Syfy explores Opposite Worlds

MIPCOM: US cablenet Syfy has picked up exclusive format rights to a Chilean constructed reality series from Banijay International.

Opposite Worlds, a hit on Chile’s Canal 13, will air in primetime on Syfy twice-weekly over a six-week period. The show is Syfy’s first ever such scheduling commitment to an original series.

Mark Stern, president for original content at Syfy and co-head, of original content at Universal Cable Productions, called it a “remarkable television experiment.”

The show, which launches on the international market this week, pits two teams in two opposing worlds, dubbed Past and Future, against each other. Each week, after a series of challenges, individual team members either end up in the Future, which grants wishes ‘at the push of a button,’ or the Past, which is a relentless struggle to survive.

The reality show follows Syfy’s success with Danish gameshow Total Blackout earlier this year, which has been renewed for a second season.

Opposite Worlds will be exec produced by Craig Plestis of Smart Dog Media, who is also responsible for NBC’s Minute to Win It, Armoza’s Who’s Still Standing and the US net’s newest singing competition, The Winner Is.

Talent agency Paradigm helped broker the deal with Syfy on behalf of Banijay International and Canal 13.