Integrating traditional entertainment with the various forms of interactivity allowed by the digital revolution has been a major opportunity for the content industry for the past 20 years – and something of a challenge, it has to be said.
There have been many attempts to marry entertaining storylines and compelling narratives with the not-so new but nevertheless fangled technology that allows interaction and audience participation across multiple screens, all looking to tap into the promise of digital and growing interconnectivity between platforms, producers and audiences.
And this category in the International Format Awards celebrates the best of them. These are formats that, at their core, have some platform aside from television integral to the show’s narrative. A website or social network page that is merely a promotional vehicle for the show would not qualify. The other non-TV platforms have to interact with the casting, narrative or outcome of the show to make it a significant multi-platform format.
It’s perhaps appropriate that this year the International Format Awards are themselves something of a multi-platform affair, held this month online rather than with the usual sunset beach party in Cannes. The awards will be presented on C21Media.net, surrounded by a series of digital initiatives that celebrate the best in creativity from all around the world, held in association with Frapa, EMC and MipFormats on June 25, with finalists in each category being announced daily.
Finalists in the category this year include six formats from four countries – Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands and the US – with shows centring on mobile, social media, crowdsourcing and online interactivity.
From Finland comes NOFILTER: The Hummus, a show that explores the difference between influencers’ real lives and social media lives. The format unites public broadcaster YLE’s TV platforms, streaming service Areena and Instagram page, and is produced and distributed by YLE.
Irish format Pulling With My Parents, from Alley Cats TV for pubcaster RTÉ2, is also a finalist in this category. The 60-minute reality dating format sees family members take control of their children’s dating apps, on the basis that no one knows them better than mum and dad. The Story Lab is rolling out the format globally.
The Netherlands – one of the world’s biggest format exporters – is also represented in this category, thanks to scripted format SWIPE. The seven-part drama is about the unforeseen impact of smartphones on the lives of several 20-somethings, told from the perspective of their phones. Each episode of Swipe was released on both YouTube and the online channel of Dutch broadcaster NPO3. The show was produced by digital prodco Vertov and is distributed globally via Vertov and Dutch public broadcasting company KRO-NCRV.
Three formats from the US round out the finalists in the Multi-Platform Format category: Chasing The Cure, Songland and You vs Wild.
Turner Broadcasting, Lionsgate Television, B-17 Entertainment and Motiv8 Media are behind Chasing The Cure, a factual format in which cures to medical mysteries are crowdsourced live. The show aired on Turner cable channels TBS and TBT, and the format is being shopped globally by Lionsgate.
Songland, meanwhile, is a songwriting talent show from NBC Universal Television Alternative Studio, 222 Productions, Live Animals Productions and Dave Stewart Entertainment. The 11-part series is for NBC, where it debuted in May 2019, and the format is distributed by NBCUniversal Formats Distribution.
Last but by no means least comes You vs. Wild, an interactive series in which audiences make key decisions 
to help survivalist Bear Grylls complete missions in the harshest environments on Earth. The show unites producers Propagate Content, Electus and Bear Grylls Ventures and debuted on Netflix in April 2019.
Watch out for the finalists in the Best Reality Format category tomorrow on C21Media.net.
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