Markets

MIPFormats just started in Cannes with many interesting conferences and events.
MIP’s Fresh TV sessions presented by The WIT CEO Virginia Mouseler was one of the most acclaimed event, focusing on entertainment and game-show pilots. She noted some of the trends in these genres first over the last year: The Wall, This Time Next Year and Little Big Shots are among the most-adapted formats, while in terms of new shows, quiz shows, celebrity formats and physical challenges are all on the rise, while the number of new adventure and dating shows are declining.

Among the formats she showed off were: Hardball (distributed by Youngest Media), a game-show where six contestants compete for cash, while being chased by a remorseless metal ball; The Search (Keshet International), which offered a new studio take on word-search games; Ready or Not (Argonon International), which surprises people in the street with quick quizzes and challenges to win cash; Guess the Star (ITV Studios), where celebrities dress up as pop stars and lip-sync, while teams of other celebrities try to guess who’s behind the disguise; and Beat Me If You Can (TNFP), which sees a woman host competing against male celebrities at physical challenges, from kayaking and speed-skating to lumberjacking.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go (The Story Lab) is a singing contest for amateurs, who after going head-to-head have to predict the audience’s vote – and if they think they’ve lost can drop out early to win a cash consolation prize; Buy It Now (All3Media International) has entrepreneurs pitching their product to 100 audience members, and securing bigger orders from the judges if the audience feedback is positive; Fashion Auction (Global Agency) sees participants auctioning off their fashion items, with experts offering their appraisals; Secret Admirer (FremantleMedia) sends people on dates with friends or colleagues who’ve been their secret admirer for years; Love At First Flight (A&E Networks) matches up strangers then sends them round the world for 30 days of travel and romantic challenges before asking them if they want to get married; and In The Car (Pandora Formats) sees five contestants living in a car for 10 days, with the audience voting them out one by one until someone wins the vehicle.