24 V I D E O A G E October 2022 Autumn is here, whichmeans that TV schedules around the world are returning with primetime fare that hearkens back to a simpler time from the past. Starting with the format genre, in the U.K., reality franchise Big Brother (produced and distributed by Endemol Shine Banijay) will be coming back, airing on ITV2 in 2023. The show aired from 2000-2010 on Channel 4, and then on Channel 5 until 2018. In the U.S., quiz show The Weakest Link returns (for a third season) on NBC, just like game show Password (from Fremantle), which was originally broadcast by CBS in 1961 (delivering a good 4.21 million viewers and winning its slot). Another returning classic in the reality genre is Belgian format The Mole (produced and distributed by Primitives), which has been on the air since 1998 with more than 20 international versions. And it’s now back in Italy (Canale 5) and on Netflix. Through All3Media and currently on BBc1, mystery competition The Traitors is receiving many local adaptations around the world, the most recent one in France, where it’s called Les Traîtres – Seront-ils démasqués? The format aired on M6 with the same premise as the original: inside the group of contestants there is traitor, playing to exclude others from the final prize. This format is also being adapted in Australia (Network Ten) and the U.S. (Peacock). International demand for reality and game shows is still high internationally, at par with talent shows. This year, adventure reality series Survivor (from Banijay) is celebrating its 25th anniversary, representing a global milestone in its genre. In the singing competition category, France TF1 produced the third season of Global Agency’s format Good Singers. Dating shows are now enjoying great success, since they benefited from the lockdowns of the last few years. In this genre, Japanese franchise Future Diary, which sees two strangers act out a love story guided by a book, is now on Netflix, after 20 years of popularity from the publication of the original manga. Period dating shows have also become popular, especially the ones set during the Regency era (1811-1820), spearheaded by the success of Shonda Rhimes’ hit series Bridgerton. The period is now relived in reality shows such as Love is King (on ITV in the U.K.), and Back to Love (produced by Casta Diva, on Discovery). Some dating shows have evolved and hybridized, like Love in the Jungle (merging the adventure/reality and dating genre, on Discovery), and Cooking for Love, hosted by chef Gino D’Acampo (cooking show plus dating). Popular romcom series from days of yore are also the inspiration for new dating shows. For example, Paramount has transformed The Love Boat into a reality show with the title The Real Love Boat (for the CBS network). Moving on to the drama genre, the appeal of history has produced series that are based on actual historical events. German (ZDF) and Spanish (RTVE) co-production Boundless is based on the adventures of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan during his circumnavigation of Earth (on Amazon Prime), and French TV Distribution’s series Diane de Poitiers tells the story of the famous courtier and King Henry II’s mistress (on France 2). Stretching the boundaries of history into fantasy, HBO’s House of the Dragon (a prequel of Game of Thrones), and Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (prequel of The Lord of the Rings) are two of the most successful recent launches in the genre. Legal and medical shows never seem to lose their appeal: The BBC is continuing to enjoy international success with returning legal drama The Split, and evergreen soapy medical drama Doctors, which has been adapted in 11 countries. Family dramas and long-running series are the bread and butter of Turkish producers and distributors and are still conquering viewers around the world. Turkey is now also relying on Japanese scripted formats to adapt and relaunch (as ready-made) on the international markets, as in the case of family drama Anne, based on the Nippon TV format Mother; and series Kadin, the adaptation of Nippon TV’s Woman. New ATV series The Father premiered last month in Turkey to earn the highest September debut ratings in 10 years. For its part, Kanal D debuted last month its new ambitious series That Girl. Soap opera Forbidden Fruit (distributed by Calinos) is returning for a sixth season on FOX. (By Maria Chiara Duranti *) *Maria Chiara Duranti spent 20 years at Mediaset Italy and Mediaset Spain at their Formats Division before launching Formatbiz (www.formatbiz.it), which specializes in researching the international TV markets for scripted and unscripted formats. Programming Trends Around the World. What TV Audiences Are Watching TV Formats & More French TV’s series Diane de Poitiers tells the story of the famous courtier and King Henry II’s mistress. Mystery competition The Traitors (on BBc1) is being adapted in France, Australia, and the U.S.
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