Finnish production and distribution company Rabbit Films announces today that TVN in Poland has commissioned a local version of its original adventure reality format Over the Atlantic. The filming of the 8 x 60’ series will begin in November 2021 and will be produced by Jake Vision.

Over the Atlantic sees six celebrities given a once in a lifetime challenge to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Week after week they learn how to sail, work as a team, and fight the harsh ocean. In these incredibly difficult conditions, the celebrity contestants discover more about the people they are with and are reliant on, but most importantly go on their own journey of self-discovery.

In addition, the first season of the Norwegian version of the format will debut on TV Norge on 31 August, and the third season of the Swedish one will premiere on the same day on Kanal 5.

Jonathan Tuovinen, Head of International at Rabbit Films said: “Over the Atlantic has proven to be a hit territory after territory and season after season. These new deals demonstrate the staying power of Over the Atlantic as a brand. We are very excited to see the success build with the first commission in Central Europe.”

The original version of Over the Atlantic is produced by Rabbit Films Finland for TV5 (Discovery), with a 3^rd season currently in production due in 2022. Other international adaptations of the format include Denmark, where the show’s 3^rd season aired earlier this year on Kanal 5; Vier in Belgium and SBS6 in The Netherlands. The show has also been optioned in various territories including the UK, Germany, French-speaking Belgium and France.

 

Russian Pay TV channel HD REX acquires original Finnish content

Finnish production and distribution company Rabbit Films today announces that Russian Extreme TV (HD REX) in Russia has acquired the Pay TV rights for a number of original Finnish factual and factual entertainment shows including Beyond Human Boundaries, The Dudesons, Most Endangered Species, The Ultimate Expedition and Globetrotters. 

Rabbit’s flagship finished content will be available to Russian viewers for the first time from this autumn.

The sports and entertainment TV channel “Russian Extreme” is dedicated to extreme sports, travel, martial arts and active lifestyle. The deal with Russian Extreme Channel was brokered by MV Media in Russia and by Marta Csizmadia from Rabbit Films.

 

“We are happy to be the first TV Company representing Rabbit Films’ TV shows in Russia. The content produced by Rabbit Films is a really new level of extreme, their programmes combine travel, humor and danger, all the things our viewers love so much. We hope for a long and friendly cooperation with the distribution company Rabbit Films.” Maxim Zemlyanko, Program Director of Russian Extreme TV said.

 

“We are proud to start our cooperation with Rabbit Films. Russian Extreme TV is one of the most curious TV channels in Russia and we are happy to help them add more fresh and creative titles from Rabbit Films.” Vadim Verevkin, Head of Sales of MV Media said.

 

Jonathan Tuovinen, Head of International at Rabbit Films said: “It’s a real testament to Rabbit Films’ creative strategy to produce innovative titles with longevity that continue to make an impact. We are delighted to have partnered with Russian Extreme TV to broadcast our content in Russia for the first time and MV Media to represent our finished programme catalogue in Russia/CIS.”

Six-part drama charts the dramatic story of Nokia. Rabbit Films handling international distribution

 

Rabbit Films has announced the start of production on Mobile 1.0 (working title), a new six-part scripted drama series charting the incredible story of the rise of Finnish company Nokia to become the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile phones, before a later equally dramatic fall from grace.

The Finnish and English language series, shot in Finland and the US, will launch in early 2022 on the C More streaming platform, with the linear premiere to follow on MTV3. C More has also acquired the first-window VOD rights for the Nordics and Baltics regions. Rabbit Films is handling distribution to the international market.

Mobile 1.0 is the first dramatic account of Finnish electronics company Nokia’s rise from a small business to become a global success in the mobile phone industry, beating huge established brands. The first season is set to focus on the years 1988-1990, when the technology for mobile phones was just starting to be developed.

At the centre of the series are the young and resourceful lawyers willing to take on their counterparts at deep pocketed multinational competitors; the brilliant, single-minded engineers developing revolutionary new products, boardroom plots and personal feuds; and a business leader whose courage saved the entire company following the tragic death of his predecessor. The drama is based on years of research and interviews with those involved at the heart of the company’s history.

 

Mobile 1.0 is written and directed by Jussi Award-winning Maarit Lalli (Almost 18, The Sixth Time). The producers are Tiina Pesonen, Olli Suominen and Minna Haapkylä from Rabbit Films, and the co-producers for Aurora Studios are Petri Kemppinen and Ari Tolppanen. The series is being produced with additional funding from the Finnish Impact Film Fund.

The series stars Satu-Tuuli Karhu (Maria’s Paradise, Eden) as Katarina Tammi, a recently graduated lawyer working in the company’s legal department; newcomer Emil Kihlström as Aki Makkonen, Katarina’s former law school colleague with a secret to hide; Aku Sipola (Forest Giant) as Risto Salminen, a talented but eccentric and obsessive engineer determined to create a new type of mobile phone; Oona Airola (The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, Dogs Don’t Wear Pants) as Risto’s wife and fellow developer Vuokko Salminen; and Sampo Sarkola (Bordertown) as Jorma Ollila, the visionary Nokia CEO who drove the company to success. Further cast will be announced shortly.

“Behind Nokia’s well-known narrative, there are the untold stories of the people whose passion for their work made immense success possible. But there were also personal losses and moments of despair. Now, 30 years on from the first GSM call, and based on first-hand accounts from those most intimately involved in Nokia’s story we can tell the full, dramatic story of the extraordinary events behind its remarkable rise and fall,” says Maarit Lalli, Creator and Director of Mobile 1.0.

“Nokia is a national treasure but also a huge global brand. The series unfolds as an epic story of how a small Finnish town and a small Finnish company grew to become the home of biggest mobile phone supplier in the world, and one that changed literally all our lives,” adds Producer and Head of Scripted Content at Rabbit Films, Minna Haapkylä.

“A story this incredible could never have been invented. I believe this series will become one of the most talked-about of 2022,” comments Jani Hartikainen, Head of Drama at MTV, which is responsible for C More’s content.

Media Contact:
Mark Ogle, OH Communications (for Rabbit Films)
[email protected] / +44 (0) 7789 981 561

Over De Oceaan, the Dutch-speaking Belgian version of the Rabbit Films original format Over the Atlantic, has ended its first season on a high ratings wave. The 8 x 60 min series, which aired on local broadcaster Vier, averaged 639,000 in total viewers, equalling a 20.1% total share and 10.1% total rating. In the target group of 18-54 the results were even more impressive: 28.2% share and a 14.6% rating, making the show the market leader!

The unexplainable trend with Over the Atlantic, where the most-watched episodes of the season are neither the premiere or finale, continued to be true for Belgium. The best-rated episode was Episode 5/8 (25.1.2021), which scored 716,000 average viewers with a peak of over 800,000. This translated to a whopping 22.4% total share and a record-breaking 31.5% in the key demo. This tendency of having best-rated episodes be from the middle of the season has traditionally been the case for almost all Over the Atlantic seasons in all countries so far, including the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

Willem Stellamans, the producer of Over the Atlantic Belgium, commented: “Making Over The Atlantic was a great experience for us. 6 celebrities having the adventure of their lives, produced fantastic material. In Belgium we were also very pleasantly surprised by the media attention and the sharing of this adventure on social media. The celebrities themselves have contributed enormously to this and that has ensured that the program became the market leader and was top-of-mind with all viewers. We are looking forward to making many series more!”

Watch Over the Atlantic Belgium full episode here

2020 was an exceptional year in many ways, but one thing that stayed the same was the success of Rabbit’s entertainment shows! The 2020 Year-In-Review figures are in, and we are happy to report that once again our original formats City Vs Country and Should I Be Worried were amongst the most-viewed entertainment shows of the whole year in Finland.

When the full viewing data from all TV-channels, digital channels and VOD-platforms for 2020 was combined, the game show phenomenon City Vs Country was Finland’s largest commercial broadcaster MTV3’s 5th most watched programme! The hit show’s 4th season continued the success-level of its predecessors, and this season’s best episode averaged 1,470,000 viewers (in a country of 5.5 million) and a 29% share!

The whole country’s #1 entertainment show was -once again- Farmer Wants a Wife, now it’s 13th season! This was followed by new entries Masked Singer and Taskmaster (which is also produced by Rabbit Films).

City Vs Country also outperformed juggernaut productions such as Dancing With the Stars (#8), The Chase (#10) and Finland’s Got Talent (#14). Because of this continued success, the show will obviously return: Season 5 (14 x 60 mins) of City Vs Country will premiere on MTV3 Finland in April 2021! City Vs Country is also once again nominated at 2021 Finnish TV Awards in the Best Game Show category, which will be given out later this spring.

But not far behind, at #6, was our wonderfully quirky comedy panel series Should I Be Worried! The show, which is currently in season 9, has been a steady top-performer throughout the years! Last year’s top episode averaged a whopping 1,379,000 viewers and 28% share. The format does especially well in re-runs, where it consistently outperforms the linear premieres of large productions on competing channels, such as Temptation Island Finland on Nelonen. Much like City Vs Country, Should I Be Worried is also a regular at the Finnish TV Awards: the show is nominated once again for Best Entertainment Show!

It is worth noting, that the two formats are also the highest ranking original commissions on the list, whereas the others are based on international formats.

Additionally, when looking at the overnight ratings only, Rabbit’s live entertainment show Posse also makes the list of most-viewed shows, with 619,000 viewers and a 25% share. Posse has aired on MTV3’s weekend primetime for already 8 successful seasons now! The show has been recommissioned once again and season 9 will be premiering later this autumn.

 

You can access our website by using your personal login, or with the general password rabbit15.

Flea Market Challenge Premieres As Most-Watched Show of the Night! 

Rabbit’s new original series Flea Market Challenge aired its first ever episode last night (Tuesday 8th December) at 9pm on MTV3 Finland. The results have just come in, and not only was the show the slot winner, it was also the most viewed programme of the whole night! 435,000 Total Viewers tuned in, which equalled a whopping 25.3% Total Share. In the Key Demo of 10-54 year-olds, the result was equally impressive with a 24.7% Share.

Flea Market Challenge is a fun and exciting game show, where 3 ordinary people compete against each other to see who is the best seller! Each contestant is allowed to bring a maximum of 300 personal items. They all will then have 3 hours to simultaneously sell at a local flea market. In the end, whoever has made most cash from sales, gets the money from all the players!

Flea Market Challenge is a Rabbit Films original format that was launched at the MIPCOM 2020 TV Festival. It has already been optioned in several international territories prior to its original versions premiere. The first season consists of 12 x 60 min episodes, where each episode always features 3 new contestants at a new flea market.

Watch the subtitled version of last night’s Flea Market Challenge episode here. 
(Use your personal login or the general password rabbit15)

Talpa TV in the Netherlands has commissioned a local version of adventure reality format Over the Atlantic from Vincent TV Producties. The 7 x 60’ series will be called Alle Hens aan Dek and is set to premiere on SBS6 at 8:30pm on Monday 9 November 2020.

In Belgium, Over de Oceaan, the first season of the Flemish adaptation of the format is now available on Telenet’s VOD platform. Its linear premiere will be with terrestrial broadcaster Vier later in 2020. The 8 x 60’ series is produced by Woestijnvis.

“We are greatly looking forward to launching Alle Hens aan Dek later this year on SBS6 and are excited of this collaboration with Rabbit Films.” commented Erik de Winter, Head of Acquisitions of Talpa TV.

Vincent ter Voert, the Founder of Vincent TV Producties, stated: “Alle Hens Aan Dek is an original, yet quite simple, survival show, showcasing our celebrity casts’ battle against the unpredictable sea. They experienced an intense and beautiful journey which is both confronting and revealing on a personal level. We are very much looking forward for our audience to share and experience their epic voyage.”

The original version of Over the Atlantic is produced by Rabbit Films Finland for TV5 (Discovery), with a 3^rd season due in 2021. Other international adaptations of the format include Denmark, where a 3^rd season is currently in production by Strong (NENT) for Kanal 5 Denmark; and Sweden, where the 3^rd season is also set to premiere in 2021 on Kanal 5 Sweden, produced by Mastiff. Additionally, the first season is set to film in early 2021 for TVNorge, produced by ITV Studios Norway.

Watch the trailer and subtitled episodes of Over the Atlantic here.

Över Atlanten, the Swedish adaptation of the Rabbit Films original format Over the Atlantic, came out as a winner last night at the Ria Galan! The Ria Galan is the annual awards ceremony organised by the Swedish Film & TV Producers’ Association to promote the year’s best creators in Swedish television. The prize was given to the show’s production in the category of Performance of the Year. Specifically, it was the on-board production crew who were awarded for their tenacity, bravery and professionalism.

Jonathan Tuovinen, Head of International of Rabbit Films commented: “We are elated for Over the Atlantic’s success in Sweden! We send our biggest congratulations to the winners and the whole production crew. Filming an exciting adventure reality programme while sailing across the Atlantic Ocean for three weeks is no small feat!”

Over the Atlantic is a reality show where six celebrities are given a once in a lifetime challenge to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. In this groundbreaking show, a top-notch sailor is leading a team of celebrities with zero sailing experience to become masters of the sea. Week after week they learn how to sail, how to work as a team and how to fight the harsh ocean.

The victorious Swedish version of the show is produced by Mastiff (Banijay) for Kanal 5 (Discovery). The 2nd season of the 9 x 60 min show is currently on air, and a 3rd is already being planned.

You can watch a subtitled episode of Over the Atlantic Sweden from here.

 

 

Photo Credit: Linus Nilsson Instagram (@linus_nilsson_)

MIPCOM 2020 is quickly approaching, and we here at Rabbit Films can’t wait to share our new content with you!

Flea Market Challenge is a lighthearted competition, where 3 contestants try to sell as much as they can at a local flea market. Each contestant can have a maximum of 300 items and they have only 3 hours to compete. The stakes are high, as the top seller gets to keep the combined winnings from all of the contestants. Flea Market challenge features whacky items, memorable sales personalities and bucketloads of fun!

The show will premiere in early December on MTV3 Finland, but we are happy to share this exciting format with you already now!

Check out the trailer and full subtitled episode from here.

Rabbit Films has appointed Marta Csizmadia, a former Keshet International executive to the format and finished tape sales team.

Csizmadia has joined Rabbit Films as an International Sales Consultant. Her responsibilities will include managing Rabbit Films’ sales efforts across Central and Eastern Europe, Israel and Sub-Saharan Africa. She will report to Rabbit’s Head of International, Jonathan Tuovinen. Csizmadia is replacing Natalia Sterlikova, who has chosen to focus on other projects under her own f3 Media banner. Sterlikova had represented the Rabbit international catalogue since 2017.

Prior to joining Rabbit, Csizmadia held the position of Senior Sales Manager at Keshet International and managed sales into Central and Eastern Europe, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Africa and the Middle East. During her role, she worked with globally successful entertainment formats including Rising Star, Deal with It and Singletown; and scripted series such as The Baker & the Beauty, False Flag and Prisoners of War. Prior to Keshet International, Csizmadia worked as TwoFour Rights’ Sales Executive. She has also previously held positions at Zodiak Rights, MTG, Viacom and Small World IFT.

Marta Csizmadia commented:

“I am delighted to join Rabbit Films in these challenging times and to start representing Rabbit’s unique catalogue of formats and finished tape. I see a big potential for a variety of different clients in both the non-scripted formats as well as the factual finished tape, and can’t wait to take on a virtual MIPCOM!”.