Comments Off on Meter/Jarowskij and TV4 Book First International Stay in The Fortune Hotel
Content powerhouse, Banijay Entertainment, today announces the first international adaptation of thrilling strategy game show, TheFortune Hotel. Produced by Meter/Jarowskij for TV4, this marks the show’s highly-anticipated European debut. Originally created and produced by Tuesday’s Child for ITV1 and ITVX in 2024, Banijay Rights handles global distribution.
In The Fortune Hotel, 10 pairs of contestants check-in to a luxurious hotel, where the stakes are anything but relaxing. Each pair receives an identical briefcase in their rooms. Out of the ten cases, only one contains a vast cash prize, while another holds an “Early Checkout” card. As the tension builds, each pair must navigate the game’s challenges, unexpected twists, and the tense case swapping at the hotel’s Lady Luck bar. But only one pair will remain, taking home the grand prize. The UK version reached 3.1 million viewers and enjoyed 5.9 million streams on ITVX and returns for a second series later this year.
Helen Greatorex, Head of Format Acquisitions, Banijay Entertainment says: “Following its success in the UK, and with a second season already in the works, TheFortune Hotel has proven to masterfully balance suspense, entertainment, and drama. Given its previous performance, it’s great to see it begin its international journey in Sweden, with more deals on the horizon.”
Madelene Hansson, CEO Meter/Jarowskij adds: “With its perfect blend of strategy, fortune, and glamour, The Fortune Hotel has all the elements to make it a stand-out hit. Audiences in Sweden have a passion for smart, strategic reality formats, and the lavish hotel setting provides the perfect backdrop for this compulsive game.”
Niklas Vestberg, Head of Formats and Development, TV4 says: “We look forward to bringing the luxurious and captivating world of The Fortune Hotel to TV4, where anything can happen. It is a perfect fit for our programming and we are positive it will be a must-watch for our audiences.”
Recent additions to Banijay Entertainment’s third-party portfolio include Korean reality format My Name is Gabriel, produced for JTBC and Disney+; factual-entertainment format, Atypical Critics, created, developed and produced in French-Canada by Pixcom; heist-themed gameshow The Infiltrators, from Cowshed Studio;The Game of Wool, from Hello Halo, part of STV Studios; innovative dating reality show Alumni Lovers, from MBC; and Genius Game from CJ ENM.
Meter/Jarowskij is renowned for delivering audiences in Sweden with iconic non-scripted formats including MasterChef, SAS: Who Dares Wins, Good Luck Guys, LEGO Masters (also from Tuesday’s Child), Fort Boyard,and locally-created titles like Wild Kids and Luxury Trap.
Comments Off on Banijay Entertainment Showcases Must-See Slate for MIPCOM 2024
Content powerhouse, Banijay Entertainment, today announces this year’s standout titles across all genres for MIPCOM 2024, bolstering its position as the number one European studio.
Leading the charge is the re-imagining of iconic detective drama Bergerac; original new competition format, Three Are The Champions; Dutch reboot By Land, Air and Sea; and high-end travelogue series, Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain. Additionally, the powerhouse will celebrate its latest travelling formats launched last MIPCOM, including The Summit and Deal or No Deal Island.
This year’s premium UK scripted offering includes the revival of Bergerac for UKTV’s U&DRAMA and free streaming service, U; the much-awaited Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light for the BBC and Masterpiece PBS; Welsh crime drama The One that Got Away for S4C; We Go Again (w/t), a comedy drama for BBC Three and BBC iPlayer; and The Feud, a domestic thriller for Channel 5. From New Zealand is new returnable crime procedural A Remarkable Place to Die for TVNZ, ZDF, and Acorn TV, and crossing over to Europe, is Italy’s pop band drama Accidentally Famous for Sky Italia; Dutch thriller Elixir for NPO and New8, and French crime drama The Family Detective for TF1. Anticipated returners Marie Antoinette for Canal+, PBS, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer and SASRogue Heroes for BBC iPlayer and MGM+ will also be highlighted.
New formats making their international debut include the Dutch reboot of iconic entertainment programme By Land, Air and Sea, and Germany’s ratings success Three Are The Champions for RTL. Australia brings competitive renovation show Dream Home, insightful comedy travelogue Origin Odyssey, and music themed social experiment Headliners; the US launches new dating series The Never Ever Mets, and from the UK is strategic reality format, The Fortune Hotel. Building the next generation of superbrands, Banijay Entertainment will also highlight its successful travelling formats, including blockbuster adventure reality series The Summit; latest MasterChef iteration, Dessert Masters; and spin-off Deal or No Deal Island.
On the factual front, CNN Original travelogue series Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain will headline, alongside feature-length documentary, Atomic People for the BBC, as well as docu-series 7/7: Three Weeks in July for the BBC and BBC iPlayer. In addition, two feature-length premium documentaries from Scenery, a joint venture with Banijay Benelux, are available to buyers in Cannes: Front Row and LARA: The Man Who Tried to Save Colombia.
Cathy Payne, CEO Banijay Rights, says: “Our dynamic line-up for this year’s MIPCOM truly highlights the continued growth and global appeal of our catalogue. From riveting dramas such as Bergerac and Wolf Hall, to high-end factual series like Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain, we are eager to present a diverse and competitive slate that celebrates the power of storymaking and the outstanding talent behind our IP.”
James Townley, Chief Content Officer, Development and Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay, add: “Our offering of distinctive and fresh formats coming from the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, UK, and the US, underscores our commitment to creating popular IP like Three Are The Champions, and evolving classic favourites like By Land, Air and Sea. The success of our new travelling hits, The Summitand Deal or No Deal Island, speaks to the creativity of our talented teams across the footprint, and illustrates our expertise in building the next generation of superbrands.”
The UK continues to offer strong premium scripted content, including the modern re-imagining of Bergerac, based on the original series created by Robert Banks Stewart and starring Damien Molony (The Split, Brassic),produced by Blacklight TV, a Banijay UK company. Blacklight TV also brings The One That Got Away, a thriller about a nurse’s murder that questions a historic conviction. Additionally, The Forge, recently acquired by Banijay UK, presents We Go Again (w/t), a new comedy drama from Janice Okoh about three stubbornly optimistic siblings with a dark secret.
Launching this year, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, a Playground Entertainment and Company Pictures co-production, continues the Tudor saga of Thomas Cromwell’s complex journey. Additionally, The Feud, a Lonesome Pine Productions title in association with Banijay Rights and Northeast Screen, uncovers dark secrets through a family’s contentious home renovation, leading to a spiral of paranoia and fear.
Screentime New Zealand’s A Remarkable Place to Die, features a detective facing a series of intriguing local homicides, and from Groenlandia, a Banijay Italia company, and Sky Studios, comes Accidentally Famous, depicting the rise of Italian pop band 883. Elixir, a thriller from Banijay Benelux label Topkapi Films, along with NTR and BNNVARRA, revolves around a pharmaceutical scandal, while The Family Detective, from Banijay France’s Shine Fiction, brings a new crime drama about a family immersed in solving police cases. Finally, the group celebrates eagerly awaited second seasons of Marie Antoinette, The CANAL+ Creation Originale, produced by Capa Drama, Banijay Studios France and Beside Production; and SAS Rogue Heroes produced by Kudos (a Banijay UK company) and created, written and executive produced by Steven Knight.
Banijay Entertainment will showcase an array of formats available for adaptation globally. Three Are The Champions from EndemolShine Germany and Potatohead Pictures (part of Banijay Germany), has a second season greenlit, and spotlights three celebrities as they compete in challenges against top champions. Adrenaline-fuelled reboot By Land, Air and Sea from EndemolShine Nederland (part of Banijay Benelux) features contestants navigating creative obstacle courses using custom-built vehicles. Dream Home from Endemol Shine Australia for Channel 7 sees six teams face-off in an epic renovation showdown, while Origin Odyssey for SBS explores cultural roots in a new comedy travelogue, and Headliners for SBS, is a celebration of music and inclusion. Elsewhere, the US brings The Never Ever Mets from Bunim/Murray Productions (part of Banijay Americas), a returning series for OWN, where online dating comes to life. And from Tuesday’s Child, the producer behind hit competition reality series, LEGO Masters, is strategy gameshow The Fortune Hotel for ITV.
Banijay Entertainment’s travelling formats will be celebrated with the 9Network and Endemol Shine Australia original series, The Summit, which has travelled to three territories, including the US, with more to be announced; spin-off Deal Or No Deal Island by Endemol Shine North America, which has been renewed for by NBC; and Endemol Shine Australia’s MasterChef spinoff, Dessert Masters, which has recently launched in Brazil, showcasing top pastry chefs competing in high-stakes challenges.
Crossing over to factual with Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain from Hyphenate Media Group, takes viewers on a delectable culinary journey in Spain. Minnow Films’ Atomic People explores the human fallout from atomic bombs, while Slate Work’s 7/7: Three Weeks in July, explores the 2005 UK terrorist attacks in a compelling docu-series. Meanwhile, Front Row, from Scenery and Pretty Matches and Executive Produced by award-winning actor and producer Sarah Jessica Parker, highlights the resilience of Ukrainian ballet dancers during wartime where an unlikely friendship forms between a dancer and a front-line soldier, while LARA: The Man Who Tried to Save Colombia recounts the extraordinary reconciliation story behind Pablo Escobar’s most famous assassination.
These MIPCOM highlights complement Banijay Entertainment’s globally renowned catalogue, which includes superbrands like Big Brother and Peaky Blinders, new travelling hits such as The Fifty and Good Luck Guys,and its highly-anticipated streamer launches Bear Hunt, co-produced by Banijay UK’s Workerbee, The Natural Studios and Talkback for Netflix; Last One Laughing UK from Zeppotron and Initial for Prime Video, created byHitoshi Matsumotoand produced by Banijay Entertainment labels in 11 markets; Culte from Banijay France’s label Screenline Productions and 27 Tribe for Prime Video; Billionaire Island from Banijay Nordics’ label Rubicon;and the second series of The Rig, from Banijay UK’s Wild Mercury for Prime Video. The company will exhibit at C.20 at MIPCOM 2024.
Comments Off on Banijay Unveils Compelling Slate Ahead of London TV Screenings
Media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay, today announces a compelling offering for its dedicated London TV Screenings event – Banijay @ BAFTA.
Hitting the 2024 line-up is the highly-anticipated high-end scripted series Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light; and premium documentary Front Row. Elsewhere, the powerhouse will also be celebrating travelling formats with adventure reality, The Summit; and spin-off, Deal or No Deal Island. Packed with distinct, high-quality programming across all genres, the group’s event will span three sessions on Wednesday 28 February.
On the scripted front, Banijay’s premium offering includes UK dramas Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light for the BBC and Masterpiece PBS, based on the final novel of Hilary Mantel’s multi award-winning trilogy; The Hardacres for Channel 5; Steven Knight’s This Town for the BBC; Welsh drama The One That Got Away (Cleddau) for S4C; and Invisible Boys for Stan. Buyers can also expect a preview of eagerly-awaited second seasons of Marie Antoinette for Canal+ and the BBC, and Rogue Heroes for the BBC and MGM+.
Supercharging its documentary offering, Front Row takes centre stage with Anatomy of a Murder and Four Kings for Prime Video.
To complement the scripted and documentary offering, Banijay will showcase a blend of fresh and highly-entertaining formats including adrenaline-fuelled travelling success The Summit for Nine Network; new spin-off, Deal or No Deal Island created for NBC; adventure reality format and ratings winner Shaolin Heroes for TV2; recent Channel 4 factual reality VOD hit Banged Up; innovative game show Upside Down for RTL4 and TheFortune Hotel for ITV1 and ITVX. A light will also be shone on global superbrands and prized returning formats like Survivor, Big Brother, Star Academy, and reality formats Love Triangle and The Fifty.
Cathy Payne, CEO at Banijay Rights says: “This year’s line-up for Banijay @ BAFTA truly illuminates the breadth of our catalogue and ability to showcase outstanding content across multiple genres. From high-end dramas to acclaimed factual series, we look forward to coming together later this month to celebrate great talent, captivating storytelling and stand-out IP. We really do have something for everyone…”
James Townley, Chief Content Officer, Development and Lucas Green, Chief Content Officer, Operations at Banijay comment: “The London TV Screenings provides an incredible opportunity for Banijay to demonstrate its commitment to delivering exciting emerging IP as well as tried and tested formats and reboots, which continue to compel audiences globally. From Shaolin Heroes to The Summit, and iconic format Deal or No Deal, we are sure to enthral buyers seeking fresh, innovative, and proven formats.”
For its scripted slate, Banijay Rights is highlighting Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, a Playground and Company Pictures co-production directed by Peter Kosminsky, and adapted for television by Peter Straughan, which follows Thomas Cromwell as he navigates the moral complexities of the Tudor court following the execution of Anne Boleyn. Another period drama from Playground in association with Screen Ireland, Red Berry Productions and Newgrange Pictures is new returnable six-part series –The Hardacres- based on CL Skelton’s novel series, The Hardacre Saga.
Meanwhile, from Kudos and Nebulastar, and co-produced with Mercury Studios, in association with Kudos North, Stigma Films, and Nick Angel for the BBC, the much-anticipated This Town tells the story of an extended family and four young people who are drawn into the world of the ska movement and two-tone music.
BlackLight Television (a Banijay UK company), in collaboration with Banijay Rights and Creative Wales for S4C, are delving into Welsh drama with The One That Got Away (Cleddau), which combines a gripping murder mystery with an electrifying love story.
Crossing over to Australia, Invisible Boys from Feisty Dame Productions, Screenwest and Lotterywest, WA Regional Film Fund, Screen Australia, and Banijay Rights for Stan Originals, is a powerful drama created for television by director Nicholas Verso on the challenges faced by a group of gay teens in the remote coastal town of Geraldton.
In factual, the feature-length premium documentary from Scenery and Pretty Matches, Front Row, Executive Produced by award-winning actor and producer Sarah Jessica Parker, and directed by Miriam Guttmann (Sundance Film Festival selection Seeds of Deceit), highlights the resilience of Ukrainian ballet dancers during wartime, where an unlikely friendship forms between a dancer and a front-line soldier.
From Workerbee comes two gripping documentaries, Anatomy of a Murder, a feature length true-crime story centring around the daughter of an Iranian family, who has spent over thirty years and millions of her fortune to try and find her mother’s killer; and Four Kings for Prime Video, exploring the history of British boxing through four men coming from the same London neighbourhood who heralded a golden era and changed the way Britain viewed its black athletes.
Meanwhile, on the reality competition front, The Summit, a 9Network and Endemol Shine Australia original series, produced by Endemol Shine Australia, continues to climb through the ranks with a second season in the works, and a first international adaptation for CBS by Endemol Shine North America with more to come soon.
From Endemol Shine North America, Deal or No Deal Island completely reimagines the iconic game show as an epic adventure. This new spin-off series for NBC is set on the Banker’s private island as he searches for his ultimate opponent in a high stakes competition with over $200,000,000 up for grabs.
From Metronome is Shaolin Heroes for TV2 Denmark, where celebrities undertake the ultimate test by embarking on a transformational journey alongside world-class Shaolin Masters.
Joining Banijay’s factual offering is Banged Up, created by Shine TV for Channel 4. In this fact-ent format social experiment, which veers into the documentary space, six male celebrity inmates are incarcerated in a UK prison environment alongside their reformed criminal cellmates. The series explores the question, ‘does prison work’?
From EndemolShine Nederland, Upside Down sees two celebrity teams undertake all kinds of topsy turvy challenges and Q&A games unlike anything they have seen before, because everything in this innovative format, is upside down.
Highly-anticipated reality series TheFortune Hotel from Tuesday’s Child for ITV1 and ITVX invites viewers into a luxury Caribbean resort filled with glamour, opulence and deception. Contestants are paired up and compete to win a briefcase, one holding the ultimate cash prize and another an Early Checkout Card.
Comments Off on Banijay Checks in at The Fortune Hotel
Media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay today announces it has acquired the global distribution rights to new ITV1 and ITVX reality entertainment series, The Fortune Hotel.
In a deal negotiated by Banijay Rights with Tuesday’s Child – the producer behind hit competition reality format, LEGO® Masters (with 20 versions produced globally) – Banijay will represent the format, with distribution arm, Banijay Rights, handling finished tape sales for the new primetime series, which invites viewers into a luxury Caribbean resort filled with glamour, opulence and deception.
Hosted by Stephen Mangan, the 8 x 60’ series will see 10 pairs of contestants arrive at The Fortune Hotel, where they will each be given an all-important briefcase. However, only one plays home to the ultimate cash jackpot of £250,000… Eight are empty, and one contains the dreaded Early Checkout Card – whichever pair is left holding that at the end of each show will see their stay brought to a dramatic, and premature, end.
The Fortune Hotel will launch on ITV1 and ITVX in 2024, produced by creators Tuesday’s Child who also retain the rights to produce the format in the US.
Helen Greatorex, Head of Format Acquisitions, Banijay and Simon Cox, EVP Content & Acquisitions, Banijay Rights said in a joint statement: “Building on our excellent long-standing partnership with Tuesday’s Child, we’re thrilled to now partner on The Fortune Hotel, the edge-of-your-seat competition series that provides twists aplenty in a fabulous sunny location. We’re excited by the potential for this format to travel across our production footprint and beyond and are in no doubt both format and finished series will resonate globally with viewers worldwide.”
Karen Smith, Managing Director, Tuesday’s Child, added: “We’re delighted to, once again, be working with Banijay on this new high-paced event series, continuing our ever-fruitful partnership which began with global format sensation LEGO Masters.”
Every day The Fortune Hotel contestants have the chance to try to uncover who has which case through playing compelling challenges, and as the “Whogotit” mystery ramps up for the hotel guests, viewers at home will remain deliciously in-the-know throughout, witness to all of their plans and strategies playing out.
The climax of each episode is the nerve-shredding case swap in the seductive Lady Luck bar where each pair must decide whether to keep or swap. Have the couple with the life-changing sum of cash managed to bluff and blag their way free of suspicion? Or will their case be ruthlessly taken off them? And who will be left holding the Early Checkout Card?
Ben Wilson is Series Editor for Tuesday’s Child with Steph Harris as Executive Producer.