Format

Media Ranch, the award-winning Montreal-based TV production and distribution company, today announces a landmark partnership to represent major Danish broadcaster DR’s TV formats catalogue as the firm unveils its own diverse formats slate for this year’s MIPTV.

The new partnership follows the recent launch of Media Ranch’s first Scandinavian office and the appointment of former DR Formats Sales Manager Louise Juel Severin as its VP Sales and Acquisitions, Scandinavia. Under the agreement, Media Ranch will represent all DR formats internationally and create a special ‘DR Collection’ to sit within its own formats catalogue, a move that will quadruple Media Ranch’s entire unscripted formats catalogue. This includes DR factual entertainment format <em>‘The Manipulator’</em>, a show that follows master psychological manipulator Jan Hellesøe as he leads mind-boggling experiments and manipulates his participants with terrifying ease. Over half a million Danes have been tuning in weekly to watch ‘The Manipulator’ since the show's premiere in fall 2018. DR recently commissioned the show for a second season. Jan Hellesøe also returns for DR format <em>‘Hypnotize My Heart’</em> [in picture], which sees the hypnotherapist run fun experiments to help young people improve their dating lives. Media Ranch will also represent hit talent show <em>‘Design Star’</em>, produced by Monday Media for DR1, in which five designers battle it out to make the best new piece of design furniture. Each week’s winner gets their piece on the prestigious ‘winner’s podium’ and in the final episode the judges choose both the season’s masterpiece and the new ‘Design Star’, who gets a production deal with a furniture manufacturer.

Other highlights from Media Ranch’s MIPTV 2019 formats catalogue include:

‘Project Rembrandt’

This is a feel-good broad-based talent show that searches for a country’s best amateur painter who works in the tradition of iconic master such as Rembrandt. The show was a hit with over 1 million viewers each Sunday on NPO1 in the Netherlands. ‘Project Rembrandt’ is produced by Helder TV for Dutch broadcaster NTR (NPO1).

‘Masterpiece’

This programme follows a team of leading experts take up the ultimate challenge to reconstruct 8 of the most diverse Dutch ‘masterpiece’ paintings. In the process the experts pull out all the stops to get as close as possible to a famous artist’s technique, style and perception of the world. After 5 weeks of work, the original painting and the reconstruction will be hung next to each other in the museum for comparison. The question is - has the team succeeded in unravelling the master's secret? ‘Masterpiece’ is produced by POSVIDEO for Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS (NPO2).

‘Line Up’

This is a new scripted dramady that follows the lives of two multigenerational families and their interweaving lives. The comedic family series brings together a cast of characters as they literally wait in line in a string of situations. ‘Line Up’ is produced by ComediHa! for Canadian network Unis.

‘In the Car’

This new reality show from Switzerland follows 5 people who must stay in a small car for 10 days. Whoever lasts the longest will win the grand prize – the car itself. Tight, compact and fast, this show combines the maximum entertaining effect with low production costs. ‘In the Car’ is produced by Pandora Formats for Switzerland-based broadcaster Teleticino.

‘Surprise Sur prise’

This unique hidden camera series has made millions of TV viewers laugh at loud at a string of practical jokes played on international celebrities. More than 350 episodes of the series have been produced in more than 20 countries, including Sweden, France and Australia. The format package features complete production bibles of over 500 original and intricately-executed practical jokes to be played on celebrities. ‘Surprise Sur prise’ is produced by PRAM in Canada.

“We’re delighted to be representing DR’s impressive line-up of formats as part of our own wide-ranging slate for MIPTV,” said Media Ranch SVP Distribution Tanja van der Goes. “This landmark deal demonstrates our strength as a globally strong player in unscripted formats. We are confident all our formats will resonate extremely well with international buyers.”

"We're pleased to announce this new partnership with Media Ranch that will help boost the worldwide distribution of DR's ever-growing catalogue of unique formats even further," said Rikke Kristine Nissen, MD of DR Sales and Head of Business Affairs.

This latest deal follows Media Ranch’s strategic alliance with US distributor GRB Studios in January – a partnership designed to complement and expand both businesses’ original IP and distribution operations worldwide.