Russian net picks Talpa’s Winner

MIPCOM: A Russian broadcaster has acquired rights to talent gameshow format The Winner Is… from John de Mol’s Dutch production company Talpa.

The Winner Is…

Channel One in Russia will air a local version of the series, which sees contestants face each other in singing duels in front of an audience and a top music expert.

The duelling contestants are then given the chance to accept or refuse cash to leave the show and if both remain then the jury’s vote determines who goes home with nothing.

The Winner Is… was first launched in the Netherlands on SBS6 and has been sold to more than 30 countries including Germany, Italy, China and the US, where it aired on NBC.