ORF long-standing format “Lonely Hearts Club” to be adapted in South African

One of Austria’s most successful television formats, “Lonely Hearts Club” distributed by ORF Enterprise, has been acquired by Indigenius for adaptation into a South African version. The program has been a beloved staple among Austrian TV viewers for decades. It has been successfully broadcast over 200 times in over 25 years and succeeds in almost any timeslot from mornings to the second primetime or as a late-night show.

Recognizing the rich cultural tapestry of South Africa, the show will initially be produced in Afrikaans, with promising potential to expand and create versions in other languages if the format proves successful, to further cater to the diverse viewership. At this stage, only a pilot episode is being produced in collaboration with Brainwave Productions and TV personality Anne Hirsch, yet several channels have already expressed their interest in the new format.

“Hardly any other program spreads such endearing honesty and simplicity as ‘Lonely Hearts Club’. An international version of the format was an idea that I always really wanted to realize. Given its tremendous success in Austria, we saw a fantastic opportunity to bring this beloved format to South Africa, where we believe it will resonate just as strongly with viewers. We are excited to see how the universal themes of love, hope, and resilience will be embraced by a new audience, and we are committed to maintaining the authenticity and charm that made the original show so special”, says Hans Spielthenner, Co-CEO of Indigenius.

FINDING LOVE
In this show, lonely people from all different walks of life pour out their hearts in front of a live camera in the hope of finding a partner for life. These miniature portraits, amusing and melancholic, reverberate with the desire for love and trust, as well as the fear of loneliness and death, and range from very moving to very strange.

Indigenius has selected Anne Hirsch as host for the South African adaptation. Hirsch is a highly esteemed, two-time SAFTA award-winning comedy writer, comedian, and improviser with Austrian roots. "It‘s really exciting to develop this program for our South African audience and, in doing so, finally connect with my Austrian heritage! I have family there, spread across Vienna and the countryside, whom I hope to one day meet. I love the idea of bringing this unique show, and maybe a bit of my previously undiscovered Austrian charm, to our local viewers“, adds Hirsch, host and co-producer of “Lonely Hearts Club”.