Event Coverage
FremantleMedia to unveil new formats at MIPTV 2015
MUMBAI: FremantleMedia is all set for this year’s MIPTV with a range of compelling, entertaining and laughter-inducing new formats that are sure to excite audiences around the world.
FremantleMedia director of global entertainment development Rob Clark said, “Our new formats for MIPTV are a real mix of original, fresh and engaging titles. We’re confident that we have something suitable for all broadcasters and are looking forward to the market.”
First from the line-up is The Most Beautiful Woman, an uplifting and inspirational series, which launched on RTL Television in Germany this year and celebrates real beauty. The series invites women of all ages and backgrounds to take part in a national competition designed to recognize the many faces of beauty, and to find the most beautiful women in the country.
Throughout the series, 20 ladies take part in challenges designed to bring out their confidence, self-esteem and inner beauty. The format empowers the women themselves to choose who shines the most with inner beauty as the series heads towards the live final. During the grand finale, the finalists come together in a thrilling celebration of beauty as the audience votes to decide who is The Most Beautiful Woman.
Next, things heat up in the kitchen as professional chefs dare to put their reputations on the line in Chef On The Block. Produced by FremantleMedia in Finland and Denmark, the series sees professional restaurateurs risk their reputations in a bid to be the best. Each episode features three pairs of chefs as they visit each other’s restaurants and score the restaurants’ food, décor and overall service. The restaurants with the highest score across the series meet in the grand finale as the top three battle it out for the top spot. The competition is tense but the tone is humorous as the national champion is named the Chef on the Block.
Moving from food to matters of the heart, FremantleMedia’s next offering is 10 Questions You Wouldn’t Ask On A First Date, the first reality dating quiz show. Filmed on location, each blind date couple can win big money by answering questions correctly about each other. But these questions are the 10 questions you would never ask on a first date. Imagine if your date asks for your salary details, your political persuasion or… your favourite sexual position? And you have to answer! Before the flirty chat up lines can even begin, the interactive screen pings and the game is underway. Honesty is the best policy in this game as each correct answer builds your cash prize.
Two worlds collide in The Trade Off, a brand new format exploring the huge lifestyle contrasts that occur when two professionals from vastly different working environments swap jobs and salaries for two weeks. The series launched on the UK’s BBC 2 earlier this year and was their #1 show for men aged 16-34. In The Trade Off, both workers will have to learn on the job, impress brand-new bosses and deal with a completely different set of customers. During their time away, the two workers are immersed in an unfamiliar community, meet the family and friends of their opposite number, and gain a unique insight into just how different life can be.
Next up is an eye-opening series about man’s best friend. Dogs: Their Secret Lives provides a unique insight into the behaviour of our faithful canine friends. Commissioned by the UK’s Channel 4 from Arrow Media, the format sees a veterinary expert, take on the role of pet detective to tackle the major welfare issues that affect dogs and their owners. Using spy-cam and GoPro technology, the audience will witness the ways in which being home alone can impact on pet dogs. From issues with obesity and aggression, to neurosis – the expert reviews the surveillance and combines their expert advice with enlightening experiments to demonstrate what can be done to help treat and prevent these types of behaviour.
Next up, FremantleMedia will showcase the brand new family friendly game show format Cash or Splash. An amalgamation of the hit Fuji TV formatsClock Hanger, Boxing Glove, and Run Quiz Run, the format sees teams of contestants compete for cash prizes by answering questions and completing hilarious physical challenges in order to avoid being sent for a plunge into an icy pool of water.
To round off the new line-up, FremantleMedia will present Extreme Love, the fresh new dating format from Israel’s Studio Glam. Extreme Love sees romance, survival and heart-break as the show challenges a group of modern-day Prince Charming’s to prove their survival skills in order to win the hand of their princess. The men arrive with nothing but the shirts on their back. They live together in a simple compound with only the basics to get by. Each week, they must compete against nature, with success ensuring better shelter and more food. Their progress is monitored by the maiden who, located in a luxurious villa, will then chose two of the most impressive suitors to accompany her on a date so that she can get to know them better.
The would-be charmers have to face further challenges to whittle down the pack with eliminations taking place each week until only two remain. Only in the finale does she then have to unveil which of the remaining two suitors has stolen her heart and become her Extreme Love.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.









