Music and Youth
TF1 picks up Korean formats Still Alive and The Penthouse Game for France
MUMBNAI: From cryptic mansions to cash-fuelled elevators, two of Korea’s most bonkers reality shows are packing their passports and heading to France. Something Special, the Seoul-based format agency known for its boundary-pushing unscripted content, has struck a double-format deal with Studio TF1 via Flanagan Productions, licensing two of its hit Korean shows Still Alive and The Penthouse Game for French adaptation.
It’s a spooky-meets-spendy combo: Still Alive is a clue-hunting, rule-breaking game show set in a mysterious mansion where contestants must stay sharp or face mysterious, instant elimination. With hidden rules, 24-hour gameplay, and comedic curveballs, the show blends suspense with laughs, and has already been picked up in 14 territories, including Germany, Italy, and across the Nordics.
Meanwhile, The Penthouse Game trades ghosts for gold. In this high-stakes, hierarchy-driven format, financially struggling contestants fight for dominance both literal and metaphorical as they ascend (or descend) a vertical playing field controlled by a central elevator. With gold tokens, food rations, and three hosts acting as agents of power, it’s part Monopoly, part Squid Game, part social experiment.
Both formats were snapped up by Flanagan Productions, one of Studio TF1’s flagship labels, known for adapting edgy international hits for prime-time French TV.
“We’re thrilled to bring these high-concept Korean formats to France,” said Flanagan head Florence Boudaud. “They’re bold, unexpected, and packed with creative storytelling exactly what today’s audiences are craving.”
For Something Special, co-founders Jin Woo Hwang and Insoon Kim see this as further proof that Korea’s wildly inventive reality concepts are more than just fleeting trends, they’re becoming global go-tos for fresh unscripted content.
“Our motto is simple create and connect,” said Kim. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing with formats like Still Alive and The Penthouse Game.”
With the global appetite for Korean storytelling at an all-time high, these two eccentric, high-drama formats are ready to give French audiences a taste of K-reality with a side of chaos.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
