Format

NTV’s 'Secret for a Million' has been adapted as a format and aired on ARB TV, Azerbaijan this season, becoming an instant hit. The show that portraits celebrities as regular people, with their insecurities, hopes, and dreams, has been mega-popular in Russia for many years. Now it starts conquering the international TV space. Azerbaijani viewers watched in awe how the envelope, which contains the most damming question, got burned time after time, 4 episodes in a row. Only one celebrity guest dared to answer truthfully. Others didn’t.

This is an amazing format that has changed how we see famous people. Beautifully executed, with a top celebrity host, ‘Secret for a Million’ – ‘Onun Sirri’ in local language, continues to gain popularity each time it goes on air. In Russia, its online viewership reached over 635 million. In Azerbaijan, the show has just started, but it’s already been a huge success. What’s the secret?

The answer is the unique nature of the format, and the thoughtful celebrity host. The guests are comfortable with the host, and she asks one personal question after another, slowly revealing the participants’ personality. The audience absolutely loves it – they can relate to family dramas, share the dreams and hopes with their idols. True challenge comes at the end – when the most difficult question comes in a sealed envelope and the guests may choose to answer or burn it. This is the moment when the pressure and the mystery are at their highest. Will they or won’t they?

After 8 seasons on air in Russia, only 5 participants dared to open the million-worth question. After first few episodes in Azerbaijan, only one guest did. This is what makes ‘Secret for a Million’ a timeless hit – true emotions, deeply dramatic stories, real tears. That’s exactly why viewers keep coming back. They want to be touched by truth and to see that famous people are just like us: they fight for survival, live through tragedies, and come out strong and more human than ever.

The host is another factor that contributes to show’s long lasting success. She is a celebrity herself and she is able to have a deep, personal conversation without violating any boundaries. She and her team conduct incredibly thorough investigations into the guests’ lives and they’re able to reveal things, one a time, that make viewers feel close and personal with the celebrity. It’s a unique sensation.

Produced for NTV, ‘Secret for a Million’ is available as a format. It will open new horizons for your viewers and attract affluent, young audience.