Sat.1 goes Back to School with Mediaset Distribution’s celebrity format

Italian entertainment format Back to School

German free-to-air channel Sat.1 is gearing up to launch a local adaptation of an Italian format in which celebrities go back to school and take exams.

Back to School, locally titled Zurück in die Schule, will begin airing on August 24 in Germany.

It comes after Mediaset Distribution, the sales arm of Mediaset Group, sold the format rights to the network, which is part of ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group.

Produced by Cologne-based Cheerio Entertainment, the show will be presented by Jörg Pilawa.

In each episode, a group of 8-10s host classes to help the celebrities pass an exam at elementary school level. The candidates take the exam in front of a panel of real teachers who decide either to promote them or hold them back until the next episode.

The show began airing in Italy earlier this year on Italia 1 and was produced by Blu Yazmine for Mediaset Group.

Claudia Marra, who handles format rights for Mediaset Distribution and launched the format at MipTV earlier this year, said: “After lockdown and with sad things continuing to happen, this is a show that will reunite families and large target groups of all ages for a good moment of relaxation and fun.”