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

Tag Archive: Zeppelin

  1. Zeppelin’s Dance If You Can Takes Centre Stage

    Comments Off on Zeppelin’s Dance If You Can Takes Centre Stage

    Media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay, today announces Zeppelin, part of Banijay Iberia, is set to launch original talent show Baila Como Puedas (international W/T: Dance If You Can). Airing on La 1, the show, created by Zeppelin (Banijay Iberia) and produced in collaboration with RTVE, will be hosted by Anne Igartiburu, and promises to redefine entertainment, as dancers face the ultimate challenge of their careers.

    Baila Como Puedas forms part of the Banijay @ BAFTA London TV Screenings event later this week. It follows sixteen accomplished professionals showcasing their skills as versatile dancers and choreographers. Forming couples, they will instruct eight celebrities without dance experience, in all types of dance disciplines, such as contemporary, house, jazz and more. For 10 weeks, the professional dancers will fully immerse themselves in the competition, living together at the Baila Como Puedas Academy.

    The excitement kicks off in the first episode, where each celebrity (Álvaro Muñoz Escassi, Ana Guerra, Fabiola Martínez, Jaime Astrain, Lydia Lozano, Maestro Joao, Nicolás Vallejo-Nágera and Sabrina Salerno) selects a professional dancer to form a dynamic duo with. The dancers can accept the proposition or reject it and remain in the reserve waiting to be chosen by another celebrity. Professionals who were not matched in the initial round are then placed on reserve, eagerly awaiting their chance to shine.

    The dancers will have to prepare choreography and teach the amateur celebrity to deliver a spectacular performance. As an additional challenge, celebrities and dancers will also be divided into teams and perform outdoors group choreography, with only 48 hours to prepare!

    A panel of judges (Beatriz Luengo, Norma Duval, Rafa Méndez and Yolanda Ramos) will critique and evaluate each couple’s performance weekly, determining the fate of the professional dancers. After working together, the bond between celebrities and contestants is strong, taking them on an emotional journey, as the celebrities are responsible for their partners progress in the competition.

    The twist? Eliminated dancers can switch celebrity partners and return stronger than ever thanks to a repechage. At the halfway point of the series, the couples will begin to be eliminated together, and only the finalists will perform in the grand finale, where the professional contestant of the winning couple will receive €50,000.

    Miguel Martín, Managing Director of Zeppelin says: “Building on Zeppelin’s experience and success as creators of reality, competition and entertainment programmes like The Bridge and TimeZone, Baila Como Puedas is a fun and original series never seen before on television, that represents an authentic evolution in dance programmes. It is an entertainment blockbuster in which every week the contestants coexist and compete. We have turned the focus: those who take the risk, the real contestants, are the professional dancers, and subsequently, we will see celebrities like we have never seen them.”

    James Townley, Chief Content Officer, Development at Banijay adds: “Zeppelin is renowned for genre-defining entertainment, and this latest format is no different. Bringing this new and original show to market demonstrates the continued strength of our IP pipeline and I’m looking forward to sharing the format with our teams around the world.”

    Zeppelin is behind huge shows such as Big Brother Spain, Floor Filler, LOL: Last One Laughing or All Against One, and is also the creator of original formats like TimeZone and The Bridge (El Puente), which has now sold internationally to territories including the UK, Australia, and Brazil, where it was awarded an International Emmy.

  2. Banijay Unveils New Scripted Initiative Banijay Bootcamp

    Comments Off on Banijay Unveils New Scripted Initiative Banijay Bootcamp

    Media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay, today announces Banijay Bootcamp, a new creative programme for scripted talent, set to facilitate collaborative storytelling by pairing in-house development executives with emerging writers in a dynamic residency.

    Led by Steve Matthews, Content Executive at Banijay, Banijay Bootcamp is facilitated through the established MIDPOINT Institute’s Series Launch programme which Matthews has been part of since its inception in 2015. Working with Matthews is Portocabo’s Head of Content Nina Hernández along with guest tutor Tatjana Samopjan.

    Starting this week in Prague, with two residencies across three months, a cohort of five Banijay development executives from Mexico, Spain, France, Israel, and the Netherlands, will each be mentored with a writer to develop an idea, storyline, plot and script.

    Participants in the inaugural Banijay Bootcamp include Clara Machado (Endemol Shine Boomdog) with Carl Zitelmann, Anita Pico (Zeppelin) with Carlotta Dans and Lucía Estévez (Portocabo), Héloïse Ridoux (Banijay Studios France) with Quentin Elles, Adi Bar Yossef (Endemol Shine Israel) with Elad Laor, and Claire Zhou (NL Film) with Leon Golterman.

    Steve Matthews, Content Executive at Banijay, says: “Banijay Bootcamp will see our in-house development storymakers and their chosen writers sharpen skills to further understand the deep structure of an idea and how to make it the very best version possible. They’ll expertly demolish and rebuild to make projects sharp and – yes, commercial. In an increasingly competitive market, productions need to be really, really, good, so this is really about supporting development executives and writers, strengthening the next-generation across the footprint.”

    Banijay is home to a diverse range of over 60 labels working within scripted. Highly-anticipated forthcoming titles include Ripley, This Town, Supersex, Ronja the Robber’s Daughter, Carême, Elixer, Supporting Actor, Like Water for Chocolate, series two of The Golden Hour and many many more.

    Banijay Bootcamp is one of many of the group’s initiatives designed to accelerate and support talent and supercharge creativity, including Banijay Launch, which supports women creators with promising unscripted formats, providing in-house mentorships to aid them in developing bold new formats from concept to pitch to sale.

    Based in Prague, MIDPOINT Institute is an international centre for audiovisual training and networking which offers comprehensive professional support in film and series development, individual skills development, and post-production. MIDPOINT is devoted to helping emerging and mid-career professionals advance their projects and improve their craft.

  3. Contestants Clock in for Zeppelin’s Time Zone On HBO Max in Spain

    Comments Off on Contestants Clock in for Zeppelin’s Time Zone On HBO Max in Spain

    Content powerhouse Banijay today announces Zeppelin, part of Banijay Iberia, will produce Time Zone for HBO Max in Spain. Created by Zeppelin and EndemolShine Nederland, the extreme competition show employs video game aesthetics, for a unique and exciting format which is set to air this summer.

    Welcome to Time City, a huge, abandoned facility where the Master of Time has created a real-world video game: Time Zone. Outside its perimeter is desert and dust, inside, 10 players will take on thrilling challenges and complete the levels to defeat the Master of Time. eSports presenter and streamer, Cristinini, will embody this role and monitor the players’ progress as they race against the clock.

    Each level will require great mental and physical skill, and in this competition, time is everything, as at the end of each round, the player with the least amount of it remaining is eliminated. However, ‘time zones’ scattered around the arena offer a few minutes of relief, because when players are inside them, time will stop. Each task also offers the chance to win a reward, from receiving extra seconds to stealing minutes from their teammates. In the final level, a player must face the Master of Time in an epic duel, where only one can walk away triumphant.

    Miguel Martín, Managing Director of Zeppelin says: “Time Zone is a strategic game we have been fortunate to create together with EndemolShine Nederland and HBO Max– both who have trusted in this pioneering format. There is nothing like it… 10 brave participants completely immersed in a unique show totally inspired by video games, in terms of look and language.”

    Miguel Salvat, VP Original Programming and Commissioning Editor HBO Max Iberia adds: “Time Zone immerses you in the universe, aesthetics, and technology of a video game, but with real people, carefully selected for their strategic skill and competitiveness. This happens all under the orders of Cristinini, an expert in the field who acts as Master of Time, both in person and in “cyborg” version. The series stands as a spectacular production, with frenetic rhythm, music and tension, and a unique location. Through new recording elements, the production is a clear commitment to innovation.”

    James Townley, Chief Content Officer, Development at Banijay comments: “At Banijay, we strive to develop IP which is innovative, visually powerfully and ultimately, with concepts people will engage in, but are yet to see. Zeppelin and EndemolShine Nederland’s new creation is a perfect example of these elements coming together. It is a clever combination of the two hugely popular worlds of gaming and competition reality, with a healthy dose of strategy added to the mix.”

    Miguel Martín and Floren Abad are executive producers for Zeppelin with Miguel Salvat and Annelies Sitvast the executive producers for HBO Max. The series is produced by Zeppelin (Banijay Iberia) for Warner Bros. Discovery.

    Zeppelin is behind huge shows such as Big Brother Spain and is also the creator of original formats like The Bridge (El Puente), which has now sold internationally to territories including the UK, Australia and Brazil. It is also a pioneer in the development of anime projects in Spain, with  Virtual Hero, the first series of a Spanish animation created by YouTuber Rubius, and the adaptation of Laura Gallego’s trilogy, The Idhún Chronicles.

  4. Zeppelin Brings Banijay’s All Against 1 to Spain

    Comments Off on Zeppelin Brings Banijay’s All Against 1 to Spain

    Banijay today announces Zeppelin, part of Banijay Iberia, will adapt All Against 1 for RTVE. Originally created by Nordisk Film TV Denmark and Norwegian label, Nordisk Banijay, the unique show pits one brave contestant against the nation.

    In this game show, the questions faced are bold and outlandish, ranging from how many children will it take to pull a 16-tonne truck to what’s the top speed reached by a caravan falling from 50 metres? The answers are literally anyone’s guess, allowing everyone to play along via a dedicated, custom-made app, which collates the viewers’ collective response, live. Whoever, is closest out of the nation and the contestant, banks the money at stake. However, it all rests on the final question. Can the contestant outsmart everybody else, or will a lucky viewer claim the winnings for themselves?

    Miguel Martín, Managing Director of Zeppelin says: “All Against 1 is based on a simple yet addictive premise, can one person outsmart the nation? Many of us sit at home shouting the answers at the TV, and now it is time for the Spanish audience to get to take part.”

    Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations adds: “Interactivity is at the heart of this format, with a specially integrated app and questions which are anyone’s guess, meaning everyone in the country can play.All Against 1 has been a ratings hit across Europe, and we’re thrilled to see it head to Spain.”

    Spain marks the eighth adaption of the format, following hit versions in Denmark, Finland, and Germany, amongst others. The third series of the Norwegian version featured a guest appearance from the Norwegian Prime Minister and Mastiff TV Sweden’s second series recorded an all-time high on the global demo.

    Zeppelin boasts an impressive slate of entertainment programmes in Spain including Big Brother, and is the creator of hit reality adventure format, The Bridge, which has now been commissioned in ten territories, as well as being a pioneer in the development of anime projects with shows such as The Idhún Chronicles.

  5. Banijay Iberia Appoints Miguel Martín as Managing Director of Zeppelin

    Comments Off on Banijay Iberia Appoints Miguel Martín as Managing Director of Zeppelin

    Banijay Iberia, part of Banijay, today announces the appointment of Miguel Martín as the new Managing Director of its label, Zeppelin.

    Zeppelin, which is hitting its 30-year milestone, is responsible for the introduction of reality in Spain and stands as a pioneer in the development of anime and youth fiction projects, with recent hits including Secret Story, Big Brother, The Bridge and SKAM España.

    Martín began his tenure at Banijay Iberia in 2019 within Banijay Birds, the territory’s creative hub for original streamer IP development, and has also served as executive producer on standout local titles including LOL: Last One Laughing for Amazon Prime Video.

    Martín has directed and produced shows across multiple genres, from documentaries (Hijos del corazón), reality shows (Anonimous, Planeta Finito), and scripted titles (Herederos). He also has extensive experience in the U.S., having served as executive producer on formats for NBC-Telemundo and FOX, and as a development/production consultant in entertainment and scripted for Powwow 360 and Cinemat USA.

    Pilar Blasco, CEO of Banijay Iberia comments: “We are very grateful to Amparo Castellano for her hard-work and professionalism, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours. Since 2019, Banijay Iberia has been fortunate to have Miguel Martín among its ranks, a born leader who has shown unbounded creativity. His commitment to innovation has led to original projects told from unique perspectives. All this, together with his excellent ability to manage large productions with outstanding results, makes him the ideal person to lead Zeppelin.”

    Miguel Martín, Managing Director of Zeppelin adds: “I am honoured to be at the head of a team that, in its 30th year, has produced such a range of high-quality formats. Zeppelin has achieved what few audio-visual companies do. It constantly re-invents and innovates, making programmes which captivate the country, creating great original formats, and co-producing with key international players. I am proud to take on this challenge and continue Zeppelin’s creative growth and development.”

    Martín’s appointment follows previous Managing Director Amparo Castellano’s decision to depart after eight years with the company.

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

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

    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.