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MIP TV hottest titles

What are the shows that Aussie execs will be looking over in Cannes?

Australian TV executives (at least those not attending the Gold Coast) are on the ground in Cannes for the annual MIP TV trade event, buying and selling content from around the world.

It’s expected to rain all week and there’s a French transport strike which is creating havoc. But there is no shortage of titles and screenings on offer.

From Australia, ABC is debuting upcoming drama Mystery Road. Amongst a plethora of other dramas on display will be Instinct with Alan Cumming (coming to TEN), Germany’s big budget Das Boot series, Welsh drama Keeping Faith with Eve Myles, Turkey’s mob drama The Pit, ITV’s Vanity Fair, Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens with Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Jon Hamm (coming to Amazon), and BBC’s The Cry with Jenna Coleman, Ewen Leslie and Asher Keddie (coming to ABC).

But it is non-scripted formats and documentaries that will dominate the weekend’s agenda. As Australian networks look over the formats they could option and produce here what are the titles gaining the most buzz?

State of Hate
Another social experiment that asks whether bitter rivals can be reconciled such as nationalists against immigrants or animal activists versus hunters via a series of challenges set in a remote outdoor camp. Produced by Scandinavia’s Snowman Productions, the team that created Married At First Sight, for Denmark’s Kanal 5, the reality format is distributed by Red Arrow International.

Secret Admirer
It is a new dating format from Naked, the production company run by former Fox entertainment programming chief Simon Andreae. It films dates between two people, one of whom as secretly fallen for the other and finally admits their true feelings, with varying results.

Date or Dump?
A short-form format that asks whether you can really judge a book by its cover. In each episode, which was originally produced for youth-skewing digital service Unilad, two singletons try and guess the answers to risqué questions for the chance to win money before deciding whether to date or dump. If both people choose date they share the money, however, if one chooses date and the other chooses dump, the dumpee wins the money. Created by The Million Pound Drop creator and Pointless co-creator David Flynn, The Story Lab is selling worldwide.

Child Support
A show which ABC launched earlier this year. Banijay produces and distributes the show, which has a studio gameshow element, hosted in the U.S. version by Fred Savage, and also shows the interactions between Ricky Gervais and 6- to 9-year-olds.

Celebrity Undercover
This adds a famous-face element to CBS’s “Undercover Boss.” For the same U.S. net, it has a celeb go undercover to find future stars.

The Silence Breaker
A hidden camera reality series that aims to expose sexual harassment in the workplace. The first #metoo reality series, the Undercover Boss-style format follows people in the workplace to tell their stories of harassment with each episode ending with a confrontation with the harasser.

Political Blind Date
Canadian format that sees two seasoned politicians meet face-to-face and speak candidly about polarizing topics that they disagree on such as the legalization of drugs and immigration. Produced by Open Door Company and Nomad Films for TVO, the social experiment series is distributed internationally by Magnify Media.

Ready or Not
Hybrid gameshow that combines a hidden camera prank show with a traditional gameshow. A roving team of hosts heads out to shops, restaurants, high streets and iconic landmarks across the nation to get unsuspecting members of the public to play along. Produced by Remedy Productions for BBC One, the show airs in a Saturday shoulder peak slot.

The Surprise Teacher
Produced by Palomar for Rai in Italy, it has a celebrity surprise a class of kids and become their substitute teacher, educating them about their particular passions.

Source: Deadline, Variety

3 Responses

  1. These sellers/buyers never heard of screeners, DVDs, internet, email, or the publicity kits they’ll collect sent/received by good old UPS or DHL? Oh wait, that wouldn’t be as much fun as the five-star junket.
    If I had read this last weekend I would have claimed this as the 2018 April Fool’s Day post.

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