ITV

Tag: Vasha Wallace

  • Fremantle secures global rights to Japanese game show Ants

    Fremantle secures global rights to Japanese game show Ants

    MUMBAI: Fremantle has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Ants, a novel Japanese competition format where contestants tackle supersized challenges while pretending to be ant-sized humans.

    The format, originally created by Nippon TV and further developed by Fremantle North America, transforms contestants into ant-sized competitors who must navigate enormous everyday objects and work together to complete physical challenges. Tasks include transporting oversized food items across a giant kitchen against the clock, with prize money increasing based on successful collections.

    Under the distribution agreement, Nippon TV will retain rights for most of Asia, while Fremantle will handle the rest of the world. The show has already proven successful in Japan, where it launched as a special on Nippon TV.

    “It is so rare to find a format that makes you say to yourself ‘I have never seen anything like this,’” said Fremantle EVP of Unscripted Jimmy Fox. He noted that Nippon TV has a strong track record in format creation, having developed both Dragons’ Den (known as Shark Tank in America) and Sokkuri Sweets, which sparked the ‘cake or not cake’ trend.

    Fremantle’s EVP global acquisitions and development Vasha Wallace, said the company has already received significant interest in the format, citing its unique blend of humour and physical challenges that appeals to viewers of all ages.

    Nippon TV  head of formats Tom Miyauchi described the show as highlighting “the power of unity and teamwork, much like the ants themselves.” The format features distinctive themed characters and larger-than-life set designs to create its miniaturised world.

    The deal marks another significant format export from Japan, following Nippon TV’s previous international successes with shows like Dragons’ Den and Old Enough!, the latter of which streams on Netflix in over 190 countries.

  • FremantleMedia brings ‘Familiar Taste’ to MIPCOM

    FremantleMedia brings ‘Familiar Taste’ to MIPCOM

    CANNES: FremantleMedia is bringing a brand new title to MIPCOM 2016, which promises to leave viewers feeling warm inside. Familiar Taste sees well-known faces thanking those people who have had a major impact on their lives by sharing with them a surprise meal they have cooked themselves.

    Co-developed by Zhejiang Satellite and Purity Media, the deal to distribute the format rights internationally was brokered through FremantleMedia China CEO Vivian Yin following a successful competitive pitch with other international producers and distributors.Familiar Taste is the first Chinese property that FremantleMedia has brought to the market as part of FremantleMedia’s wider strategy to use its network to give local producers an international platform for their content.

    Each week in Familiar Taste a celebrity – aided by the show’s hosts – prepare the surprise culinary treat for the person they love or admire. It could be a parent, a sibling, an old primary school teacher or sports coach. Through interviews we learn why this person means so much to the personality and the significance of the dish they want to prepare to thank them. Having established a plan of action, the host then helps to prepare for the big occasion: accompanying them as they shop for the best produce, advising on the preparation of the meal, and helping dress the dining space.

    All the while, they hide the preparation from the loved one, sometimes with comedic results! As the emotionally-charged surprise is revealed, our celebrity is able to thank their guest in the most delicious way possible – through smell, taste and enjoyment of the food they have lovingly prepared and shared.

    FremantleMedia executive VP of global acquisitions & development, Vasha Wallace, said: “Familiar Taste is a beautifully warm and hugely emotional show that will have viewers laughing and crying in equal measure. It cleverly uses food as a means of saying thank you to those people we sometimes take for granted. This is the first time we’ve brought a Chinese format to the international market place and we’re really excited that we can support Zhejiang Satellite and Purity Media in providing a showcase for it at MIPCOM 2016.”

    Zhejiang Satellite TV Station director of strategic development center, Hangying Yu, said, “Familiar Taste conveys sincere emotions through delicious food and presents more possibilities of a food show to audiences by breaking the traditional ways to do it. It uses more interesting format design to genuinely let food and flavor express love and provide a more profound connection between food and emotion. We are so delighted that this Chinese format can be distributed to the world. And we hope that by this kind of culture spread, we could let the world better understand China.”

    Purity Media general manager Jinma said: “I’m proud to say that Familiar Taste can be called a dark horse in the TV shows aired this year. The program is totally original and designed by our team based on tons of research and discussion. Both the critical acclaim and excellent ratings are the reasons why it has attracted such global attention. This show is so unique in that it’s not a conventional food show. Every ordinary dish contains a little untold touching story. That’s why Familiar Taste could attract those super stars’ participation and stand out in these years’ countless outdoor reality shows. Also I believe that the key element of the show is universal. People all have this kind of experience to feel love and pay gratitude by having a Familiar Taste.”

    Season One of Familiar Taste proved to be a rating success in China when it was broadcast on Zhejiang Satellite earlier this year. The show gained an average 1.3 and came first in its time slot – and the broadcaster has already commissioned a second season.

  • FremantleMedia brings ‘Familiar Taste’ to MIPCOM

    FremantleMedia brings ‘Familiar Taste’ to MIPCOM

    CANNES: FremantleMedia is bringing a brand new title to MIPCOM 2016, which promises to leave viewers feeling warm inside. Familiar Taste sees well-known faces thanking those people who have had a major impact on their lives by sharing with them a surprise meal they have cooked themselves.

    Co-developed by Zhejiang Satellite and Purity Media, the deal to distribute the format rights internationally was brokered through FremantleMedia China CEO Vivian Yin following a successful competitive pitch with other international producers and distributors.Familiar Taste is the first Chinese property that FremantleMedia has brought to the market as part of FremantleMedia’s wider strategy to use its network to give local producers an international platform for their content.

    Each week in Familiar Taste a celebrity – aided by the show’s hosts – prepare the surprise culinary treat for the person they love or admire. It could be a parent, a sibling, an old primary school teacher or sports coach. Through interviews we learn why this person means so much to the personality and the significance of the dish they want to prepare to thank them. Having established a plan of action, the host then helps to prepare for the big occasion: accompanying them as they shop for the best produce, advising on the preparation of the meal, and helping dress the dining space.

    All the while, they hide the preparation from the loved one, sometimes with comedic results! As the emotionally-charged surprise is revealed, our celebrity is able to thank their guest in the most delicious way possible – through smell, taste and enjoyment of the food they have lovingly prepared and shared.

    FremantleMedia executive VP of global acquisitions & development, Vasha Wallace, said: “Familiar Taste is a beautifully warm and hugely emotional show that will have viewers laughing and crying in equal measure. It cleverly uses food as a means of saying thank you to those people we sometimes take for granted. This is the first time we’ve brought a Chinese format to the international market place and we’re really excited that we can support Zhejiang Satellite and Purity Media in providing a showcase for it at MIPCOM 2016.”

    Zhejiang Satellite TV Station director of strategic development center, Hangying Yu, said, “Familiar Taste conveys sincere emotions through delicious food and presents more possibilities of a food show to audiences by breaking the traditional ways to do it. It uses more interesting format design to genuinely let food and flavor express love and provide a more profound connection between food and emotion. We are so delighted that this Chinese format can be distributed to the world. And we hope that by this kind of culture spread, we could let the world better understand China.”

    Purity Media general manager Jinma said: “I’m proud to say that Familiar Taste can be called a dark horse in the TV shows aired this year. The program is totally original and designed by our team based on tons of research and discussion. Both the critical acclaim and excellent ratings are the reasons why it has attracted such global attention. This show is so unique in that it’s not a conventional food show. Every ordinary dish contains a little untold touching story. That’s why Familiar Taste could attract those super stars’ participation and stand out in these years’ countless outdoor reality shows. Also I believe that the key element of the show is universal. People all have this kind of experience to feel love and pay gratitude by having a Familiar Taste.”

    Season One of Familiar Taste proved to be a rating success in China when it was broadcast on Zhejiang Satellite earlier this year. The show gained an average 1.3 and came first in its time slot – and the broadcaster has already commissioned a second season.

  • FremantleMedia asks ‘Who Lives Here?’ in new format acquisition

    FremantleMedia asks ‘Who Lives Here?’ in new format acquisition

    MUMBAI: FremantleMedia is bringing a new format to MIPTV, having acquired the global production rights (excluding North America) to Who Lives Here? – a new competitive property format from Canadian production company, 3Bird Media.

    Who Lives Here?combines our love of snooping around other people’s houses and our pre-conceptions about people based on first appearances. In each episode, five strangers tour each other’s homes together and try to work out who lives where. The only information they have at their disposal are their first impressions and their knowledge of each other’s professions.

    As they visit each home – which can range from quirky to quaint, uber-modern loft apartment to the extravagant mansion, suburban homes to urban condos – participants have to plot who they think lives in this particular place, matching up design style with their preconceptions of one another. Participants can decide which details about themselves to highlight and which to ‘omit’ so that they don’t give away which home is their own. At the end of the show – once all the guesses have been collated – each homeowner reveals their own place. Whoever makes the most correct home to homeowner matches wins a cash prize, not to mention bragging rights.

    Vasha Wallace, SVP, Global Acquisitions and Development at FremantleMedia said, “Who Lives Here? is one of those fantastically simple concepts that has massive potential to travel globally. It taps into two universal notions: our desire to see where – and how – other people live, and the preconceptions we make about people on first meeting them. It is hugely addictive to be both looking at the people’s homes but also to be guessing along with the participants as to who lives in which house. We’re very excited to be working with the creative and talented AndrikaLawren and Jennifer Twamley at 3BirdMedia, to help take their idea to the rest of the world.”

    AndrikaLawren, Partner and Executive Producer at 3BirdMedia added: “FremantleMedia’s breadth of experience and impressive reputation with successful formats makes them the perfect partner to take Who Lives Here?into the international marketplace. We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the team at FremantleMedia who share our enthusiasm for the series and our belief that its universal appeal will resonate globally. ”

    Ten episodes of Who Lives Here are currently being produced for HGTV Network in the US and W Network in Canada. The series will premiere in April 2014 in Canada and the US Visit FremantleMedia at MIPTV 2014 at Stand No. C11.A1 (Croisette 11, Aisle 1), 7 – 10 April.