DRG has unveiled its programming slate for MIPTV, and it includes a slew of new and returning factual titles, scripted and factual-entertainment formats and brand-new drama.
The DRG format The Brigade combines elements of a competitive cooking show and a travelogue. “The Brigade is an authentic format about real chefs working as a team to improve their skills and knowledge, and therefore, differs from the many cookery shows that only feature celebrities and home cooks,” says Elin Thomas, DRG’s executive VP of sales. “It also gives viewers unique insight into how restaurant kitchens around the world actually work.”
Small Fortune is another new entertainment format from DRG, billed as “the world’s smallest physical game show.” In the series, teams of friends and family members compete in tiny games, set in miniaturized worlds, to win big money. Sixth Gear is a format that sees real people racing their own cars, and The Ultimate Spy is a competition-driven reality format created by Strix Norway that follows contestants as they learn the art of espionage and are then challenged to keep their cover in a strange city.
In addition, MIPTV sees the launch of BBC One series The Cry as a scripted format, alongside Rekyl, a Norwegian drama about a former criminal trying to stay out of trouble when he leaves prison. “We have a track record for finding the right format for broadcasters and producers and then working closely with them on the ground to make sure the very best localized versions get made,” says Thomas.
Leading DRG’s factual slate is history title Dynasties, a series that examines the world’s most powerful families. Also available from DRG are: Woodcut Media’s 6×1-hour Paranormal Captured, which delves into supernatural stories from around the world; Middle Child’s Animal Rescue School, which follows the arduous job interview process of becoming a RSPCA Inspector; and October Films’ Lazy Boy Garage, which sees classic cars brought to the U.K. to be transformed and sold on the international market. Detectives: My Killer Case, a new addition to DRG’s expanding true-crime slate, is a six-hour series that dives into the investigations of complex and violent crimes. MIPTV will also see the return of DRG factual shows Yorkshire Vet 7, Inside the Ambulance 7 and 8, Helicopter ER 3 and Dog Rescuers 6.
The company will also be showcasing three new Scandinavian drama titles. For Life, Norway’s first episodic police procedural, follows a female protagonist in two timelines: one in the present when she’s solving crimes, and one in the future when she is in prison. Episode by episode, the audience will receive clues as to how she landed behind bars. 22 July is based on the aftermath of the events that happened on July 22, 2011, when Anders Breivik committed a terrorist attack in Oslo that left 77 people dead. Both titles are in production and available for pre-sale. Lastly, The Inner Circle, a political thriller from Sweden about a man’s bid to become Prime Minister, is officially launching at MIPTV after a pre-sale outing at MIPCOM.