Tag Archive: dating

  1. E4 commissions ‘Love Triangle’, exciting, new dating show with unique, shock twists and turns

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    In a brand-new relationship format, E4 is turning everything you know about dating on its head, as it asks six courageous singles to reject all the conventions and pitfalls of modern, app-based dating, in favour of a radical new approach.

    Turning their backs on the overwhelming stream of choice, the singles’ options will be shrunk to just two to choose between. One match embodies each single’s usual wants, type and desires; the other reflects their deeper, more fulfilling romantic needs.

    Love Triangle (10×60’), produced by Workerbee (a Banijay UK company), follows the singles as they spend 48 hours getting to know their two matches via text only.  In its efforts to offer an antidote to the worst aspects of modern dating, this experience demands that the singles make their decision without setting eyes on their suitors; no pictures or selfies allowed.

    After just two days of trying to build a connection, they must make the potentially life-changing choice between their two matches, before they meet them on a blind date.  Just 24 hours later, the picker and their chosen match will take the extraordinary step of moving in together, to explore what their future might look like.  But around the corner are a series of gripping plot-twists that neither the singles, nor their suitors, see coming.

    BOMBSHELL #1: Just as the new couples are settling into their love nests, the rejected love matches will make a shocking, surprise return; the “pickers” must meet their alternative option on a second blind date.

    BOMBSHELL #2: On this blind date, the new love interest will reveal they are also moving in to the shared house to form a love triangle.

    BOMBSHELL #3: After the six singles have spent time dating and getting to know both their matches, all three will move in together to form a LOVE TRIANGLE.

    BOMBSHELL #4: At the end of the experience, each single must make a momentous, gut-wrenching decision as they have to choose which of their two matches to continue dating in pursuit of long-term love.

    Over the course of the experience, as the six singles face this string of explosive twists, they’ll be forced to question themselves, their choices and everything they think they know about love.  Will heads be turned?  Will hearts be broken?  And, when faced with their final dilemma, which of their two matches will they choose?

    Based on an Australian format, originally developed by the producers of Married at First Sight Australia, this U.K. version supersizes its predecessor, adding in new format points and fresh elements for British audiences.

    Channel 4 Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment, and Commissioning Editor for Married at First Sight UK, Lee McMurray said: “When it comes to romance, most of us have a type we want, who often disappoints; we fail to spot the match we need, who could make us truly happy.  Love Triangle puts this modern dating dilemma front and centre, with a trademark E4 twist.  I’m confident British audiences will be gripped by this radical rejection of our current looks-based, swipe right dating culture, as they share the joy, love, heartache and off-the-scale drama of the six brave singles taking part in this unique, distinctive quest for love.”

    Ben Mitchell, Workerbee Creative Director, said: “In the superficial world of modern dating, it’s all too easy to swipe away matches who could have been the love of our lives, if only we’d given them a chance.  In this explosive new format, we’re asking six singles to try a very different approach to finding ‘the one’.  The results are surprising, emotional and dramatic. In Love Triangle, there are three sides to every story!”

    Love Triangle was developed by the producers of Married at First Sight Australia, Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay company) in conjunction with 9Network.  This U.K. production is produced by Workerbee and exec produced by Charlie Faux and Ben Mitchell.  It was commissioned for E4 by Channel 4 Factual Entertainment Commissioning Editor, Lee McMurray and Head of Youth and Digital, Karl Warner.

  2. Banijay EXchanges Multi-Territory Contract with Korea’s CJ ENM

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    Banijay today announces it has landed a multi-territory deal for new relationship format, EXchange. Acquired from CJ ENM, it is a show of new loves and old flames and successfully launched in Korea last summer. The deal will see Banijay represent the format across the Nordics, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Australia.

    EXchange sees young couples, who split-up in the past, live together for three weeks, some hope to reconnect while others are ready to find new love. There is just one rule; you can’t reveal who your ex is. Even the audience is initially oblivious as the participants get to know each other through dates and the ex’s insights. Every evening each person sends a text message to the person they’re interested in. Whilst anonymous, the one thing they do know is if it is from their ex or not.  Everything changes mid-season as the couples are revealed and so are the senders of the texts. Emotions change, connections are made, and love rekindles, culminating in the final episode when each single must announce who they’d like to leave the show with.

    As an original format from CJ ENM’s SVOD platform TVING, EXchange launched last year and showed continuous growth of UV every time new episodes were released and became the highest-viewed show on the platform among the entire slate of original content. TVING also recorded the highest number of paid subscribers with the show’s release. The first season of EXchange was particularly popular amongst younger viewers and went viral on SNS, leading to a second series order. The show also represented Korea as the National Winner for Best Original Programme by a Streamer/OTT at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2021.

    Carlotta Rossi Spencer, Head of Acquisitions at Banijay said: “This relationship format has unbounded potential, it’s a truly authentic show catering for a younger audience who long for real feelings and genuine love stories. CJ ENM has created numerous engaging formats which add twists to popular tropes, and EXchange is a prime example. As past relationships are kept secret from the audience as well, the element of guessing had Korean viewers gripped, and we’re expecting a huge amount of interest in this innovative format.”

    Diane Min, Head of Format Sales at CJ ENM said: “We are excited to work with Banijay to bring EXchangeto multiple markets, one of our biggest and most successful non-scripted launches last year. This is a relatable format primarily dealing with love and relationships, which ordinary people experience throughout life’s journey. I am confident the candidness of human emotions delivered in EXchange will touch the audience’s heart across the world.”

     EXchange will join Banijay’s 120,000+ hour catalogue which includes other relationship shows including new IP, The Courtship, and global format Temptation Island. As well as flagship brands SurvivorHunted, MasterChefLEGO® Masters, and Big Brother.

  3. Banijay Factory Develops Original New Dating Show in Sign Language

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    Banijay today confirms Nordic label, Banijay Factory, has developed Sexy Hands for SVT1. This format, produced by Delta Studios, is the first dating show to be made anywhere in the world where deaf singletons and their hearing allies can’t see each other physically, apart from their hands, and use sign language to determine if there is a romantic connection or not.

     

    Sexy Hands is a new dating format showcasing the true power of sign language, and where communication and personality is everything. Three potential suitors sign their hearts out, competing to win the affection of a singleton. As they can’t see one-another apart from their hands, due to the studio’s ‘love’ wall, they must rely on sign to chat, flirt, and make a great first impression in a series of enticing and revealing rounds, designed to get the potential couples better acquainted. Round after round the singleton eliminates the candidates until one lucky suitor remains. Will it be love at first sign when the couple finally come face-to-face and go on a date, or will they be left searching for a spark?

     

    Robert Andersson, Senior Format Developer at Banijay Factory and creator of Sexy Hands says: “We’re proud to be playing a small part in making pop culture more inclusive and diverse. Sexy Hands is a fast-paced, visually captivating, fun, and literally loud blind-dating format where both deaf and hearing, sign language savvy singles come looking for love. It is a new spin on the popular dating genre, but also the first of its kind to place sign language in equal footing with the spoken word.”

     

    James Townley, Global Head of Content Development at Banijay comments: “Communication in dating and relationships is key and Sexy Hands represents a large community who get to know one another through sign language. This inclusive and refreshing format will enrich the dating genre, giving unique insight into the linguistic identity of people who are deaf and those that use sign language, and we’re extremely pleased to have a new format in the catalogue which reiterates our commitment to diversity both on and off screen.”

     

    Banijay Factory’s latest concept, Sexy Hands joins the company’s burgeoning slate, having already developedFood & Fire alongside Mastiff Sweden and Expedition Kahawa with Jarowskij. Furthermore, it also adds to Banijay Nordic’s entertainment formats which includes Mastiff Denmark’s Drag Me Out, whose premiere was the best new launch for TV 2 Zulu in 2021, and the format among Banijay’s international highlights for the autumn. Made up of 17 production companies, Banijay Nordic produces some of the region’s biggest formats, from reality shows like Survivor and Paradise Hotel, to key scripted titles such as Wallander and A Class Apart.

  4. Cupid’s arrow flies transcontinental in new Channel 4 dating series The Language of Love (w/t)

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    Channel 4 has commissioned a new international dating series from 2LE Media, Motion Content Group and Zeppelin, a Banijay Iberia company. The Language of Love (w/t) will see a group of Brits and a group of Spaniards pairing up at a dreamy Spanish country estate to see if they can find romance… despite not speaking each other’s language.

    Set in a stunning finca in Andalusia, the eight-part series for Channel 4 will be hosted by Davina McCall alongside Spanish TV host, actor and singer Ricky Merino, who will be on hand to interpret how the couples’ relationships are developing.

    A group of Brits seeking romance will travel to Spain where they’ll meet their potential partners – a group of Spanish speakers also looking for their own historia de amor – to test whether love is deeper than just words. Can sparks fly even with a language barrier to overcome? The newly-formed couples will take part in challenges and tasks to help them test their connection as well as learning more about each other’s countries, their culture and their languages. At the end of the series, will they choose amor or adiós? The international lovers will face a big dilemma: to call it quits, stay together long distance, or perhaps move country to be with their new found love.

    The Language of Love (w/t) is commissioned for Channel 4 by Phil Harris, Head of Entertainment and Events, and Genna Gibson, Commissioning Editor, Entertainment. The 8 x 60’ series is produced by 2LE Media, Motion Content Group and Zeppelin, a Banijay Iberia company. Sophie Alcock is Series Producer and Executive producers are Michael Livingstone, Tom Thostrup and Georgina Hinds for 2LE Media, Martin Oxley for Motion Content Group, with Amparo Castellano and Salva Romero from Zeppelin. Banijay is the exclusive distributor, holding global format and distribution rights.

    Channel 4’s Phil Harris, Head of Entertainment and Events, comments: “This is a truly fresh and entertaining dating experiment that throws up surprising cultural exchanges, hilarious linguistic mishaps and red-hot holiday romances all overseen by the original queen of reality, Davina, and her wonderful Spanish counterpart, Ricky.”

    Tom Thostrup, co-founder of 2LE Media adds: “In this series we want to give our international singles the ultimate holiday romance and see if they can hurdle the language barrier to build a potential life-changing relationship, with Davina and Ricky willing them to succeed all the way.”

    Martin Oxley, Executive Producer for Motion Content Group says “After a few years off from foreign travel, most of us have probably forgotten how to ask the way to the beach in Spanish. Motion couldn’t be more delighted to brush up its language skills with Davina & Ricky, 2LE, Banijay and Channel 4 with this clever and truly laugh out loud new series.”.

    Amparo Castellano, General Director of Zeppelin, a Banijay Iberia company adds: “We all know how powerful love and attraction is, and this new format takes the dating genre to the next level, truly exploring whether singletons can communicate when speaking different languages. It’s been a highly entertaining concept to develop and co-produce with 2LE and Motion, and we’re sure our international colleagues at Banijay will have success bringing this format to other markets around the world.”

    The Language of Love (w/t) will TX next year on Channel 4.