SA sells series at MIPTV
Ben Silverman, executive producer of Ugly Betty, The Office and The Biggest Loser, purchased the rights to the South African reality TV format Thumb Wars for the US from SA brands agency Stimulii at MIPTV in Cannes recently. It will be co-produced in the US by Silverman's new company Electus and Engine Entertainment.
The show was broadcast in prime time on SABC2 in 2009 as an advertiser-funded programme.
“Vodacom was looking for a product placement platform to showcase its technologies and since none existed that could fully integrate the cellular technology, we created a format that could,” says Samantha Moon, director of Stimulii.
“Thumb Wars became proof that we could start with a brand and its objectives and create prime time entertainment that works for both the brand and the viewer alike,” adds her co-director Grazyna Koscielska.
It is a model that the rest of the world seems keen on exploring. Interest from a further 20 international territories has been shown in the format with some looking to acquire the existing 10 South African episodes. In addition, discussions are underway for a potential co-production of the series in South Africa for Italian TV.
Additionally, interest has been sparked within the international broadcast community as to what other gems might be hiding in South Africa, a yet untapped market for the rest of the world. South African producers face a difficult local market due to the large amounts of international content that is bought for local television and a dearth in new commissions.
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