Love, games and fun define the underlying themes of this year’s Fresh TV trends, according to Virginie Mouseler of The WIT. She told us — with a bit of a wink — to keep a close eye on Ireland this year. In terms of formats, “it could be the new Israel,” she divulged, resulting in cheers from the audience.
Below, The WIT’s selection of the freshest formats coming to a screen near you. Note that especially where love is concerned, “science” is starting to play a starring role as well:
Adam Looking for Eve (Eyeworks, Netherlands): Two singletons looking for love meet on a tropical island. They’ve been pre-matched psychologically, but are completely nude at first meeting. They spend three days on the desert island to see whether they match, facing challenges that will test their relationship mettle.
Are You the One? (Viacom, USA): 10 single women are paired with 10 men via scientific matchmaking. They all share a house for 6 weeks, and must figure out whom their perfect match is. If they choose the right one, they win $1m, “the largest cash prize in MTV history”, an enthusiastic host proclaims.
Dating Code (Endemol International, Sweden): Two singles seeking The One have 8 candidates to choose from. They must find their perfect match via science: Through voice, smell, etc. before finally choosing the perfect match in the last episode.
Babe Magnet (Ananey, Israel): 4 single guys vie for the heart of one girl by answering all her questions about sex, love and attraction. Every round incorporates imaginative use of real magnets, i.e. when a girl rejects a guy, she repels him with one.
Dating Pool (Global Agency): 10 girls and 10 guys stand on trap-door platforms above a freezing cold pool. They compete in a quiz, and wrong answers get them dunked. The two last contestants play something called “5 steps to paradise” to win a dream date in a tropical locale.
Best Couple Ever (DRG, France): Every week, 4 couples from the same town compete to show they’re in the best couple ever. Each day, one unveils their happy life and shares their secrets for happiness; the other couples give them a grade. On Fridays, the week’s Best Couple Ever wins €2000.
Power Couple (DoriMedia, Israel): 8 celebrity couples move into a luxury villa for 30 days, with 50,000 shekels (€10,000) to invest in the game. They face extreme challenges that test how well they know and support each other. The couples with the smallest amount of money left faces elimination by other participants.
The Extra Mile (Studio Glam, Israel): 10 divorced couples team up to prove to their kids that they’ll do anything for them. The groups eliminate a failing couple each week. The winning couple wins 1 million shekels for their kids at 18.
Boom! (Keshet International, Israel): A team of four must diffuse eight bombs by answering questions correctly in a time limit. One nominated player must diffuse one bomb per question by cutting through coloured wires representing different multiple-choice answers. If they get it wrong, the bomb explodes, and the team loses one player and 25% of their $500,000 prize money.
Ejector Seat (Endemol International, UK): 6 players answer questions in giant seats that retract if you answer wrongly. If you get too close to the edge of the track, you’ll be ejected. The objective: be the last contestant sitting.
Push It! (La Competencia/Televisa, Mexico): Quiz show where contestants must push their rivals into the Pushinator … before they’re pushed in turn.
Run & Buzz (Newen, France): 12 contestants await clues to answer questions and run to a seat buzzer 10 metres away. Each time, they must decide whether to wait for new clues that help them answer correctly, or run and buzz before the others. The finalist wins $100,000.
The Link (WBITP, UK): Three teams search for the link between questions to win a cash prize.
The Lie (Red Arrow, Ireland): “The first game show without questions.” Teams of two are faced with statements in a chosen category, including one lie. Contestants must risk their cash to spot the lie; lies get harder to spot as the show progresses.
Beat the Crowd (Talpa International, Netherlands): One contestant takes on 200 audience members to answer questions. After each question, the contestant much choose whether the correct answer is higher or lower than the average answer given by the audience.
The Big Picture (A\Capella, Israel): A studio contestant much ID pictures on a big screen. Viewers can play in real-time on the app. Contestants can ask people at home to solve a question, then the viewer becomes the contestant’s partner and shares all his profits up to $1M.
Who’s Asking? (Armoza Formats, Israel): 3 contestants choose a questioner from faces on the screen before them. They must choose someone, based on intuition, who will ask them a question they think they can answer. In 2nd round, rival chooses the asker.
Amazing Greys (Eyeworks, UK): One young contestant must beat an opponent with a special talent or skill. The twist: the opponent is always a senior citizen.
Out of Silence (Tuvalu Media/Format Kitchen, Netherlands): With help from technology, the death can now hear for the first time. The show starts by witnessing the moment when the device is switched on for a deaf person, alongside family and friends. Then it makes a deaf person’s dream come true: a surprise meeting with their favourite singer, an encounter with a special animal, etc.
Relaxing Cup (Mandarina, Spain): 12 Spanish celebs who don’t speak English at all live together in a small British village. They must take language tests, carry out tasks and try adapting to the community. A local council decides which are best adapted to local traditions; viewers decide who to send home.
The Shower (Secuoya Content Distribution): Contestants perform a song in a big shower at the centre of a stage. Audience decides via mobile app if they deserve to exit the shower and prove their real artistry. Twist: the audience chooses the shower temperature, and losers get a cold shower.
The Great Food Race (Eyeworks, New Zealand): Eight teams of two, who think they can provide a world-class dining experience anywhere, are sent to mystery destinations someplace in the world. Their cooking skills are challenged in this new environment, racing against the clock and each other.
My Mum Cooks Better Than Yours (Mandarina/Media Set, Spain): Two sons, convinced that their mothers’ recipes are best, must prep some of their mums’ dishes. But the mothers can’t touch anything; they can only give instructions and guidance through the recipe, which contains a secret ingredient.
The Imposter (Ohm.tv, China, Peru): An imposter lives with a family for a week and must pass himself off as a family member. Then a contestant lives there for a weekend and must guess the imposter’s identity.
Dolphins with the Stars (La Competencia/Televisa, Portugal, Spain): Celebs and dolphins live together for a month. Each week, 10 teams of 1 celeb and 1 dolphin must do a spectacular performance both in and out of water.
