FOR_0417_COVER_FOR_1008_COVER 3/14/17 3:23 PM Page 2
TVFORMATS
WWW.TVFORMATS.WS
APRIL 2017
MIPFORMATS & MIPTV EDITION
Singing Competitions / Game Shows / Endemol Shine’s Sophie Turner Laing BBC Worldwide’s Sumi Connock / Global Agency’s Izzet Pinto
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/15/17 10:49 AM Page 1
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/15/17 10:49 AM Page 2
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/6/17 11:45 AM Page 1
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/6/17 11:46 AM Page 2
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/15/17 10:51 AM Page 1
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/15/17 10:51 AM Page 2
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/7/17 10:38 AM Page 1
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/7/17 10:39 AM Page 2
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/15/17 10:59 AM Page 1
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/15/17 10:59 AM Page 2
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/15/17 10:45 AM Page 1
SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 3/15/17 10:45 AM Page 2
FOR_417_TOC_ASP_1206_MANSHA COLUMN 3/15/17 5:21 PM Page 1
14 TV FORMATS
CONTENTS FEATURES
Here to Entertain
30 TUNE UP Exploring the new spins on singing competitions, which remain top-sellers in the format business.
30
As the insatiable demand for drama shows no signs of waning, those working in the entertainment arena might be biting their nails a bit at this point.
Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Joanna Padovano Tong Managing Editor Sara Alessi Associate Editor Victor L. Cuevas Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Nathalia Lopez Sales & Marketing Assistant Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager
Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Formats © 2017 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvformats.ws
It’s true that a lot of money is being spent on atmospheric noir, twisty anthologies, limited events with bigname talent attached and the like by broadcasters globally. There are also still a handful of shiny-floor entertainment hits holding down prime-time slots on major networks around the world—some of these shows have been going strong for a decade-plus. In this crowded environment, it’s undoubtedly difficult for a new entertainment concept to break through and secure itself a choice spot in a network’s schedule. Perhaps that’s why there has been a wave of new formats in the marketplace that are mid-level in budget and scale. Producers and distributors are finding a solid demand for daily strips or access prime programming, and they’re seeing the value in shopping concepts that might be perfect for a broadcaster’s sister channels outside the main network. Social experiments have proven popular as of late, and these generally tend to be less expensive to produce. Game shows have seen a resurgence, including a healthy appetite for the low-cost, high-volume type of series. We explore the game-show genre, and the innovative twists to it, in this issue of TV Formats. Another feature in this edition focuses on singing talent formats, exploring their continuing success and the quest for the next big breakout hit. We also hear from Endemol Shine Group’s Sophie Turner Laing, BBC Worldwide’s Sumi Connock and Global Agency’s Izzet Pinto about scouting for fresh ideas that can travel—and perhaps become a globe-busting behemoth at that. There are new players getting into the unscripted game as well that are sure to shake up the format market. Netflix recently launched its first reality competition, Ultimate Beastmaster, with six different versions of the show tailored to local audiences. Apple, too, is breaking into original unscripted content, with the reality competition Planet of the Apps launching this spring. Format producers and distributors will surely be keeping an eye on the opportunities presented by SVOD and OTT platforms as they look ahead, and TV Formats will be following the action as well. —Kristin Brzoznowski
38 JACKPOT! Producers and distributors are pursuing new ways to innovate the game-show genre.
38
INTERVIEWS
44 Endemol Shine’s Sophie Turner Laing
46 BBC Worldwide’s Sumi Connock
50 Global Agency’s Izzet Pinto
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/15/17 9:14 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_UPFRONT_Layout 1 3/15/17 3:25 PM Page 1
16 TV FORMATS
The Final Four
Armoza Formats The Final Four / Sex Tape / The City Inspector There is a new singing competition on offer from Armoza Formats, The Final Four. The twist is that the prime-time series begins where most talent shows end: with the top four finalists announced in the very first episode. “Although the four finalists have been handpicked by the judges, they should not get too comfortable because in every episode they will have to defend their seats from talented new hopefuls, bringing the beloved auditions stage to the entire season,” explains Avi Armoza, the founder and CEO of Armoza Formats. By using a dedicated app, viewers can also become contestants, “filling the entire season with emotional and dramatic peaks,” says Armoza. The company also has two new factualentertainment formats, the relationship-based social experiment Sex Tape and the investigative series The City Inspector.
“Armoza Formats is launching a diverse lineup of new shows set to challenge all the rules.”
—Avi Armoza
Banijay Rights The Bravest / Fantastic Duo / The Legacy Leading off Banijay Rights’ format slate is The Bravest, a reality event series that is launching in both Denmark and Sweden. “Unlike other physical game shows, it delves deep into the psyche of its contestants, forcing them to overcome their most primal fears,” says Andrew Sime, the company’s VP of formats. “It’s a game that mixes moments of individual courage with long-term strategy.” The company also has a new singing format out of South Korea, Fantastic Duo. “It combines the appeal of classic singing formats with the very latest in interactive technology and allows members of the public to take part in remote duels with their musical heroes,” Sime explains. He describes The Legacy as having “a high-stakes mixture of luck and skill.”
“Banijay Rights represents one of the biggest, broadest collections of entertainment formats in the world.” —Andrew Sime The Bravest !mpossible
BBC Worldwide Let’s Sing and Dance / Let It Shine / !mpossible The BBC One prime-time entertainment show Let’s Sing and Dance is being offered as a format by BBC Worldwide. “Your favorite stars will not only put on their dancing shoes, they’ll also be grabbing the microphone for a night of laughter, comedy and amazing performances,” says Suzanne Kendrick, the company’s head of global format sales. BBC Worldwide brings Let It Shine to MIPTV following the show’s successful launch on BBC One in January. “This talent search demands it all—singing, dancing, performance to the highest level and chemistry as a group—as Let It Shine seeks to create the country’s best new band.” There’s also the quiz show !mpossible, which has been commissioned for a second season by BBC One. The game features right answers, wrong answers and impossible answers.
“We really do have something for every broadcaster.” —Suzanne Kendrick 264 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FORMATS_0417__Layout 1 3/7/17 10:24 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_UPFRONT_Layout 1 3/15/17 3:25 PM Page 2
18 TV FORMATS
CJ E&M Golden Tambourine / The Gobbler Race / Crazy Market The new studio-based entertainment format Golden Tambourine looks on as two teams compete against each other in a musical competition. “The unique stage is divided by a moving wall,” says Jangho Seo, the general manager of the global content business division at CJ E&M. “The moving wall stage provides the winner of each round [the opportunity] to perform in the next round with more room and the losing team with less room.” Another highlight is The Gobbler Race, which sees contestants eat local dishes while traveling to cities around the globe. Then there is Crazy Market, a game show in which contestants use their five senses to answer questions about food and battle against professional chefs for the chance to win cash prizes.
“[CJ E&M is] aspiring to become a leading format and IP studio.” —Jangho Seo The Gobbler Race
Electus International The Toy Box / Running Wild with Bear Grylls / Winsanity The Toy Box gives toy inventors an opportunity to fulfill their dreams of seeing their toy produced for children all over the world. The show, which debuts April 7 in the U.S., features a panel of kid judges as well. “It really is a show that can play for any broadcaster in any country globally,” says John Pollak, Electus’s president of worldwide television and Electus International. The series will debut on ABC in the U.S. with host Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family). Both Running Wild with Bear Grylls and Winsanity come with proven track records, giving “buyers all over the world the confidence that they will be successful for them as well,” Pollak says. He adds, “Winsanity is seeing success as a fun and economically viable daily strip.”
“The Running Wild format has really taken off this year.” —John Pollak Running Wild with Bear Grylls
FremantleMedia Lost in Time / The Next TV Chef / The Chefs’ Line Using interactive mixed reality, Lost in Time follows contestants as they compete in a series of challenges after being transported to different eras. “Lost in Time offers viewers the next generation of family entertainment, bringing special effects normally used in cinema to the small screen,” says Rob Clark, the director of global entertainment at FremantleMedia. The Next TV Chef is a new talent show that scours the country for chefs who can captivate an audience. “It’s more than a cookery show or an obvious talent show; this is a very genuine and tangible search for the next Jamie Oliver or Nigella [Lawson],” says Clark. There is also The Chefs’ Line, which pits the culinary skills of home cooks against the expertise of professionals.
“Our entertainment formats remain the engine for FremantleMedia’s growth, and we’ve got some exciting new properties.” —Rob Clark Lost in Time 266 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
KIDS_0417__Layout 1 3/6/17 11:42 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_UPFRONT_Layout 1 3/15/17 3:25 PM Page 3
20 TV FORMATS
Global Agency Bring Your Fame Back /Beat Me If You Can /My Wife Rules In the Global Agency format Bring Your Fame Back, former pop stars get a second chance at stardom. The performers will be voting for each other. “We sincerely believe that Bring Your Fame Back will open a new [door in] the talentshow genre with its distinctive concept and bags of primetime appeal,” says Umay Ayaz, the company’s head of acquisitions. “Before the official launch at MIPFormats, we have already started to anticipate interest for the show. A new megahit is on the way.” Beat Me If You Can is a primetime format that combines elements of singing/talent competitions and game shows. My Wife Rules is a cooking contest for couples. Husbands are guided in the kitchen by their wives as they communicate only through an earpiece, and the dishes are sampled blindfolded.
“These formats are highly entertaining and fresh, bringing a unique approach to their genres.” —Umay Ayaz My Wife Rules
GMA Worldwide Envy / Legally Blind / Destined to Be Yours GMA Worldwide has a wealth of scripted formats to offer the international market that are based on top dramas from GMA Network in the Philippines. Among the catalog is Envy, in which two adopted sisters fight for the love of one man and the attention of their adoptive mother. Legally Blind is about a law student who can no longer see after she is drugged and raped at a party. Destined to Be Yours tells the love story between a serious architect and a happy-go-lucky DJ. The Filipino version features a famous on-screen couple in the lead roles. Manuel Paolo J. Laurena, the senior sales manager at GMA Worldwide, says that the themes in these dramas are ones that resonate globally. He also highlights that the format rights for seven GMA dramas were recently licensed by production houses in Mexico.
“Our stories are universal.”
Envy
—Manuel Paolo J. Laurena
Hat Trick International Cheap Cheap Cheap / Rich House, Poor House / Design Your Way Out of Debt Set in a convenience store, Cheap Cheap Cheap gives contestants the chance to win an increasing amount of money by correctly picking the cheapest of three similar items, with advice, encouragement and much distraction from the shop’s eccentric staff. The format Rich House, Poor House follows two families—one well-off, the other much less so—as they swap lives for one week in a bid to answer the age-old question: does money buy you happiness? In Design Your Way Out of Debt, a team of property experts meets with people who are self-building unconventional homes as they aim to be mortgage-free. “Our reality formats tackle globally relevant issues that are increasingly important to a wide range of people,” says Sarah Tong, the director of sales at Hat Trick International.
“All three formats present fantastic opportunities for adaptation: they’re relatable, accessible and relevant for worldwide audiences.” —Sarah Tong Cheap Cheap Cheap 268 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FORMATS_0417__Layout 1 3/7/17 10:34 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_UPFRONT_Layout 1 3/15/17 3:25 PM Page 4
22 TV FORMATS
Join Instant
Inter Medya Join Instant / Oasis / The Box Challenge Inter Medya’s creative team has been developing new game-show formats. “We plan to surprise people with the variety of our game-show formats at MIPFormats and at upcoming markets,” says Can Okan, Inter Medya’s founder and CEO. The company is presenting Join Instant, an online interactive quiz elimination game show. There is also the brand-new endurance reality show Oasis, which sees two teams of seven couples compete to earn a place at the Oasis. In The Box Challenge, meanwhile, each contestant begins the show with a sum of cash and must decide how much money to allocate to each box. Every box has a surprise inside. Okan says, “Awareness of the creativity of Turkish people led us to invest in a new genre. We are designing our unique formats ourselves.”
“We are going to focus on our format catalog not only at MIPTV but for the whole year.”
—Can Okan
Cops on the Block
KABO International Tilt / Cops on the Block / Our Crazy Family From its deal with the Finnish interactive entertainment outfit Reflect, KABO International has added to its catalog Tilt. Billed as a hybrid of a game show and a talk show, Tilt is the first-ever TV format to use VR and mixed-reality video in broadcast television. “The interest in all things VR has really taken off, and this market will be buzzing with developments in this area, so the demand for interactive entertainment of this nature will take center stage,” says Arabelle Pouliot-Di Crescenzo, the managing director of KABO International. The company also offers Cops on the Block, a Pick’n Mix scripted comedy format, and Our Crazy Family, a Pick’n Mix sitcom format, for which there are thousands of individual comedy sketches “that can be assembled in any order to suit a broadcaster’s programming schedule,” says Pouliot-Di Crescenzo.
“Our distribution slate has a universal feel that really does cater to all tastes and viewer demands.” —Arabelle Pouliot-Di Crescenzo Contacts
Keshet International Lovers or Liars / Contacts / Flight Club An all-star panel, as well as the at-home audience, gets to play “true-love detectives” in the show Lovers or Liars. “Using the same analytic skills most of us use during daily interactions without even realizing it, a lineup of comedians, celebrities and relationship experts are tasked with choosing which couple is real and which two are fake,” explains Keren Shahar, the COO and president of distribution at Keshet International. In Contacts, contestants compete in a fast-paced game that forces them to give up control of their fate to the contacts in their mobile phones. Flight Club is a game show that Shahar says has “the fun and irreverent attitude of The Hangover.” Players compete for a fantasy holiday, but whether they win or lose all depends on what happens during the ride to the airport.
“All three formats have unique and distinct twists that make them stand out in a crowded market.” —Keren Shahar 270 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FORMATS_0417__Layout 1 3/7/17 10:36 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_UPFRONT_Layout 1 3/15/17 3:25 PM Page 5
24 TV FORMATS
Mediaset Distribution The Final Act / Code Name Solo / The Phone Secrets Mediaset Distribution is offering the crime dramas The Final Act and Code Name Solo as scripted formats for the market. According to Manuela Caputi, the company’s head of international sales, Mediaset Distribution has been eyeing expansion into the unscripted arena as well. For MIPTV, the catalog includes the game show The Phone Secrets. Caputi calls the series “controversial, provocative and very original” and reports strong interest ahead of the market. She says that the game show has “big drama” since it features couples going through each other’s personal messages, photos and mobile chats, revealing secrets along the way. The prize is an exotic holiday. Mediaset Distribution also has some paper formats, including Breaking Love, Jail, The Bodyguard, Shock Therapy and My DNA.
“We are trying to open the market for unscripted formats that were created with our own creativity.” —Manuela Caputi Code Name Solo
Rabbit Films City Vs Country / Battle of the Hits / Once Upon a Life The game show City Vs Country, which originated in Finland, is a lead offering for Rabbit Films. The format “taps into the ‘us versus them’ mentality that has become more prevalent recently—a fun new way of tackling a division that exists in every country,” says Jonathan Tuovinen, the company’s head of international. In the music-based Rabbit Films format Battle of the Hits, viewers can “hear the most contemporary artists completely reimagine evergreen hits and update them for the 21st century,” Tuovinen explains. The company is also presenting the factual panel show Once Upon a Life, also a Finnish original. The format “makes science fun for the whole family— laughing while learning,” Tuovinen says. Further Rabbit Films highlights include Haggle Battle, Should I Be Worried? and The Ultimate Expedition.
“Rabbit Films is continuing to flourish and is bringing a slate of brand-new original formats to the market once again.” —Jonathan Tuovinen City Vs Country
Red Arrow International Look Me in the Eye / Kiss Bang Love / Married at First Sight: Second Chances In the social experiment Look Me in the Eye, estranged people are brought back together to share two minutes of silent eye contact, in a bid to help them reconcile their relationships. The dating format Kiss Bang Love, which comes from the team behind Married at First Sight, sees if singletons can kiss their way to love by testing the power of true chemistry in finding a partner. There’s also a spin-off show for the international hit Married at First Sight, with Married at First Sight: Second Chances. “Our formats slate at MIPTV highlights our commitment to working with some of the world’s top creative talent across entertainment, reality and comedy to deliver stand-out formats to broadcasters and platforms,” says Henrik Pabst, the managing director of Red Arrow International.
“Red Arrow International is home to a successful portfolio of innovative formats, all with the ability to travel widely.” —Henrik Pabst Kiss Bang Love 272 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/14/17 10:19 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_UPFRONT_Layout 1 3/15/17 3:25 PM Page 6
26 TV FORMATS
Talpa Global 5 Gold Rings / Cannonball / A Whole New Beginning The game show 5 Gold Rings features visual questions projected on an LED floor. There is a play-along app as well that gives viewers at home a miniature version of the studio floor in the palm of their hands. Meanwhile, a water battle takes place in Cannonball. “It’s hilarious and energetic entertainment that keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats,” says Maarten Meijs, the managing director of Talpa Global. The company also has a new social experiment, A Whole New Beginning. The show watches as three families embark on the adventure of a lifetime by packing their bags and moving to the other side of the world. Meijs explains, “They are completely in charge of their own decisions, choices and dreams; there are no scripts and no interferences: we’re just there to witness their incredible journeys.”
“We have had a very successful year, and we’re still growing.” —Maarten Meijs Cannonball
TV Asahi Experts Visiting Experts / The 3 Family 3 Day Challenge / Hide-and-Seek with Drones There are two new formats in the TV Asahi portfolio: Experts Visiting Experts and The 3 Family 3 Day Challenge. The first is a travel reality show that sees seasoned professionals of various fields visit their counterparts in a foreign country. The latter is a competition format in which three families must complete three challenges within three days in order to get the chance to win a cash prize. “Hide-andSeek with Drones is becoming one of the favorites among our buyers,” says Yuka Kakui, the head of format development and sales at TV Asahi. “This show combines a conventional, popular children’s game with the latest cuttingedge technology.” In the format, challengers try to escape the drones’ cameras while engaging in a treasure hunt that will determine their cash prize.
“TV Asahi continues to strive to come out with formats that have simple and fresh concepts." —Yuka Kakui Experts Visiting Experts
Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution 24 / Modern Family / Sons of Anarchy The comedy Modern Family has been a resounding success in the U.S., and the format for the show is offered by Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution. “We are very proud of the localized success of Modern Family produced in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America and the cultural adaptations for each of the local productions,” says Dorothy Crompton, the company’s VP of format licensing. “Modern Family is a long-running series that brings repeat viewers and high ratings to global broadcasters.” In the drama genre, a second season of 24 was done in India with Bollywood and international star Anil Kapoor as the lead actor. The local version has also sold to international broadcasters. Sons of Anarchy, meanwhile, is getting its first localized treatment, with an adaptation in Russia.
“Taking from the success of our U.S. series’ performances globally, we believe our comedies and dramas have a large reach targeting local audiences around the world.” —Dorothy Crompton 24 in India 274 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/14/17 10:20 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_UPFRONT_Layout 1 3/15/17 3:26 PM Page 7
28 TV FORMATS
Twofour Rights This Time Next Year / The Home Game / Give It a Year One of the fastest-selling formats of 2016, This Time Next Year is a studio entertainment series that features an array of real-life transformations, presented in an instantaneous timetravel fashion. “The format is still gaining new commissions all the time and has led the way for our development of the ‘television time-travel formula,’” says Melanie Leach, Twofour Group’s chief executive. For MIPTV, the company is offering two new formats that use that same formula. The Home Game focuses on property owners and their home renovations, while Give It a Year features entrepreneurs taking on the gamble of starting their own business. “All three formats give hit after hit of unmissable stories revealed in an instant, cutting to the chase and cutting out the boring bits,” says Leach. Another format from Twofour is Hidden Restaurants.
“We’re entering MIPTV with one of our most diverse slates to date.” —Melanie Leach Hidden Restaurants
Warner Bros. International Television Production Little Big Shots / First Dates / In Search of the Condor Last spring, Little Big Shots launched on NBC in the U.S. The series is now “a globally successful entertainment format, with over ten new versions in production this year,” says Andrew Zein, the senior VP of creative, format development and sales at Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP). “We’ve seen incredible success with the format in Colombia, Belgium, Italy, Mexico and, of course, the U.K.” Another top Warner Bros. format is First Dates, which has reached 300 episodes as a stripped show for Cuatro in Spain. Meanwhile, the factual-entertainment format In Search of the Condor is billed as a hybrid between a nature show and reality competition. The series originated in the Netherlands and a local production recently aired in Sweden on SVT1.
“We look forward to working with our broadcast and production partners as Little Big Shots goes from strength to strength.” —Andrew Zein Little Big Shots
WDR mediagroup Suck It Up! / My Garden on a Plate / Made with Love The comedy Suck It Up! tells the story of a back-office clerk who sets out to sell 60 vacuum cleaners in 30 days in order to save his department from unemployment. Stefanie Fischer, the head of content at WDR mediagroup (WDRmg), says the series has “a sense of humor unlike any other show currently on the market.” Each episode of the reality show My Garden on a Plate sees an enthusiastic gardener prepare a three-course meal for five competitors, with each course featuring at least one homegrown ingredient. The winner walks away with money to pursue a garden-related dream. WDRmg is selling format rights for the renovation series Made with Love, which Fischer says “comes to the rescue of couples in love who cannot agree on the interior design of their homes.”
“These latest additions showcase the strategy in building up our format catalog: we try to make it as diverse as possible.” —Stefanie Fischer Suck It Up! 276 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
LAT_0417__Layout 1 2/28/17 11:13 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_SING_4_PAGE_VERSION_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:21 PM Page 2
30 TV FORMATS
Keshet’s Master Class.
Joanna Stephens looks at the world of singing talent formats, exploring new spins on the genre and its continuing success. he global format industry’s search for a shiny new prime-time entertainment format is almost a prime-time entertainment format in itself, complete with hopeful candidates, dreams of superstardom and ruthless elimination. In fact, many in the industry question whether “the next big thing” even exists in an increasingly fragmented marketplace, with so many broadcasters and platforms targeting so many different audiences. Others, however, believe that a breakout format is still possible given the right celestial alignment of elements, creativity and luck. And some believe that the solution to the prime-time entertainment challenge may well lie in singing shows, with their triple threat of track record, dramatic potential and emotional traction. To see that singing is a truly universal draw, one
T
need only consider Talpa Media’s juggernaut The Voice—the last game-changing talent format—which has clocked up 65 local productions, 500 million viewers in 180-plus territories and 55 million Facebook followers since 2010.
SING YOUR HEART OUT “When you look back, you realize that singing formats have always been among the strongest performers in prime-time entertainment because of the emotional connection and involvement they generate in audiences,” says Avi Armoza, founder and CEO of Armoza Formats. “We believe that singing is not something that’s going to disappear from prime time. The question is how you tell the story of a singing competition differently and in a more exciting and relevant way, coming in with a strong, fresh and unique patent, while learning from the knowledge that’s been accumulated from previously successful shows.”
278 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
ASIA_0417__Layout 1 2/22/17 12:11 PM Page 1
FOR_0417_SING_4_PAGE_VERSION_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:22 PM Page 4
32 TV FORMATS
Talpa’s The Voice recently made a big move in the U.K., switching over from the BBC to ITV.
So what is Talpa Media, the current titleholder in the singing format stakes, intending to do as an encore to The Voice, surely a tough act to follow by any standards? “We’re constantly working on creating new, long-lasting brands that can travel the world,” says Maarten Meijs, managing director of Talpa Global, the Dutch creative heavyweight’s distribution arm. He points to Talpa’s dedicated creative unit, which is tasked with developing “unique concepts ready for global rollout.” In the singingcontest genre, recent shows down the pipeline have included the celebrity-driven It Takes 2, now on air in Germany and heading into its second season in the Netherlands; and The Next Boy/Girl Band, which launched at MIPCOM last October and has since sold into multiple territories across Asia.
A VOICE THAT LASTS The trick, Meijs suggests, is to view entertainment formats as brands rather than single shows or concepts. The Voice is a prime example. In addition to the “mothership” property, its brand extensions include the spin-off show The Voice Kids, The Voice of the Ocean with Princess Cruises, online gaming and merchandise. This not only results in a richer commercial proposition for Talpa’s broadcast and production partners but also helps to keep the core format fresh and surprising, which is pivotal to the longevity of any entertainment show. “And with our unique apps for The Voice and The Voice Kids, we extend the experience beyond the television screen,” Meijs adds. “We believe formats should connect with viewers across multiple platforms and touch points. In today’s television landscape, mindless entertainment isn’t enough—viewers want a content experience that they truly feel a part of.” Armoza Formats is heading to MIPTV with its own spin on the genre with The Final Four. The format starts where most singing competitions end, with the selection of four starquality finalists, selected by a trio of music professionals. The twist is that the show’s chosen finalists will be challenged in every episode by talented hopefuls seeking to win a place
among “the final four” and enjoy the superstar lifestyle that goes with it. Anyone can apply to become a contestant by sending a clip via a dedicated app, but only the best will be chosen by the judges to challenge the finalists. Whether or not they succeed is down to the audience’s vote. “The most successful part of many singing competitions are the auditions,” Armoza says. “Audiences love the drama, the emotions and the Cinderella stories inherent in this stage. The stories we tell throughout the entire season of The Final Four make the auditions the heart of the show.” For Keren Shahar, Keshet International’s COO and president of distribution, authenticity has become an important part of the mix as the singing-competition genre has matured. “No one likes to feel duped by something they’re watching,” she observes. “The unveiling of true, world-class talent should be the standard. If you put someone through auditions because they are enjoyable to watch but can’t sing, you stand to lose the respect and loyalty of the audience.” The temptation to over-construct is perhaps understandable, given the evolution of the singing-format genre. Back in the early 2000s, when the likes of Idols and Popstars first emerged as cultural phenomena, the idea of turning wannabes into overnight superstars was revolutionary in itself. While some of the early contestants did go on to achieve success—Will Young and Leona Lewis among them—many more faded back into anonymity. With shows increasingly failing to deliver on their promise, the novelty wore off, and producers began to look for other ways to engage audiences. Chronicling the “journey” along the road to fame and fortune offered a solution. “The focus shifted to the stories behind the contestants—stories that were often sensationalized to be more emotive to viewers,” Shahar says. “People with no singing talent were cast for entertainment or sheer amusement purposes.” The results were often toe-curlingly embarrassing, if not downright cruel. Talpa’s Meijs echoes the view of many when he says that one of the fundamental differences between the first generation of singing formats and today’s hit shows is the focus on positivity. “Singing competitions remain as popular as ever due to the timeless and universal attraction of music,” he says. “But there’s little interest today in content that makes fun of contestants—and nor is that something we as a company feel comfortable with. Rather, the focus should be on actual talent, as it is in The Voice and The Voice Kids.” Shahar credits The Voice with the next step-change in the singing format’s evolution. “The blind auditions turned the spotlight from the contestants to the mentors. This was a big novelty and it also brought back more credibility. Only good talent could take part, and they were celebrated, treated respectfully and given constructive feedback.”
STAYING AUTHENTIC In 2013, Keshet launched Rising Star, billed as the first truly interactive talent show, and changed the game again by handing the power to the audience. “It not only gave viewers a tone that was palatable to them, but it gave them control of its narrative,” Shahar says. “It also became the antidote to those early versions that lacked authenticity. With Rising Star, the genre had evolved to deliver entertainment that mirrored real-world empathy and the desire to share in something uplifting, not brutal.” Now, under a co-development partnership, Keshet International and Argentina’s Telefe have unleashed their next
280 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/15/17 5:46 PM Page 1
FOR_0417_SING_4_PAGE_VERSION_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:22 PM Page 5
34 TV FORMATS
says. “The Stream is the first singing format that’s cracked that code and is capable of attracting and holding both online and linear TV audiences. And it does it effortlessly and organically, unlike many other digital format propositions, which are oldfashioned TV shows with a bit of interactive window dressing.”
PUBLIC OPINION
CJ E&M’s Produce 101 format sets out to form a girl group.
challenger, Heart Beats, onto the market. Shahar describes the format as “a hybrid of dating, talent and reality. The romance that blossoms on competitive reality shows is nothing new. Heart Beats formalizes this by-product and makes it a core part of the show. The question is: if a couple performs brilliantly together, will they have the same chemistry offstage?” As with all today’s big entertainment shows, interactivity is bred into the bones of Heart Beats, with viewers invited to both communicate with contestants and reshuffle the onscreen partnerships. Shahar makes the point that, with singing formats, the power to affect the outcome not only draws viewers into the show but also helps build a fan base for a new artist. That said, she also believes it’s time to rethink the way viewers are asked to vote: “Can we still ask them to text in when they will soon be paying for their coffee by retina scan?”
TECH-TONIC SHIFTS
Huseby notes that some of the biggest music stars on the planet were discovered online, talent-scouted by the public rather than label execs. What’s more, that public tends to consist of the elusive, cord-cutting youth demographic. “Many young people don’t watch traditional television and never have,” he observes. “So I don’t understand why everybody’s trying to catch young viewers with traditional TV shows. It’s never going to happen. If you want young people to watch your show, you have to go after them where they are—and that’s on YouTube and the SVOD streaming services. Once you’ve caught them digitally, you have a chance to persuade them over to traditional TV, but only if your show resonates with their reality.” He also points to the YouTube generation’s short attention span. “Even a two-minute video can be too long if it doesn’t instantly grab them. With singing formats, that means thinking smaller, faster and catchier in the earlier stages of the game play. Again, once you’ve hooked them in, you have a chance of keeping them for a longer period. It’s a bit like catching fish.” Some of the world’s largest record companies backed TV2’s debut version of The Stream, with A&R execs from Universal, Sony and Warner Music appearing on its panel of judges. This touches on another key factor: the importance of musicindustry partners when launching a singing format. Meijs says this has always been a central consideration for Talpa. “The credibility of our shows extends past the shows themselves. A singing competition can only be truly successful if the talent subsequently embarks on the road to success they’ve always dreamed of.” Without professional help, their chances of forging a legitimate music career are slim. Umay Ayaz, the head of acquisitions at Turkish format powerhouse Global Agency, makes another point: along with opening the right professional doors, a strong music-business partner can also guide talent through complex copyright, royalty and licensing issues.
Another way in which technology has impacted singing formats is its disruption of the music industry, which has changed beyond recognition in the last 20 years. Rather than consume music via transferrable digital files or downloads, we now stream it—and in ever-growing numbers. That helps to explain the buzz around The Stream, Nordic World’s latest contribution to the singing oeuvre and arguably the most authentic reflection yet of the music industry’s new reality. The format, developed by Little Hill and Monster Format for TV2 Norway, launched internationally at MIPCOM last October and was instantly bagged by NBC, where a U.S. version is currently in development. The show’s premise is that hopefuls upload clips of themselves performing to The Stream’s website. The public comments on, shares and streams the videos, with the 100 most-streamed contestants then asked to perform a showcase in front of top music industry scouts. The best go on to compete in a weekly live show, with the winner being the artist who generates the most streams, as well as the most votes during the show. The Stream’s strength, according to Nordic World CEO Espen Huseby, is its natural fusion of social media, streaming technology and television. “Everybody’s been searching for a show that has digital and interactivity baked into its essence,” he Armoza Formats is launching the brand-new singing competition The Final Four at MIPTV. 282 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/15/17 2:08 PM Page 1
FOR_0417_SING_4_PAGE_VERSION_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:22 PM Page 6
36 TV FORMATS
This view chimes with Jinwoo Hwang, the head of global content development at Korean powerhouse CJ E&M. “People will not get excited if an immature boy-band member appears and judges contestants. It’s always important for the judge to possess credibility.” Hwang references CJ E&M’s format Superstar K, which went on to be a big hit for Hubei Satellite TV as Superstar China. The K-pop singer and rapper Psy was invited to judge the fourth season of Korea’s biggest auditionbased talent show, which has aired on music channel Mnet since 2009. The decision wasn’t based on Psy’s fame alone, Hwang says, “Even before his mega-hit ‘Gangnam Style,’ our producers had admired Psy’s integrity on stage because he had experienced the bottom and eventually rose to fame. We believed he could share more interesting ideas and passion with the contestants—and he met our expectations.”
LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
Global Agency’s latest addition to the singing talent pool is Bring Your Fame Back, focused on giving one-time stars a second chance.
Global Agency’s most successful singing contest to date is Keep Your Light Shining, an elimination concept in which contestants have less than 30 seconds to impress the studio audience and celebrity judges with their vocal prowess. Since it launched at MIPCOM 2013, the format has been licensed and optioned in several territories, including Australia, China and Germany, has been piloted on CBS and is currently on air on FOX Turkey in a prime-time slot.
LEGENDS IN THE MAKING Global Agency is hoping that its follow-up singing format, The Legend, will do even better. “We really trust in this show,” Ayaz says. “In most TV talent formats, the audience or judges decide the fate of performers. But The Legend turns that on its head by giving contestants control of their own destinies. The show takes the best of the best and challenges them to push their own limits. We’re not just looking for a great singer, but to create a genuine singing legend.” This reflects Ayaz’s contention that today’s singing formats are no longer simple contests of vocal supremacy, but “strategy games” in which a great set of pipes is only the start. “In order to make a long-running show, both the production team and the contestants have to work hard to keep surprising the audience,” she says. Spectacular costumes, decor and performance skills are obvious devices, but backstage politics and strategy—the art of choosing the right mentor, correctly predicting the next round, exploiting disharmony among the judges—are also effective ways to ramp up the dramatic tension. Ayaz also believes that singing formats stand or fall on the caliber of their judges and host, who should be selected not only on talent and credentials but also their suitability to broadcaster, budget, time slot and target audience. “The people sitting there judging the contestants should have real qualifications,” she adds. “They need to be experienced and mature enough to criticize performances with authority. Otherwise, viewers will soon lose respect for their decisions—and, by extension, the show.”
Hwang agrees with Keshet’s Shahar that “journey” singing formats have lost some of their pulling power. People are no longer amazed by unknown singers turning in electrifying performances, or intrigued by their progress along the bumpy road to superstardom. Instead, he believes the needle of public opinion has swung towards “fun and fastpaced” light entertainment. “But light entertainment doesn’t mean a lack of sincerity or authenticity in the music,” Hwang stresses, pointing to celebdriven Lip Sync Battle, arguably the closest thing in 2016 to a breakout singing format. Starting life as a segment on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, it was picked up by cable channel Spike and has subsequently been sold into some 17 territories. “Lip Sync Battle is fun, but the performances are still great,” Hwang adds. “Idea and effort and passion on stage are big elements, and audiences support this.” CJ E&M has several singing formats in its portfolio, including the ambitious reality/singing hybrid Produce 101, in which the nation produces its own girl band; singing/survival show Boys24; and its best-selling music-based format to date, I Can See Your Voice, local versions of which have performed well in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and China. Distributed outside of Asia by Endemol Shine Group, I Can See Your Voice has musicindustry experts attempt to identify genuine singing talent by decoding visual rather than vocal clues. The success of I Can See Your Voice supports Hwang’s argument that light entertainment is the way ahead. “It contains singing elements, but it’s easier, faster and funnier than traditional singing formats. That is why we never call it a singing competition, but describe it instead as ‘singing entertainment’ or ‘music entertainment.’ ” At MIPTV, CJ E&M is launching a new “singing entertainment” format, Golden Tambourine, which premiered on Mnet in December. Hwang hopes the energetic, karaokeinspired show will “create a new gusto” in music-driven content with its focus on fun and friendly competition. For the last two decades, the biggest and best singing formats have been among the most influential shows on the planet. They have driven television schedules, created conversations, and made headlines, stars and an awful lot of money. As Hwang puts it, “Singing formats have exerted a major influence over the entire TV content ecosystem, and they are still one of the most popular genres on our screen of choice. So singing formats still live—the exciting thing is where we’ll take them next.”
284 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/6/17 10:15 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_GAMESHOWS_ALT_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:20 PM Page 2
38 TV FORMATS
CBSSI’s Wheel of Fortune.
Kristin Brzoznowski explores how producers and distributors are offering up innovative spins on game shows. acked with nail-biting tension, high-stakes surprises and plenty of real-life drama, game shows have enthralled viewers for the better part of a century. There have been countless turns of the wheel, so to speak, on the traditional questionand-answer format, with producers trying out everything from obstacle courses to acerbic hosts in an attempt to innovate the genre. Much like the emotional rollercoaster of the contestants on them, game shows have seen their fair share of peaks and valleys when it comes to global demand, but few would argue that these formats have ever actually fallen out of favor. “The demand for game shows always seems to be hot, though it does get hotter at certain times,” says Paul Gilbert, the senior VP of international formats at CBS Studios International (CBSSI), which is home to such long-running hits
as Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. “There is always a place for a good game show, new or old.” According to John Pollak, Electus’s president of worldwide television and Electus International, the market is once again heating up. “The momentum has shifted back to buyers wanting game shows, and prime-time game shows in particular,” he says. “Even as recently as six months ago, we had taken out big game-show formats and the response from some major territories had been, we just don’t do game in prime time anymore. With the success of shows like The Wall or a show that we have [in our catalog] called Canada’s Smartest Person, the tide has changed; game shows are working on networks and they’re bringing in ratings. Buyers are going back and looking at their schedules and thinking that game can fit in prime time again.” Suzanne Kendrick, the head of global format sales at BBC Worldwide, has also seen solid interest for game shows in prime time (and with some major broadcasters) as of late. The company licensed You’re Back in the Room, which
286 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
WS_0417__Layout 1 3/6/17 1:45 PM Page 1
FOR_0417_GAMESHOWS_ALT_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:20 PM Page 3
40 TV FORMATS
Banijay Rights’ Wild Things—in which contestants navigate a range of obstacle courses and challenges, while one of the partners is dressed as a woodland creature and unable to see—has many moments of slapstick comedy. The format has sold to such markets as China, Argentina, Russia and Denmark. “In the same way that the comedy is the secret ingredient to Wild Things, with All Against 1 it’s about the interactivity at the heart of it,” says Sime. The studio-based entertainment show pits one contestant against the entire nation, a feat made possible by an interactive app.
PLAY ALONG
The game show Separation Anxiety originally aired in the U.S. and Electus International is now offering the format to global buyers.
bets on physical comedy with a hypnotizing twist, into seven countries so far. The show is headed to FOX in the U.S. later this year with Taye Diggs as host. “You’re Back in the Room has got a lot of humor and a new twist with hypnotism,” she says. “It takes games that should be simple and makes them so much harder because of the hypnosis—that really turns up the comedy! It harkens back to the kind of big family shows that were popular in the past—it’s strong, comedic, family viewing.” While high levels of comedy and a co-viewing draw can elevate a game show to a prime-time slot, more straightforward quiz elements remain the backbone of much of the daytime fare. But even the customary Q&A-style formats are upping the ante with their gameplay nowadays. Kendrick points to !mpossible, which is coming back for a second season on BBC One’s daytime schedule, as an example of this. “!mpossible takes quiz but sends it slightly on its head,” she says. “There are right answers and wrong answers, but then there’s a third dimension of having impossible answers. One of the great things about that show is that it has a very simple mechanic at the core, but it adds an extra level to the gameplay.” Kendrick notes that there has been growing interest globally for high-volume, strippable game shows like !mpossible. “The nice thing about those shows is that you can get a lot of content on a cost-effective budget,” she adds. “Broadcasters are increasingly looking for one of two types of game shows,” says Andrew Sime, the VP of formats at Banijay Rights. “They either want a prime-time, tentpole game show that would be at the very heart of their schedule, often live, with a big budget and big prizes, or they want a strippable, costeffective, high-volume game show that they can play in early or later time slots and run those episodes for several months.”
A NEW SPIN Sime believes that the game shows working best in today’s marketplace are ones that offer up a fresh spin. “If you look at the heyday of game shows around 10 or 15 years ago, a lot of the formats were simply about cash,” he says. “They were mostly just mechanisms to win money.” Nowadays, it takes something extra to break through, and comedy has proven to be a powerful tool.
“People have talked about real-time audience interactivity for at least ten years now, but as far as we’re concerned this is the first major game show to ever really solve that problem,” Sime says. “It has a foolproof interactivity at its core that allows studio contestants to go head to head with the nation as a whole and allows the viewers to play in real time for high stakes. It’s been phenomenal for us! It’s drawn whole families together for what is now a rare must-see television event.” Interactivity and apps have come under much scrutiny in the format community. But as technology has evolved, and producers have gotten more clever with how best to integrate it, there are a handful of game shows in the marketplace today that are directly connecting to the at-home audience via apps and are doing so successfully. KABO International recently signed a distribution deal with the Finnish outfit Reflect that covers the interactive gameshow formats Tilt and High Score, which both make use of next-generation technologies that amp up the excitement for viewers. Tilt, for example, is billed as the first format to use VR and mixed-reality production techniques in broadcast TV. The series currently airs in Finland on TV6 and has a tech sponsor—HP—backing the broadcast. High Score, which features a futuristic eSports decathlon, is accompanied by a set of games for viewers to play at home on mobile devices, connected TVs and VR platforms. Arabelle Pouliot-Di Crescenzo, the managing director at KABO International, says these formats “bring game shows to the next level.” She notes that “buyers are very curious” about how this technology can work for them. But does interactive also mean expensive? “Finland is not doing Tilt on a very big budget,” Pouliot-Di Crescenzo says. “A lot of the technology featured in the format is already available in the market. It’s just a question of which to use and how to combine them to achieve the best results. My clients are excited that it’s accessible and workable in most markets. Of course, there may be regions that are not wired enough, but I’ve been getting requests from small countries and big markets—they all say it’s totally doable.” Even with the advancements in making digital bells and whistles more viable, there’s still a long way to go before interactive technology becomes a make-or-break, musthave proposition for the majority of broadcasters. When it comes to game shows, there continues to be plenty of instances where simple equals successful.
288 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/9/17 10:54 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_GAMESHOWS_ALT_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:20 PM Page 4
42 TV FORMATS
have a positive impact, we share those ideas with the U.S. producers.” Making tweaks to sets, lighting and hosts can not only help to keep a format fresh; adjusting these elements can also be a major factor in scaling budgets. BBC Worldwide’s Kendrick says that by making a few modifications, producers can even maximize the number of episodes filmed at a time.
LEARNING TO SHARE
Pharaoh! has been a strong seller for Nippon TV, notching up deals in markets such as the U.S. and China.
Nippon TV, for example, touts the “overall simplicity” of the format Train of Thought as one of the reasons it has sold so widely, according to Taro Ozawa, the company’s senior director of international business development. The show quickly became a hit in Japan and went on to be licensed in markets such as the U.S., U.K., Italy, Thailand and Indonesia. “If Train of Thought were the quintessential game show, Silent Library would be the refreshingly innovative and hilarious counterpart that all format buyers find irresistible,” Ozawa says, reinforcing the point about the power of comedy in game shows today. He adds that the relatively low budget needed to produce the format plays a significant role in its sales.
MONEY MATTERS A somewhat costlier proposition, Pharaoh! (which was originally titled EXIT!) has also been a strong seller for Nippon TV. The show garners high ratings in Japan and has sold in the U.S., Russia, Egypt, China and Thailand. The format watches as players are trapped in a room and must use their smarts and athletic skills to figure out a way to escape. “The set is loaded with spectacular features that require the competitors to dig deep in their bag of tools in order to succeed in the many physical challenges,” Ozawa explains. “Its movie-like sets also help boost sales. Relatively high budgetary requirements, however, tend to make the format sensitive to changes in the economy. Nonetheless, it continues to be a much-sought-after program that attracts inquiries from all over the world.” CBSSI’s Gilbert is of the opinion that “big, bigger and biggest seem to be the new thing” when it comes to game-show formats. He adds, “The biggest difference over the past few years is the higher stakes; the ability to win more money keeps growing. Game shows with gimmicks seem to work for one or two seasons, but ‘gimmick-less’ shows sustain year after year.” Gilbert says that is perhaps why Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are perennially popular. Both of these series have been in the marketplace for quite some time, but even classics may need to be refreshed now and again. “Because our classics are still on the air in the U.S., we leave that up to the U.S. producers, who incorporate new ideas into the shows, and then we share those ideas with our licensees,” Gilbert says. “On the reverse side, quite often when we approve changes our licensees request, and if those changes
Another approach to making a format more cost-effective is through the use of shared production hubs. The adventure game show Fort Boyard was an early pioneer with this model, and Banijay Rights is hoping to incorporate some of the lessons learned from the experience with that format into the rollout of The Bravest. The show debuts in Denmark and Sweden, which did separate productions, just before the market. Both versions were filmed at a hub in Malta. “There is going to be a real turnkey solution so that wherever we’ve got interest from, we can take the clients to Malta and they’ll be able to produce their own version of the show that is easily ready for local rollout,” says Sime. He also points out that the costs for game shows can often be balanced by the high volume of episodes a broadcaster can get out of them. “The efficiencies and the expertise mean that they can be done very affordably after several years in production,” Sime says. “From a production standpoint, amortizing the costs is great,” agrees Electus’s Pollak, who oversees sales for such game-show formats as Winsanity and Separation Anxiety. “You’re able to do two, three, four or even five episodes in a day, depending on what the show is. That makes a huge difference! If you’re doing a show like Idols or Dancing with the Stars, you’re doing one and that’s it.” And yet a game show can still create a lot of noise for a network, he says. “With game, you have the ability not only to define your channel, but you’re also able to set up what the country is going to watch and be talking about. Game shows are one of the very few genres that can galvanize the nation.” With regard to sales trends, Pollak says that Asia and Latin America have remained solid markets for game shows. “Throughout Europe, the appetite for game has always been there, but mostly for daily versions. We’re now optimistic that we’ll see a nice change in the thinking from buyers there that game is worth the consideration for a prime-time slot.” KABO’s Pouliot-Di Crescenzo emphasizes that there must be a strong entertainment factor in a game show in order for it to succeed in prime time, be it comedy, interactivity, the inclusion of celebrities or any combination thereof. “The audience is getting more demanding and sophisticated; they want a lot happening in their shows!” she says, which is why layering up genres on top of games has become so prevalent. Nippon TV’s Ozawa says that there has always been, and likely always will be, changing tastes and trends within the game-show genre, which keeps things exciting for distributors, producers, audiences and buyers. “Constant transformation is what makes game shows ever so entertaining, and is the reason this genre, in particular, remains in demand regardless of the times.”
290 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/10/17 10:25 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_SOPHIE_TL_ALT_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:23 PM Page 2
44 TV FORMATS
292 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417_SOPHIE_TL_ALT_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:24 PM Page 3
TV FORMATS 45
Finding the next global hit is on the minds of everyone in the international format business, including Sophie Turner Laing, the CEO of Endemol Shine Group. But she is equally focused on the diverse creativity that is coming out of the group’s more than 120 companies and the various formats that have already been adapted and produced around the world, including the timeless Big Brother and MasterChef. Some of the recent shows are incorporating new levels of technology and innovation.
their numbers to work. It’s impossible to see how they can carry on producing only scripted at that kind of quality level without having a balancing act in the unscripted world. The trick, though, is how you find that show, which may be a known brand already or may not have been on the air for a while, and how you tell unique stories that allow an unscripted show to be “bingeable” rather than a weekly watch. It’s a big challenge and one we are very focused on.
TV FORMATS: What growth do you see in big, factual unscripted formats? TURNER LAING: What’s really interesting in terms of cyclical tastes is the appetite we’re seeing for bold, ambitious realitymeets-factual-entertainment formats. And I want to give a big shout-out in particular to the guys at Shine TV in the U.K., who over the last couple of years have delivered a rich seam of formats that have tapped into this trend, such as The Island and Hunted. We’ve been thrilled to see Hunted become number one in its time slot on CBS and get such an overwhelmingly positive response on social media. It’s a smart entertainment hybrid with roots in factual that’s innovative in its use of embedded crews and technology. It delivers gripping, adrenaline-filled content that moves the genre forward.
TV FORMATS: With regard to technology and innovation, how do you keep up with all the new developments? TURNER LAING: Luckily, having a rather large group spread out around the world means that there are lots of people with their eyes on the ball. And just as a good idea can come from anywhere, a good piece of innovation can come from anywhere. One of our shareholders, 21st Century Fox, is very connected in this area, and they and Apollo have been supportive shareholders in pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation. We are doing a lot with both AR and VR [augmented reality and virtual reality], for instance. The key for us at Endemol Shine is not to be creating new technology but to be working in partnership with those that do in order to enhance the viewer’s experience in a million and one different ways.
TV FORMATS: Having ideas that can travel is essential to your business. What was some of the IP that traveled last year, and did more IP travel last year than in previous years? TURNER LAING: We are very proud of the fact that in 2016 we traveled 50 percent more formats than our nearest competitor did—a total of 24 traveling formats across the year. It points to one thing I love about this business, which is that a great idea can come from anywhere. For instance, we have The Brain, which originated in Germany, and The Island from the U.K., then The Big Music Quiz, which has been produced in six countries over the last year and came from France. This diversity of origin is a real USP [unique selling point] for us, and I love the fact that it’s not only the English-language territories that are super creative in delivering formats that travel. The thing that I am inordinately proud of with this group is our network and, in particular, the talent that is involved in adapting a format for another market. It’s something we don’t talk about enough. It’s a great thing to have a hit in one country, but that by no means guarantees that it will be a hit in another. Success in the country of origin gives the incoming broadcaster confidence in a format’s ability to deliver an audience, but you still have to tailor it. One of the most recent examples we have of this is Hunted. It started in the U.K., and we’ve so far had seven different versions across markets such as Holland, Denmark and Spain. And then it goes to CBS with a hugely scaled-up version. The point is that scalability, both up and down, is vital for the longevity of a format.
TV FORMATS: There is a lot of talk about what the next big global blockbuster will be. I imagine you and your teams have your eyes focused on that as well. TURNER LAING: Yes, you are right, and it’s not only the teams and me. Our shareholders are asking where that next blockbuster is coming from, too! We are inordinately fortunate to have two of the world’s biggest “super brands,” MasterChef and Big Brother, as part of our portfolio. Both are showing absolutely no signs of tiring at all. Recently, in Amsterdam, there was a Big Brother conference where broadcasters from around the world, including CBS, came together to share stories about how to evolve the brand. The secret sauce in both of those formats is the fact that we have talented teams evolving them bit by bit, so they stay fresh and relevant to an audience in 2017. We have another format called Your Face Sounds Familiar from our Spanish team, which nobody ever talks about because it’s not on in the U.K. or the U.S., but it’s actually in 39 countries and moving fast. One can often be guilty of only talking about shows with a presence in the U.K. or the U.S. as being successes, and that’s just not true. Creating a global blockbuster is so much easier said than done. It’s about having the right approach and the right appetite for risk, because you are going to have to convince a customer somewhere in the world that it’s the right thing to do. We have a few bubbling in the creative pipeline that hopefully, I will be able to talk about within the next couple of months. We had Peter Salmon join us last year as chief creative officer, and he and the Creative Networks team under Lisa Perrin have been shepherding all of our creatives into being laser-focused on what’s next. Can we say that what’s next is going to be a totally different genre than what one has ever seen before? Probably not. Remember, The Voice was a play on something that had been around before and that is a blockbuster in its own right. But I have a very good feeling that our creative heart in this world is beating fast!
TV FORMATS: Do you think the time has come for a great unscripted show to be able to thrive on an OTT? TURNER LAING: Most definitely! We’ve all been beaten to the punch with Amazon doing [the motoring series] The Grand Tour, and it’s going to be fascinating to see what Ultimate Beastmaster ends up looking like on Netflix. The OTT platforms, like any deliverer of content, will have to offer a mixed-genre output in order to get the budgets to work and
4/17 WORLD SCREEN 293
By Anna Carugati
FOR_0417_SUMI_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:17 PM Page 2
46 TV FORMATS
By Mansha Daswani
Sumi Connock is a self-described format geek. The new creative director for formats at BBC Worldwide has spent much of her career devising and exec producing formattable concepts. She has served as executive producer on BBC in-house productions like Just the Two of Us; a commissioning editor at the BBC, overseeing such shows as Strictly It Takes Two and Let Me Entertain You; and creative director at ITV Studios. In her new post at BBC Worldwide, Connock oversees a portfolio of more than 160 titles, including the megabrands Strictly Come Dancing (Dancing with the Stars) and The Great British Bake Off. She tells TV Formats about what she looks for in new ideas, how to keep returning brands fresh and her plans for mining the deep BBC Worldwide library for classics that can be reinvigorated. TV FORMATS: What’s your overall strategy for BBC Worldwide’s format business? CONNOCK: The goal is to find the strongest creative IP and roll out those formats successfully in as many territories as possible. In terms of strategy, it’s working really closely with our suppliers, whether that’s indies, BBC Studios or our global production offices, to create the strongest IP in three key areas: the big shiny-floor prime-time entertainment shows like Let It Shine; the low-cost, high-volume formats, whether it’s factual entertainment or game show or quiz, like !mpossible; and also the really strong formatted factual-entertainment ideas for peak. TV FORMATS: Tell us about the slate you unveiled at BBC Showcase that you’ll be bringing to MIPTV.
CONNOCK: We launched two of our big Saturday night formats. Let It Shine, from BBC Studios, is a prime-time shiny-floor talent show to create a new band. That’s been well received and it’s got some interest in a few key territories. Let’s Sing and Dance from Whizz Kid is pure comedy entertainment. We have another one coming later in the year, Pitch Battle, from Tuesday’s Child, which is a brand-new competitive choir format. Because there’s always that need for daily stripped entertainment shows, the low-cost, highvolume, we’ll be taking !mpossible, which has a neat little mechanic when it comes to gameplay. We also have a new daytime quiz, The Boss, from BBC Studios. And we have two prime-time formatted factualentertainment series that both have big international elements to them. In Your Ear follows the story of someone going through a challenging week in their lives, whether it’s a new job, coming home with newborn twins or bouncing back from a life-changing disability. We have a cast of wise sages from around the world, who, using modern technology, can watch what’s going on in this person’s life and offer advice. It has diverse cultural wisdom: mamas in Italy, New York cops, an Irish nun. The Day I Fell to Earth is a lifeswap show where you have two people at crossroads in their lives, and they are flown somewhere blindfolded and dropped into a brand-new life in a completely different country. Their counterpart, the person they swap with, often has parallels in terms of the roles they play within their family or the crossroads they are at in terms of their work life. It explores universal themes but allows the contributors to see them from entirely different perspectives. TV FORMATS: What has most impressed you about the breadth of the BBC formats offering? CONNOCK: We have two of the biggest global formats, with Dancing with the Stars, which is in over 50 countries, and Bake Off in over 20 countries. I’ve been incredibly impressed with how the international team and the central format teams roll these out so impressively around the world, and how that dialogue works between the production offices and the central teams. The way they roll them out so effectively, often on different budgets and different constraints, is fantastic. We have Top Gear, which is a huge title. We also have a fantastic slate of new titles to market. And we’ve got a really strong back catalog—shows like Weakest Link, The Generation Game, Friends Like These, The Week the Women Went, all of which are brilliant formats with simple but fantastically engaging premises. TV FORMATS: What are you hearing from buyers about the kinds of formats they’re looking for? CONNOCK: It’s more about the feel rather than a specific type of format. It was reassuring to hear all our titles are being so well received. There’s a steer towards that warm, feel-good
294 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FORMATS_0417__Layout 1 3/7/17 10:30 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_SUMI_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:17 PM Page 3
48 TV FORMATS
The Office recently launched in Finland. It was done as a box set, and most people had watched the whole thing in the first weekend. A lot of territories are looking for localized drama that’s had proven success in the U.K., which we can provide. We’re in a good place with our scripted formats. TV FORMATS: What most interests and excites you about the format business? CONNOCK: I just absolutely love formats. I’m a bit of a format geek. It doesn’t matter if it’s Saturday night entertainment, quizzes, game shows, reality—I love the mechanics, I like the detail, I like the way they’re shaped, and they give you a story. I love drilling down into the detail of a new format to see how it works. I genuinely, sadly, get quite excited when a new format comes to market, especially if it’s unique or has a simple, clever idea at the heart of it. I love tuning in! On the other side, seeing a format rolled out globally with great success is satisfying and exciting.
Let It Shine is a new Saturday night primetime entertainment format from BBC Worldwide.
programming, which I think our titles have in abundance. The Day I Fell to Earth is all about spiritual as well as physical wellbeing. In Your Ear is full of really warm characters. For me, and for the buyers, the future is all about feel-good formats. TV FORMATS: What qualities do you look for in projects to determine how formattable they are? CONNOCK: It needs to have a simple premise, one you can sell in a top-line, its USP. A universal theme that feels authentic— that’s key for viewers as well at the moment, a sense of authenticity and real-world relevance. If it’s a quiz or a game show, I’m looking for a unique concept with some neat mechanics and compelling play-along. Something like You’re Back in the Room from Tuesday’s Child, which took the physical game show but then switched it up by hypnotizing the contestants, which gives hilarious results. That’s now in seven countries, shortly due to air on FOX in the U.S. under the title Hypnotize Me. It’s also asking, “Why would a format sell now?” That comes down to it tonally feeling warm, having a lot of feel-good to it, that’s what the audience wants in the current climate. And something we need to think about a little bit more is how it’s going to help local broadcasters engage with their audience beyond a linear transmission. That’s something I want to explore. We’ve done it with dramas like Thirteen, which had its initial transmission on BBC Three and did amazingly well, with just under 8 million viewers, and was second highest rated on the iPlayer in March 2016. There was additional immersive content that was all commissioned as a full package from the start. So there was a website called blog.findthegirl.co.uk, and this helped the viewers stay engaged between the episodes. I’m looking at that angle and seeing how the online content and social content can tie in with the linear as one proposition. TV FORMATS: How’s your scripted format business? CONNOCK: It’s particularly buoyant at the moment. We’ve got a lot of interest in Doctor Foster, especially in advance of the second season later this year. We’ve had the success of the second season of Unforgotten in the U.K., which has spurred format interest in the U.S. and France. We’ve got season five of Orphan Black and have interest in that format in Asia. Also,
TV FORMATS: How do you collaborate with your international production teams on both the adaptation of brands and the creation of new ones? CONNOCK: That relationship with our international teams is hugely important to us. We talk on a regular basis. We work collaboratively with the global production offices, whether it’s on new ideas or adaptations. It’s safe to say they know their market best, so it’s vital we have a close relationship and an ongoing dialogue with them. We’ve also got a brilliant team of flying producers who are hands-on when it comes to rolling out the new formats and adapting them. They sit within our central team. We’re making Dancing with the Stars in Brazil for the first time this year, and this year was the first time we made the show in Ireland, for RTÉ. It’s performing brilliantly. The first episode had a 42-percent share. It’s also delivered a huge increase in their 16-to-34 demographic, which was the result of some clever casting. Also, in terms of working closely with the teams and doing things differently and always keeping it fresh, they have a Facebook Live show that goes out an hour before the live show on RTÉ One. That’s doing well. In Germany, they just launched season ten and they totally reinvented the launch show—they did it in a new way. So we’re always working closely with international production and actively promoting creative exchanges to keep everything fresh, while also ensuring we’ve taken the brand and maintained the strength of the format. We do an annual creative exchange for Dancing with the Stars, so all the international showrunners fly in, and we share experiences, ideas, offer creative solutions and suggestions, which is hugely valuable to the global productions. We also held on to Bake Off. It makes sense to do that because we want to nurture our biggest global brands. We work closely with them. TV FORMATS: Are you mining the deep BBC Worldwide catalog for opportunities to revive classic brands? CONNOCK: We’ve got loads of great formats. I love The Generation Game, Weakest Link, Just the Two of Us. There is a trend towards nostalgia, and we’ve got some really strong formats that are ripe for reinvention.
296 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/10/17 11:32 AM Page 1
FOR_0417_PINTO_REAL_408_NIGHT 3/15/17 3:20 PM Page 2
50 TV FORMATS
on the growth of our format business. If we can have more hits each year, this can easily be achieved. For example, if The Legend gets started with a production in one country and has good results, then everybody will be licensing it, and the revenue will jump. It’s all about finding one or two hits a year. TV FORMATS: What types of formats are most in demand? PINTO: Talent is still selling. Cooking formats are also doing well; I see this with Blind Taste and My Wife Rules. We also see an appetite for formats that can be stripped. Shopping Monsters is a good example of this. In Germany, 1,100 episodes have been produced over the last five years. In France, there have been 850 episodes. We also have the daily quiz show Joker, which has seen over 200 episodes produced in France. We have good a track record with stripped formats. TV FORMATS: How open are broadcasters to trying out new concepts? PINTO: Not very. That’s the difficult part of the business. If you can remain patient you can find a client to test out a new format. If it is successful in that country, then the sales can come extremely quickly. For example, we had a pilot episode of Lucky Room. Because it was only a pilot, it was not easy to sell. Then we found a Greek partner who loved the format and wanted to take a risk, and it went on air with record-breaking ratings. Within a month of that, we closed deals in almost ten countries. It’s about finding that client who will believe in you and take a small risk. It’s never a big risk with Global Agency because when we represent a format, we make sure that it’s workable. Broadcasters just have to believe in us, and after one country has success other buyers jump on it!
By Kristin Brzoznowski
Amid a wave of consolidation, Global Agency has thrived as an independent. In just a few years, the company has seen skyrocketing growth—enlarging its catalog, bolstering its executive ranks, partnering with top-flight producers and expanding its sales footprint. This has all come about under the strategic guidance of Izzet Pinto, the company’s founder and CEO, who is looking to make Global Agency the home of the next big global entertainment hit. TV FORMATS: How has Global Agency’s format business evolved since the company’s inception? PINTO: The format business is booming for us. We started with one format in our catalog, and we now have over 70. This number even excludes the ones that we have taken out of our catalog; if there are titles that are not selling well over time, we remove them. On average, we add 15 titles to our catalog throughout the year. We usually launch around seven new formats at MIPTV and another seven or so at MIPCOM. In the last few years, our best-selling titles have been Shopping Monsters, Blind Taste and Keep Your Light Shining. Lately, we are having some good luck with Lucky Room and My Wife Rules, and there is a lot of attention on The Legend. TV FORMATS: As the catalog has diversified, how much is still dedicated to formats versus finished series? PINTO: Right now, it’s 50-50. Even though dramas are bringing in more revenue, the catalog is even regarding the number of titles. Currently, 75 percent of our revenue comes from drama, and 25 percent is from formats. I want to get that to 50-50 also in the coming years, so we are very much focusing
TV FORMATS: Tell us about the formats that you have created. PINTO: One of the first formats that I created was Keep Your Light Shining. It was an instant success! We closed deals, including options, in over 20 countries. So I had good luck from the very beginning. Then I created other formats like Is That Really Your Voice and Talent Hunters. These had some success as well, though not as much as Keep Your Light Shining. The biggest hit for me is The Legend. We launched the format about a year ago, and it has received a lot of attention. We are talking with three countries for the license. As soon as one of them goes on air with it, and if it is successful, I’m sure it will create a lot of buzz and many [buyers] will get on board. Creating formats has become one of my biggest hobbies. It’s such a great feeling to create something and see it on the screen. TV FORMATS: In addition to your own ideas, where else are you scouting new format concepts from? PINTO: Most of our formats come from Turkey, but also we are finding formats from France, Serbia, Latin America, Asia—we are looking everywhere! TV FORMATS: When someone approaches you with a format concept, what types of materials do you like them to have in place? PINTO: We work with formats in all stages. Many companies are not interested in paper formats. For us, it’s different; we believe in paper formats because it’s the ideas that are valuable. If I see potential in an idea, I will be happy to invest in it. Of course, if there’s a trailer, sizzle or pilot, it’s a big advantage; but the most important thing is the idea.
298 WORLD SCREEN 4/17
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/9/17 10:56 AM Page 1
FOR_0417__Layout 1 3/14/17 10:16 AM Page 1