RTÉ Television’s Format Farm has announced two new commissions following the recent call for format ideas. Both successful projects, ‘Farmer in Charge’ and ‘Four Heads’, are being backed by major international distributors and will air on RTÉ One later this year.
Produced by Waka, ‘Farmer in Charge’ has been commissioned by RTÉ Television’s Regional Programming Genre Head Ray McCarthy. It is described as an exciting factual entertainment format where an experienced rural farmer takes a ‘no nonsense’ approach to a failing urban business.
Produced by Sharp Jack Media and Waka, ‘Four Heads’ is described as a smart and entertaining original quiz show that explores how well any of us really know our friends or family. The format has been commissioned by RTÉ Television’s Genre Head for Entertainment John McHugh.
Commenting on the announcement of these two new commissions for RTÉ One, Janet Frawley, Head of Formats, RTÉ Global, said: “Format Farm successfully partners Irish creativity with international distributors to pilot new TV formats. As well as providing RTÉ with a route to getting great Irish formats to series, it also facilitates the sale of these internationally. We believe both Farmer in Charge and Four Heads will prove popular with audiences when the pilots air on RTÉ One later in the year.”
Format Farm is an established RTÉ business innovation initiative to support the production and broadcast of original TV formats for both Irish audiences and for export. To date Format Farm has delivered original, entertaining and exciting TV formats including ‘The Takeover’, ‘The Hit’ and ‘Who’s Holiday Is It Anyway?’ Irish producers have worked with some of the biggest names in international distribution to generate successful series which features some of the biggest talents in Irish broadcasting.
RTÉ Format Farm is also renewing this year’s call for formats to play mid-week post watershed on RTÉ2. Compelling ideas, great casting and potential talk-ability are key, to ensure the format resonates strongly with the 15 - 34 year old audience.
To submit a new idea, companies will need to go through the RTÉ e-commissioning process and clearly identify this as a Format Farm submission.
For more information, visit http://www.rte.ie/commissioning/formatfarm.html.
