Fiction
Fremantlemedia on form with new formats
MUMBAI: Exciting new titles are on their way to MIPTV this year with a range of fresh formats from FremantleMedia. Renowned for enthralling global formats, FremantleMedia are set to provide buyers with even more original and creative ideas for audiences across the world.
Setting pulses racing is the dating show of the future The Love Table, in association with Asahi Broadcasting Corporation. The inventive new show sees the world’s first flat-pack dating machine – a completely interactive, electronic and talking table, that will help singletons to bag themselves a date. With her LED screen the Love Table cheekily reveals more about the girls and guys seated across each other, by hacking into their online profiles and activities. Using the latest technology and social media the Love Table exposes the most intimate details of their lives, helping them to get to know each other and steering them in the right direction in their quest for love. The singletons then push the Love Table’s buttons to highlight the direction of their desires. These electronic arrows of affection are also shown on the Love Table’s screen allowing viewers to see if a match has been made. The Love Table’s fun games and touch screen rounds bring dating shows into a new generation.
Also getting off the blocks is Fittest Family from Animo TV/Kite Entertainment, which sees twelve uber fit and sports mad families compete for the title of the fittest family and a big cash prize. Each episode sees four sporting legends assigned to coach the families and push them to their fitness max. The families compete against one another as they get put through a set of extreme challenges with only the fittest surviving. Currently airing on Irish pubcaster RTÉ One as ‘Ireland’s Fittest Family’, the primetime series is on track, and has become popular viewing as it delivers big numbers in it’s 7.30pm, Saturday slot.
With pens at the ready, a brand new talent show for aspiring writers, Masterpiece, is set to hit the shelves. The series aims to find the next big name in literature and sees contestants compete for the chance to see their first work (whether a novel, a collection of short stories or poetry) printed by a renowned publisher. Contestants are shortlisted through a series of interviews and a critique of previously prepared work, with the chosen few going on to compete in a number of literary challenges that are marked by expert judges. The first episode of Masterpiece on RAI in Italy performed well above the channel average, reaching a 5.14% average share and generated an incredible buzz on social media, with #masterpiece trending overnight.
The medical observational reality format, An Hour to Save Your Life explores in forensic detail the dilemmas and innovations at the frontline of emergency medicine. The moment an emergency call is made, the clock starts ticking – the expert medical attention a patient receives in this first hour is critical, and could mean the difference between life or death. Following specialist clinicians as they respond to the most serious of cases, the series offers a unique insight into the minute-by-minute decisions that are made in the fight for life. Each episode follows the responses to three very different medical emergencies and viewers are able to see the extraordinary drama unfold as critically ill patients are treated with revolutionary new procedures. Exploring the predicaments and advances of emergency care in a way not previously seen on television, An Hour to Save Your Life captures it all.
Finally, it’s never too early to start thinking about Christmas and what better gift than the unique festive competition, The Christmas Light Fight. From the breath-taking to the bonkers, families decorate their homes to the extreme for Christmas in the first competition of its kind for television. Families are chosen based on their previous elaborate Christmas light displays, incredible ornaments and over-the-top designs, as they compete against one another each week to transform their homes for the holidays. The families are whittled down to four finalists, who are then flown to a surprise finale city to compete for a big cash prize.
Rob Clark, Director of Global Entertainment Development, said: “FremantleMedia are constantly striving to find exciting and trendsetting new formats that are accessible worldwide and we are thrilled to bring this great roster of shows to the market. Not only are these formats adaptable but I’m confident that they could be the next big thing! We’re looking forwarding to showcasing them to potential clients in April.”
Visit FremantleMedia at MIPTV 2014 at Stand No. C11.A1 (Croisette 11, Aisle 1), Palais du Festival, 7 – 10 April.
Fiction
Warner Bros Discovery sees Sachem Head double stake in Q4 filing
Activist fund ups bet as Paramount circles and Netflix deal looms
NEW YORK: Warner Bros Discovery has drawn fresh activist attention, with hedge fund Sachem Head Capital Management more than doubling its stake in the media giant during the fourth quarter, according to a regulatory filing.
The fund, one of 2025’s best performers, said it held nearly 8 million shares in Warner Bros Discovery by the end of December. The position ranks among its ten largest US equity bets, underlining growing investor interest in the company as takeover drama gathers pace.
The move comes at a pivotal moment for the studio and streaming group. Warner Bros Discovery has agreed to sell its streaming and studios business to Netflix, a deal that has stirred interest across the industry and sparked a rival approach from Paramount Skydance.
Paramount has already made a hostile bid that was rejected last month, but it is far from backing down. This week, the company stepped up pressure on Warner Bros Discovery, urging the board to at least consider whether its offer could be made more attractive than Netflix’s proposal.
Paramount has also hinted at a possible boardroom battle, suggesting it could attempt to replace directors. It even floated the idea of bringing in the head of Pentwater Capital Management, one of Warner Bros Discovery’s largest investors, as a potential board candidate.
With a market value of about 70 billion dollars, Warner Bros Discovery now sits at the centre of a high stakes contest between strategic buyers and activist investors. Sachem Head’s increased holding signals that the hedge fund sees opportunity in the turbulence.
The filing also revealed new bets by Sachem Head elsewhere. The fund bought 5.2 million shares in telecoms company EchoStar, and opened fresh positions in used car retailer Carvana and entertainment group Live Nation.
Such filings offer a snapshot of hedge fund portfolios at the end of the previous quarter. While they are backward looking, investors still track them closely for clues on which stocks are gaining favour or becoming targets for change.
