Format

Magnify Media, the UK-based distribution and rights-management specialist, has secured its first two commissions for Five Days Insidean original primetime series from Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

In the Netherlands, Dutch indie Vincent TV Producties has produced a 6 x 60 mins series for RTL4, which is set to air in March. In Belgium, Lecter Media has picked up the format rights, securing a commission to produce a 6 x 60 mins series for an as-yet undisclosed broadcaster, to be announced later this year.

In Five Days Inside, a journalist sets out discover what it’s really like to live and work behind the closed doors of such institutions, in each epsiode visiting places such as a drug rehab unit, a hospice for the terminally ill, a children’s home, an eating-disorder clinic and an old people’s home. The hard-hitting series has also just been commissioned for a second season in Norway after debuting to strong ratings and a 50% higher-than-average share in the coveted 16-to-24 demographic.

Ole Hedemann, head of formats at NRK, said: ‘You have big shows, and then you have important shows. Five Days Inside proved to be both. It stands out in our schedule as something unique and heart-warming, despite the seriousness of the topics. It’s a big hit with our audience, and we love that this show is moving to new territories bringing these important untold stories to life elsewhere in the world.’

Andrea Jackson, founder and CEO of Magnify Media, added: “Institutions are often closed and secretive worlds, but they are part of society and it’s important to have an understanding and empathy for the people living and working in these extraordinary and challenging environments. Five Days Inside is an unflinching look at the reality of institutional living that makes for provocative and powerful viewing”

Five Days Inside is not the first NRK format to have been licensed for production internationally by Magnify Media. In October 2017, the Norwegian broadcaster’s hit game show Doctors Vs Internet was licensed to TV2 Denmark, bringing the number of territories to have acquired or optioned the format to 12.