New Formats & More Headline A+E Networks’s MIPCOM Slate

NEW YORK/CANNES: A+E Networks is heading to Cannes with a slate that features new formats, including three series from HISTORY and FYI, as well as dramas and factual series.

Alone is a reality competition series that debuted in the U.S. on HISTORY in June. The show places ten survivalists in an isolated wilderness on their own, with no camera crews, no teams and no producers, with one mission: to stay alive and endure the harsh conditions longer than their opponents.

“We’ve had big success on HISTORY with Alone, which is a very straightforward show of people out in the woods surviving on their own,” said Joel Denton, the managing director of international content sales and partnerships at A+E Networks. “It is very immediate, visceral and frightening in some ways.”

Meanwhile, Man vs. Child: Chef Showdown debuted on FYI in the U.S. in July. The culinary competition series sees talented young cooks face off against professionally trained adult chefs. Another new format on A+E Networks’s slate is Seven Year Switch, which follows the journeys of couples who have hit a breaking point in their marriage. The couples will take part in an innovative trial of switch therapy, in which they swap partners and partake in experimental marriages. It premiered on FYI in July. In addition, Arranged features modern singles whose cultural traditions include arranged marriages. The show charts their journeys as they are united in matrimony by their families.

Rounding out the format slate are the fashion series Get Swank’d and Style Unzipped; the relationship series Bride & Prejudice; the competition series Photo Face-Off and Smartest Guy in the Room; and the home series Unplugged Nation, Waterfront House Hunting and We’re Moving In.

“A+E Networks is dedicated to creating fresh, unique formats, offering a slate that will capture the imagination of viewers and deliver ratings success for our global partners,” commented Ellen Lovejoy, the VP of international content sales at A+E Networks. “Our bold MIPCOM slate features formats based on programs with proven U.S. track records and innovative concepts that will resonate worldwide.”

Lovejoy also noted that these formats are all “scalable, relatable and engaging,” adding, “A+E Networks’s formats capture the imagination of the viewer by showcasing universal themes, utilizing new production methods (e.g., taking self-shot reality to a new level) and pioneering social experiments.”

“Factual buyers are open to everything at the moment; there’s a trend to experiment and be a bit braver,” Denton remarked.

A+E Networks is also promoting The Curse of Oak Island and Mountain Men. Plus, the series Wahlburgers turns the spotlight on brothers Mark, Donnie and Paul Wahlberg as they operate a chain of burger restaurants. Meanwhile, Donnie Wahlberg is joined by his famous wife, Jenny McCarthy, in the reality series Donnie Loves Jenny.

In addition, the company has been ramping up its drama slate, which includes MIPCOM highlights such as the A+E Studios-produced series UnREAL, set against the backdrop of a fictional dating competition series.

“Drama and scripted series are increasingly important to our large U.S. channels,” said Denton. “In a digital world with multiple places and means to view, ownership of key content and control of windows and media is increasingly crucial for our company.”

Further highlights for the market include the miniseries And Then There Were None, set on a mysterious island, and The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, about the life of the film icon and sex symbol.

“We’re in a golden age of scripted programming, and we’re excited to bring [these] great shows to the international market,” Denton said.