How ‘The Traitors’ Is Leading A Global Formats Revival – Mip TV Preview
13.04.2023 - 12:53
/ deadline.com
The Traitors has done for formats what Top Gun: Maverick “did for the summer blockbuster,” says Glenn Hugill, with barely a hint of hyperbole.
Deal or No Deal exec Hugill, who was not involved with the creation of the Dutch original that has taken the formats world by storm, believes its success“benefits all of us in the business.” He is one of several unscripted creatives and sellers who tell Deadline they are bullish about the state of the sector.
As these execs gear up for next week’s Mip TV confab in Cannes, Hugill does not refrain from talking up The Traitors’ impact, a show that has now made waves in the U.S., UK, Australia, France and a number of European territories, along with its home country of the Netherlands where it was forged by All3Media label IDTV.
“I think if it had failed, the entire genre would have stalled,” says Hugill. “As it is, formats have been given a whole new lease of life by a complex, heavily formatted, incredibly niche concept that still worked. It’s an incredibly ‘have-able’ idea.”
The Traitors UK host Claudia Winkleman, who is having a serious moment, is the “formats version of Tom Cruise,” Hugill jokes.
The Traitors, which is set in a castle and sees ‘faithfuls’ sniff out ‘traitors’ each day while competing in challenges and building up prize money, really started taking off around Christmas time in the UK and a successful U.S. version has since aired on Peacock. Both have been recommissioned and more territory deals are imminent, we understand.
Multiple elements of the show have come in for praise over the months including the diverse cast, use of non-celebrities (although not in the U.S.) and playalong nature, which creates a rare level of word-of-mouth buzz not seen in the formats