Sky Italia lets kids show Talent

Presenter Claudio Bisio

Sky Italia has commissioned a non-competitive junior version of FremantleMedia’s Got Talent format for its free-to-air (FTA) TV8 channel.

FremantleMedia Italy, in partnership with Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, is working on Kid’s Got Talent, which will showcase the skills of children under the age of 11.

The children’s version of the show will strip away the competition and judging panel elements of the original series, focusing instead on the performances of children from across the globe. Italy’s Got Talent judge Claudio Bisio will host.

Lorenzo Mieli, CEO of FremantleMedia Italy, said: “Italy’s Got Talent has been very successful, which is due in part to the fact it’s a family-orientated show that children love. They are the biggest supporters of the series and we wanted to offer them their own stage.

“We decided to make it non-competitive to emphasise the fun aspect, enabling the children to perform their talent without having to worry about the opinions of the judges.”

Pay TV broadcaster Sky has been a regular adapter of foreign formats in Italy, airing local versions of the X Factor, MasterChef and The Apprentice – often using its FTA channels such as TV8 and Cielo to air them to a wider audience.

Got Talent, which was originally created by Cowell and Syco for ITV in the UK and NBC in the US back in 2006, has spawned 69 global remakes to date.