Gurin picks up Nation's Sexiest format

MIPCOM NEWS – Producer of Weakest Link US, the Gurin Company has picked up the US rights to UK distributor Action Time's new format, Nation's Sexiest…, in a deal signed in Cannes today.

The US version of the format, entitled America's Sexiest…, is based on the UK format Britain's Sexiest…, created by Carlton Entertainment. In the show, six guys and six girls all from the same profession are entered into a national beauty contest. Also involving home voting, the beauty show with a twist airs in the UK on ITV1. A recent programme saw home viewers deciding who was Britain's Sexiest Builder.

The executive producer of the UK show, Carlton's controller of entertainment Mark Wells, will have a hand in producing the US version, as and when a broadcast deal is found.

The deal builds on Gurin and Action Time's previous formats swap deal, signed last MipTV, in which the US outfit got rights to It's a Love Thing, and the UK company took Ransacked. Gurin and Action Time's parent Carlton Television have also signed a deal to develop formats for the transatlantic market.

Action Time has also sold Nation's Sexiest… to Gil Productions in Israel, and is in negotiations with companies in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland.