Banijay is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay is present in 16 territories.
Banijay is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay is present in 16 territories.

Tag Archive: Shona Fraser

  1. Banijay Entertainment Superbrands, MasterChef and Survivor, Heading to Germany

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    Banijay Germany (part of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment) today at MIPCOM Cannes announces its entertainment label, Brainpool, will produce MasterChef and Survivor, in partnership with AcunMedya, for German channel SPORT1.

    MasterChef is a multi-award-winning cookery format which has been changing lives for decades. Setting out to find the nation’s best amateur cook, the show puts contestant’s culinary skills to the test as they battle it out to become crowned champion. Survivor is the original and best adventure reality format, testing the spirit of people who are marooned, with little more than the clothes on their backs and their own animal cunning. As they catch their own food, build their own shelter and order their own society, castaways must compete in increasingly difficult tests of strategy and guile. Combining Brainpool’s extensive local expertise, with Acun Medya’s industry leadership, the companies aim to deliver top-tier content that resonates both locally and globally.

    Shona Fraser, Managing Director Brainpool: “The Banijay Entertainment library is a wealth of bold, entertaining and highly adaptable formats, which we want German audiences to experience. I am personally a huge fan of both Survivor and MasterChef and am delighted they have found a new home with SPORT1 – we can’t wait to start production with Acun Medya and its incredible team!”

    Ebru Atasav Tahranci, ACUNMEDYA Group CEO: “We are very excited to announce our partnership with Brainpool, bringing two powerhouse Banijay Entertainment formats – Survivor and MasterChef – to our channel SPORT1 in Germany. We are delighted for this collaboration that will contribute to SPORT1’s success by delivering exceptional entertainment for our audiences.”

    Represented internationally by Banijay Entertainment, MasterChef was created by Franc Roddam and has been commissioned in more than 70 markets. With over 700 seasons aired around the world, MasterChef, is the world’s most successful cookery television format (Guinness World Records).

    Created by Charlie Parsons, Survivor is a Banijay-owned format.  With 50 adaptations, and over 400 seasons, it is one of the most successful reality formats of all time.

    Brainpool, founded in 1994, is a leading production company in Germany. It boasts an impressive slate of titles including TV Total, Schlag den Star (Beat the Host), Die besten Comedians Deutschlands, NightWash and many more…

    SPORT1 has been 50 percent owned by Acun Medya since the summer, and is looking for successful entertainment and sports entertainment formats as part of an extensive content offensive.

  2. Banijay Germany will be focusing on three non-fiction labels in the future and will be strengthening Brainpool and Banijay Productions with formats and an expanded management team.

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    Brainpool is strengthening its management team with two more producers: From September 1st, Marcus Wolter will be bringing Shona Fraser into the management team of Brainpool TV GmbH as a producer. In addition, the previous creative director Florian Göbels will be promoted to the management team within Brainpool as a producer. Göbels and his team will be responsible for entertainment formats such as “TV total”, “Schlag den Star” and large events such as “TV total Turmspringen” or “TV total WOK WM”. Shona Fraser will be setting up a new division at Brainpool that will expand the company to include the light entertainment genre.

    Godehard Wolpers continues to lead the comedy division as producer and managing director (“The best comedians in Germany”, “Bratwurst and Baklava”) and is responsible as co-managing director of Brainpool Live Entertainment (“1Live Comedy Nights XXL”, “Nightwash”, “Cologne Comedy Festival”), together with Ingrid Langheld.

    Fraser, Wolpers and Göbels report to Marcus Wolter, who, in addition to his role as board member of the Banijay Group, is also managing director of Brainpool TV GmbH.

    The producer label Good Times, which has belonged to Banijay Germany since 2019 and was previously managed by Shona Fraser as managing director, will not be continued. Program brands such as “Armes Deutschland – Stempeln oder abrackern” (RTLZWEI), “Yes, we camp” (Kabel Eins), “Wohne meinen Traum” (ZDF/Mediathek) or “Der Trödeltrupp” (RTLZWEI) will move to Banijay Productions under the leadership of Arno Schneppenheim. Shona and her team will continue to be responsible for the ongoing productions “Good Luck Guys” (Joyn) and “Mein Lokal, Dein Lokal” (Kabel Eins).

    Marcus Wolter, CEO and co-founder of Banijay Germany: “Producer minds and format brands are the decisive factor for success. With the new setup, we are bringing these even closer together. In the future, we will be focusing on three non-fiction labels instead of four and strengthening the companies Banijay Productions and Brainpool. Welcome Shona Fraser to Brainpool and congratulations to Florian Göbels on his promotion within our own company. Banijay Productions, founded six years ago by Arno Schneppenheim, is continuing its consistent growth course by further developing the existing Good Times format brands and expanding the portfolio to include the factual area.”

    Banijay Productions, with managing director Arno Schneppenheim, stands in particular for strong reality brands such as “Kampf der Realitystars” (RTLZWEI), “Temptation Island” (RTL), “Das große Probibüßen” (ProSieben), but also for comedy & shows such as “Hast du Töne?” (Sat.1), or “Chris du das hin?” (Sat.1) as well as for documentaries such as “Daum – Triumphe und Skandale” (Sky).

    Arno Schneppenheim, Managing Director of Banijay Productions: “In addition to our core areas of reality, show & comedy and documentary, we will now also strengthen and expand the factual entertainment area through the strong brands of Good Times. We warmly welcome the new colleagues to Eupener Straße.”

    Shona Fraser: “I am very happy to be a new member of the Brainpool family! We have a lot planned together to ensure that Brainpool’s success story continues for another 30 years. I look back on my time at Good Times with great gratitude. I gained valuable experience there and got to know a great team.”

  3. Banijay’s Good Luck Guys to Begin its Adventure in Germany

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    Media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay, today confirms Good Times, part of Banijay Germany, will produce Good Luck Guys for local SVOD Joyn. This marks the seventh adaptation of the fish-out-of water adventure reality format which was originally created by Banijay Productions France.

    In Good Luck Guys, a group of reality show alumni volunteer to trade their life of luxury with a back-to-basics adventure on an isolated tropical beach. In ‘adventure duos’, they must prove there is more to them than meets the eye, as they embark on challenges and live without comfort or cosmetics. Who will be the last team left standing? The winners will not only claim the cash prize, but they’ll also be able to call themselves “true adventurers…” of sorts.

    Shona Fraser, Managing Director of Good Times comments: “Good Luck Guys is escapist reality programming at its best and a great fit for the streamer Joyn. We‘ve been able to leverage Banijay’s international creative network, for a Good Times production, with entertaining German celebrities, whilst utilising French IP in a French-German-Thai hub. It was a blast!”

    Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay says: “It’s no surprise this format is making waves across Europe, given it is packed with reality, humour, and light-hearted entertainment. Its stunning and remote beach location is pure escapism. Good Luck Guys and its social media-friendly cast makes it an easily-marketable format, which is much sought-after by streamers and broadcasters alike, as the recent commissions highlight.”

    Good Luck Guys was originally created by Banijay Productions France, and its version has now enjoyed six series on W9. Represented internationally by Banijay, Germany is the seventh territory to adapt the title. The news follows a recent commission in The Netherlands, produced by SimpelZodiak for Prime Video, with the second series in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway set to return to the aforementioned platform.

  4. Banijay’s Good Times Brings The Block to Germany

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    Content powerhouse Banijay today confirms Good Times, part of Banijay Germany, will produce a new adaptation of The Block for RTL Germany. The show will be known locally as Wettkampf in 4 Wänden – Die ultimative Bau-Challenge.

    In this adaptation of the renovation-based competition reality show, four couples compete in order to turn an unloved apartment into a high-end property. Every room matters in this series as it is all about who can impress the expert jury.

    A Nine Network format, Banijay holds the global distribution rights to the format and finished tape. The Blockhas aired over 800 episodes in Australia to-date, with its 18th-season-launch the top-rated show of the night and its finale was the most-watched unscripted show in 2022. In addition, it already been adapted in 14 territories including New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, the US, and Denmark, where its eighth season consistently won the slot on all demos.

    Shona Fraser, Managing Director of Good Times comments: “We love The Block – it’s such a strong format and we can’t wait to bring it to RTL in Germany with our own special reality twist. It is so exciting watching the teams create completely new rooms from a blank canvas.”

    Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay says: “The Block is a brilliant format that has hooked audiences around the world. Banijay has a strong record in creating must-watch competition reality shows and we are sure with Good Times’ expertise, the German audience is bound to be engrossed in the transformations.”

    Since the company’s creation 25 years ago, Good Times has developed and produced numerous formats for the German audience. Its credits include Mein Lokal, Dein Lokal – Der Profi Kommt, Armes Deutschland and Home of the Year.

  5. Shona Fraser Appointed Managing Director of Good Times

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    Banijay Germany today announces a new leadership structure at Good Times, with entertainment producer and joint Managing Director, Shona Fraser, appointed to solely lead the company, working in partnership with Chief Operating Officer Knut Kremling.

     

    Shona Fraser has an extensive industry reputation for entertainment programming, having established Battle of the Reality Stars, Love Island and Naked Attraction in the German market. She has held posts in entertainment, development and programming at RTLZZWEI, and served as an Executive Producer at RTL Studios, Tresor TV and MME, where she was responsible for Popstars and Next Top Model Germany.

     

    Shona Fraser, Managing Director of Good Times says: “Together with the strong Good Times team, I am looking forward to creatively shaping the future of this production house, working closely with colleagues at Banijay. I’m a true fan of the exisiting portfolio, and want to fully develop its potential, as well as exploring new exciting ways to captivate audiences with a fresh slate of programmes.”

     

    Marcus Wolter, CEO and co-shareholder of Banijay Germany says: “Over the years, Good Times has been built into a unique creative company, and without a doubt, the success will continue with Shona at the helm. She is a TV visionary, bringing innovation and originality to all her programme-making, and the company has a bright future ahead.”

     

    Shona Fraser replaces Good Times founder, Sylvia Fahrenkrog- Peterson, who is leaving the company. She founded the label in 1998, positioning it as a producer of daytime brands and prime-time hits such as Mein Lokal, dein Lokal, Der Trödeltrupp and Armes Deutschland. In 2019, the then independent company was acquired, and its 150 employees were integrated into Banijay Germany. Shona Fraser, who will take over the reins, was bought  in recently to bolster the management of the business.

  6. Banijay Germany’s Labels Expand Their Teams

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    Banijay Germany today announces a series of appointments and moves across its local entities, with Panagiota Vafea joining Endemol Shine Germany as Executive Director and Tom Kühn as Executive Producer; and over at Good Times, Shona Fraser will join Sylvia Fahrenkrog-Petrsen as joint Managing Director, with Creative Director, Cornelia Landgraf, promoted to Deputy Managing Director.

     

    Vafea joins Endemol Shine Germany’s Management Team from ITV Studios Germany where she was Executive Producer, overseeing hit shows including Dancing on Ice and long-running German formats, Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus! and Grill den Henssler. She will be responsible for a wide variety of formats, including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, LEGO® Masters and Beauty and the Geek. Endemol Shine Germany also welcomes Executive Producer Tom Kühn to the family, following 18 years at i&u TV production where he produced ARD’s popular Saturday evening show, Klein gegen Groß. Prior to that, he was a journalist for Stern TV.

     

    Elsewhere, Good Times welcomes Shona Fraser as joint Managing Director, alongside Sylvia Fahrenkrog-Petersen. In her previous role as head of entertainment at RTLZwei, Fraser was responsible for hit formats such as Battle of the Reality Stars, Love Island and Naked Attraction. The company also announces the promotion of Cornelia Landgraf to Deputy Managing Director. In her new role, Landgraf will work closely with MDs Fahrenkrog-Petersen and Fraser, having been with the label for 15 years, as an editor, in development, and most recently as Creative Director.

     

    Fabian Tobias, Managing Director of Endemol Shine Germany says: “Panagiota is a trusted award-winning producer and a valuable asset to our Management Board. We also warmly welcome Tom to the Endemol Shine Germany family who brings his wealth of TV expertise to the company. With our strengthened team, we are ideally positioned in the market to further drive success for our existing and upcoming projects and will continue to be at the forefront of shaping the industry.”

     

    Sylvia Fahrenkrog-Petersen, Founder and MD of Good Times says: “Shona is one of the most experienced television creators in the industry and is the perfect person to join Good Times as we expand our portfolio in the areas of reality and entertainment. I am also delighted to continuing working with Cornelia. She is a passionate television producer, with a keen sense of what makes a good story and I am grateful for her years of loyalty and dedication to Good Times.”