TVI picks up French reality series Dilemma, Japanese gameshow Freeze

TVI has acquired Japanese gameshow Freeze from Fremantle

Portuguese commercial broadcaster TVI has picked up two formats from the international market for its summer schedules: 14-year-old French reality show Dilemma and new Japanese comedy gameshow Freeze.

Dilemma is a reality format that aired on Groupe M6-owned DTT channel W9 and CanalSat in France  for one season in 2010. The show was developed and produced by former Endemol exec Alexia Laroche-Joubert’s ALJ Productions, part of the Banijay group. Laroche-Joubert is now CEO of Banijay France.

The format sees eight people locked inside a large cube for eight weeks, isolated from the outside the world. They go through a series of personal dilemmas and are given the choice of using the situations for personal gain or to benefit the group.

TVI has also acquired Freeze from Fremantle, claiming to be the first network outside Japan to do so. Originally developed by Tokyo-based prodco FANY Studio and Yoshimoto Kogyo for Prime Video Japan, the format was being shopped to international buyers by Fremantle at the recent London TV Screenings.

The show sees the presenter order contestants to ‘freeze’ as they navigate a room filled with traps and tricks. Those who move, laugh or react the most will be eliminated, with the last player remaining claiming the grand prize.

The deals were confirmed to C21 by Margarida Pereira, head of acquisitions and international programming at TVI: “This summer, TVI is set to debut two exciting new formats. One is a French reality show called Dilemma, produced by Endemol, while the other is an entertaining gameshow format from Japan, called Freeze, brought to us by Fremantle. We’re proud to be the first country to produce a local version of this Japanese gameshow.”