The Box is opening in another territory after TF1 snapped up the competition reality show. The French broadcaster becomes the latest buyer of the Norwegian format, which sees celebs exit a yellow box to face an unknown challenge.
It is hard for new formats to break through, but sometimes a show comes along and grabs international attention, which has been the case with The Box.
The show was created by Norwegian producer Seefood. In an unusual move, it is selling the show itself rather than handing it off to one of the major format distributors. The sales strategy has proved successful, with a flurry of deals for the format. Seefood has closed ten deals for the show, including with ITV in the UK.
The show launched on TV2 in Norway, with a second season recently greenlit. The format sees 12 celebrity contestants locked into bright yellow containers. They have no idea of the challenge or game they will face the moment the container opens. The one who overcomes the greatest number of unknown challenges is declared the winner of The Box.
“It’s a highly original and innovative concept that’s unlike anything else,” said Julien Degroote, EVP Content Strategy, TF1 Group. “I’m convinced that our viewers will love being surprised from challenge to challenge, and that they too will try to solve the challenges in front of their TV sets. The Box embraces the trend towards strategy games with a psychological dimension.”
Aleksander Herresthal, Creator and Executive Producer of The Box added: “France is home to some of the most ambitious and high-quality reality productions, and I can’t wait to see how TF1 brings its own signature style to the format. To have The Box land in seven countries before the first season has even finished airing is beyond what we could have hoped for.”
