Gepke Nederlof
Be-Entertainment has launched its new format "Destination X" at MIPTV, where it also announced two commissions, BBC for the UK and NBCUniversal for North America. The programme created by Geronimo was launched in Belgium on February 20th on VTM and after seven episodes, the series captured a strong average market share of 42.4% (18-44, Live +7).
"'Destination X' has been a huge adventure not only on the show for our ten contestant but also outside the bus. The creators of the show went on this great adventure with the participants, and we are proud of been the international distributor of the show and share it with the world", Gepke Nederlof, MD of Be-Entertainment mentioned.
"Destination X" crosses fantasy with reality in this larger-than-life adventure competition. Ten contestants embark on the road trip of a lifetime, but have no idea of their location. Once they're on the innovative Destination X bus, reality is tweaked to mislead them and the viewers. Information comes with a number of clues designed to help the contestants decide if they can trust what they see. They need to be on top of their game at all times to figure out where they are. At the end of each episode, the contestant who places their X on a map furthest away from the bus's actual location has to leave the game and loses their shot at winning a cash prize. The surviving participants search for the location of the host, who interacts with them from the secret command post.
GLOBAL TRIP
The North American rights of the show were secured by Toby Gorman and Ed Havard for Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group, for development at NBC, led by Corie Henson. Whilst for the BBC, Director of Unscripted Kate Phillips and Editor of Unscripted, Syeda Irtizaali, secured UK rights for BBC One and iPlayer.
Kate Phillips, BBC Director of Unscripted, says: "Following the must-see success of 'The Traitors', I'm delighted that once again we're partnering with NBCUniversal on another very smart, addictive and innovative competition show. With countless red herrings and brain-teasing clues, we were gripped from the start. It promises to be a hugely challenging adventure for our ten brave contestants, with plenty of play along for all BBC viewers, as everyone hopes they've got the 'X' that marks the spot!"
Corie Henson, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Programming, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, added: "'Destination X' is a big unique format that pairs spectacular adventure travel with the ultimate guessing game. 'The Traitors' instilled confidence that big formats are back, and 'Destination X' is incredibly ambitious. We're thrilled to have the perfect traveling partners in Universal Television Alternative Studios, BBC and, of course, Be-Entertainment, for this one-of-a-kind immersive gameplay set among stunning locations."