived her leaves on the trip with the prize money and his own wife. See the TV Formats In-Demand: Dating Shows report here.

Watch trailers of these shows in the TV Formats In-Demand event room on WorldScreenings.com.