Friday Format Sweep 11 Sept 26

Two genuinely new formats hit the Library this week, and they couldn’t be further apart. Hulu and ESPN have co-greenlit Ruthless, their first joint commission: Jake and Logan Paul each coach a team of fighters across six combat disciplines, and eliminations are settled in the ring instead of by a vote. And Netflix has ordered Love at First Sight, the second dating format from Velvet Hammer Media, built on a single question: can a first impression become lasting love?

Beyond the new entries, the bigger story is proven formats getting one new variable. I’m a Celebrity is the clearest case. ITV is sending it to Canada with celebrities competing in pairs, entering, playing and leaving together. Peacock’s US version pairs each celebrity with a non-famous friend or family member. Same DNA, twenty-plus years in, one new mechanic each.

Banijay’s Detective Club just landed its first international adaptation, in Germany, worth watching because first adaptations tell you whether a format travels or just performed well at home. Telemundo has taken House of Villains into Spanish for the first time, produced by Banijay Colombia.

ITV has also commissioned a full series built from a YouTube channel. Alan Titchmarsh’s gardening channel had 100 million views before ITV touched it. Digital is becoming the testing ground, not just the promotional tail.

And format thinking keeps reaching past entertainment. Finland has picked up The Political Assembly, the Belgian format that puts politicians into extended debate with citizens, ahead of its 2027 election.

Two new formats, five proven ones finding a new angle. What’s more interesting to you: the format that’s genuinely new, or the one that’s found a way to feel new again?

I am dyslexic. AI helps me make this readable. The thoughts and opinions are my own. There are no auto generated articles and I read and research with rigour.

Jonathan Glazier, format creator and executive producer, altmedia