John de Mol’s Talpa has closed a local production deal with TF1 for the format, “Marble Mania,” eight weeks following its first launch on SBS6 in the Netherlands, and others in Germany and Belgium. “With Marble Mania, TF1 continues to affirm its strategy of offering original and premium co-viewing content,” Julien Degroote, Head of Content Development at TF1, said. “We are confident that Marble Mania will find its place alongside our family entertainment shows such as The Masked Singer, District Z, The Voice, and Survivor.”
“Marble Mania'' is produced by Talpa Entertainment Productions and distributed by Talpa Concepts. Its four episodes will be produced by Talpa Entertainment Productions in co-operation with Arthur Essebag’s production company Satisfaction. The first episode is set to air this summer.
The first season of "Marble Mania" landed satisfactory ratings in the Netherlands. With an average market share of 24.8% in the 18-44 target group and 22.5% in 25-59, it was the most popular show on SBS6 in five years. “What we love about this format is the way John de Mol has reinvented a universal game like marbles with impressive visuals, addictive gameplay, and a little bit of craziness,” Degroote said.
Each game session begins with a skill assignment for three celebrities, such as bowling, mini-golf, or a special version of penalty shooting. The three celebrities need to prove their skills to win the most marbles to start the second game of the round: the game of luck. This marble race is all about speed, gravity…. and luck. The celebrity whose marble crosses the finish line first earns the most points. After three rounds, the celebrity at the top of the ranking will get the most marbles to start in the finale, in which the celebrities can win money for a charity of their choice.