ITV plays with Armoza’s dolls

UK commercial broadcaster ITV has commissioned STV Productions to make 20 episodes of Israeli gameshow Babushka.

Armoza format Babushka involves contestants opening giant models of the dolls

The studio-based format, created by Tel Aviv-based Armoza Formats, is based on Russian matryoshka (or babushka) dolls and features contestants opening giant models of the dolls as they attempt to win a prize of up to £44,000 (US$55,000).

If the doll is empty, the competitor loses any money accumulated to that point, whereas if there is a smaller doll inside they continue to win.

The deal for the show, which will air on ITV’s daytime schedule this year, comes after Scotland’s STV Productions acquired the UK rights to the format in October 2015.

In December, Spanish broadcaster TVG picked up rights to the format with Productora Faro producing. French production company CBecauseTV has also acquired the local rights to the format.

This week, US network NBC ordered a pilot based on gameshow format 5 Gold Rings, which hails from ITV Studios-owned Possessed and Netherlands-based Talpa Media.