The Rabbit Films original production Over the Atlantic has been nominated at Kultainen Venla – The Finnish TV Awards. The second season of the 8 x 42 series, which airs on TV5 Finland (Discovery Networks) is competing in the Best Reality Show category against shows such as Married at First Sight, Supernanny, Keeping the Nation Alive and First Dates. The winner will be announced at the live gala, which will be held on 17 January 2020. This is the second time that the show is nominated, the previous nomination being for the first season in 2018.

Outside of its home territory of Finland, Over the Atlantic has been a huge success story internationally. Denmark (Kanal 5) and Sweden (Kanal 5) have already premiered their first seasons this year, with both being in production for second series. Additionally, the Belgian version (Vier) is currently crossing the Atlantic as we speak, with a Norwegian version (broadcaster tba) planning to follow suit shortly after. The format has also been optioned in several territories, including the Netherlands, Spain and France.

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.

Watch the trailer here 

The Greek version of the Rabbit Films original format Globetrotters has gotten off to a great start on Star TV, one of Greece’s largest commercial broadcasters. The series, which airs on Wednesday nights at the very competitive primetime slot of 9pm, has now aired the first 4 episodes of the 12 x 90 min season. The series is produced by Star’s in-house production company Green Pixel.

The latest episode of Globetrotters received a share of 18.9%, a record for the series so far! The show ended up being the slot winner once again against rivalling channels Antenna and Alpha. The series share is also 3.5% over the channel’s average. Globetrotters is airing head to head with the local adaptation of X-Factor on Open TV, which it has also managed to outperformed in all demos!

Globetrotters follows local celebrities who are competing against each other to complete a number of tasks around the world. Each task will always be located in a new country, where the celebrity needs to travel by using any means necessary. The original version was a 10 x 60 mins series that aired on Nelonen Finland in 2018. The Finnish version featured three celebrities: singer Mikko Kuustonen, actor Jussi Vatanen and social media influencer Saara.

The Greek version differs from the original in that it features three pairs of celebrities: married couple singer Haris Varthakouris and presenter Adelina Varthakouris; Masterchef Greece chefs Christos Mparkas and Pantelis Vouros; as well as father and son duo consisting of football player Stelios Kritikos and model Michael Angelos Kritikos. The series is presented by Petros Polychronidis.

We are extremely excited to have launched Globetrotters on Star Channel this season and we hope this fresh take on reality travel will give our audience an around-the-world ticket to plenty of fun and entertainment in the company of well-loved celebrities,” commented Nathalie Woodfield, Programme Directorof Star TV Greece.

Jonathan Tuovinen, Head of International at Rabbit Films stated:
“Globetrotters is a very tough and fun adventure series, which we think is perfect for Greek audiences.  The combination of exotic travel and high-energy celebrities provide for an irresistible viewing experience. We have been very happy to work with Star TV to adapt the best possible version of this exciting format for Greece.”

 

Watch a full subtitled episode of Globetrotters Greece here

Rabbit Films is happy to present our new non-scripted formats! We are bringing to you the exciting tough competition reality format Battle Ranch as well as the quirky comedy panel show Should I Be Worried.

Do check our brand new line-up of formats and ready-mades from our MIPCOM 2019 Catalogue and come meet us at our stand R7.M4!

Looking forward to seeing you in Cannes!

 

Battle Ranch

Reality, 10 x 60′

Battle Ranch is an epic competition-reality series featuring 12 fearless contestants, who all believe they have got what it takes to be the Chief of the Ranch. Set on a real farm in the picturesque countryside, this show is far from quaint! The contestants will be taken through a series of extreme challenges that will test their strength, speed and smart.

 

Should I Be Worried?

Factual Entertainment, 14 x 60′

Comedy panel show about the ordinary -and extraordinary- worries we all face in our daily lives. The viewers send us questions that keep them awake at night. People from all over the country have poured their hearts out to us. Now the question remains: What are you worried about?

 

 

Over the Atlantic

Adventure Reality, 8 x 60′

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 no sailing experience to become masters of the sea.

 

The documentary reality series Beyond Human Boundaries will be debuting in Central and Eastern Europe this autumn on Spektrum TV.  The series of the original title Arman ja viimeinen ristiretki,distributed by Rabbit Films, is a Finnish documentary-reality experiment, which tells about the triumph of the human spirit. The documentary-reality program features journalist-explorer Arman Alizad, who travels with his cameraman to eight countries to familiarize with specific lifestyles. The series features extraordinary stories ranging from the eagle-hunter tribe from Mongolia to the human Ken-doll from Brazil. It is not only a show of endurance, it’s an emotional story of gaining trust and building friendships and understanding between different ways of life around the world.

“We are very much looking forward to bringing Beyond Human Boundaries to Spektrum TV’s audiences in Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia in late October. We have high hopes and we expect great ratings from this extraordinary series,” says Laszlo Gaspar, Head of the Infotainment Channel Portfolio at AMC Networks International (Central and Northern Europe).

In autumn 2018, the third season of Beyond Human Boundaries premiered on Nelonen Finland to an average share of 21%.  The season was nominated for the Finnish TV Award for Best News-Documentary Programme. The first season of the series won 2 Finnish TV Awards for Best Reality and Best Performer.

“We are excited to partner with Spektrum TV to launch one of our key brands in Central and Eastern Europe. The topics Arman covers across the series are controversial yet relatable globally and with broadcasters across the region displaying an appetite for male skewed factual titles we feel this is a perfect fit,” commented Natalia Sterlikova, International Sales Agent for CEE at Rabbit Films, who brokered the deal.

Watch Beyond Human Boundaries here.

Över Atlanten, the Swedish version of the Rabbit Films original format Over the Atlantic premiered on Kanal 5 Sweden (Discovery Networks) on Tuesday 20th August with a 16.1% total share with 348,000 viewers tuning in on its maiden voyage. This is over 250% over the channel’s YTD slot average! The full week’s viewers for Episode 1 have doubled to a total of over 700,000 views.

Episode 2 aired Tuesday 27th August and rocked the boat with 421,000 viewers (+21%) on board. The episodes of the Swedish 8 x 60 min series will also be available in the other Nordic countries via Discovery’s VOD service DPlay. The show is produced by Mastiff Sweden (Banijay Nordics).

Season 2 of the Finnish version of Over the Atlantic (Atlantin yli) also set sail on TV5 Finland (Discovery Networks) and their VOD service DPlay on Wednesday August 21st with 166,000 viewers. 7+ ratings for this series have also doubled and reached 334,000. It has also been most watched show on Dplay every day of the week.
Episode 2 aired Wednesday 28th August, and again increased it’s audience from the premiere to 180,000. Atlantin yli is the original version of the format, and is created and produced by Rabbit Films.

In Over the Atlantic, six celebrities are given a once in a lifetime challenge to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Week after week they learn how to sail, how to work as a team and how to fight the harsh ocean. Most of all the team is on a journey of self-discovery: who they are and who they want to be as human beings. The ocean has no mercy, they just have to find the way to survive!

In autumn 2017, the first season of the Finnish version Atlantin yli was a humongous success, ultimately becoming the highest rated show of all time for TV5 Finland (Discovery Networks). The whole season had an amazing audience share of 32%.

Watch the full subtitled episode of Over the Atlantic Sweden (Över Atlanten)

Rabbit Films has appointed Sam Ferguson, a former ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVSGE) executive to their international sales team.

Based in London, Ferguson has joined Rabbit Films in August, 2019 as their Senior Sales Manager. Her responsibilities will include managing Rabbit Films’ sales efforts across Asia and all English-speaking territories. She will report to Rabbit’s Head of International, Jonathan Tuovinen, who has lead the international department since 2016.

Ferguson previously held the position of Sales Manager at ITV Studios Global Entertainment and managed sales into Russia, CIS, Baltics and the Balkans. During her role, she worked with globally successful entertainment formats including Love Island, Come Dine with Me and Hell’s Kitchen, and scripted series such as The Bodyguard, Harlots and World on Fire.

Prior to ITVSGE, Ferguson worked as Banijay Rights’ Format Sales Executive, selling key brands including Wife Swap, Fort Boyard and Psychic Challenge into CEE and Asia. She has also previously held positions at Zodiak Rights, Sony, PRS for Music and BAFTA.

 

Sam Ferguson commented:

“I am thrilled to join the team at Rabbit Films and excited to be working with such formats as Over the Atlantic and Couples’ Party, as well as finished programmes Beyond Human Boundaries and The Dudesons. The company are creating some amazing content and I hope my experience in across Asia and worldwide will drive further growth”.

 

Jonathan Tuovinen of Rabbit Films stated:

“We have built our international department for the past couple of years with successfully licensing formats such as Over the Atlantic and Globetrotters, and are now ready for the next growth phase. Having someone of Sam’s experience is a major asset for Rabbit Films to further bolster our efforts, and we are very happy having her join our family”.

 

Rabbit Films is launching a slate of new captivating and unique non-scripted formats and eye-opening ready-mades at MIPTV 2019! We’re also bringing our up to date Rabbit Catalogue 2019 to Cannes. See You there!

 

You’re invited to join Couples Party (12 x 60min, Entertainment) – the naughtiest game of the year! Three couples who are all friends with each other compete in a fun-filled and saucy studio show. Who knows their friends the best and can get the most correct answers to blush–worthy questions like: Who is most likely to get undressed in public? Who has the worst hangovers? And which couple makes the most noise in the sack? These groups of friends have no problem revealing their own and each other’s sexy secrets in order for one of them to win a dream trip! The winner can select one other contestant to join them as a travel companion… however it won’t necessarily be their own partner!

 

Most Endangered Species with WWF (Factual Entertainment, 8 x 60min, also available as a ready-made) is anepic travel series featuring the world’s most fascinating endangered animals! A real scientist travels together with a witty comedian to the outermost corners of the world to get acquainted with the protection of endangered animals and even to see a glimpse of these rare species. The format offers once in a lifetime experiences, such as racing a snow leopard in the Himalayas, looking for the Svalbard polar bears and visiting Borneo to explore the shrinking areas of the orangutans.

 

Beyond Human Boundaries is an award winning 8 x 60min ready-made documentary-reality program which tells the story of Arman Alizad, an ordinary man, who travels with his cameraman to eight countries trying to get into a community, group, tribe or environment for 10 days. All communities are different, but they are all outside of Western culture and lifestyle. Arman experiences variety of lifestyles from a landfill site in Cambodia to gang life in the favela of Brazil, voodoo magic in Benin and living with the Bedouins in Saudi Arabia. Arman’s only chance of success is the strength and wisdom of his local mentor, who knows how to survive in such extreme circumstances.

It is not only a show of endurance, it’s an emotional story about people who live in some of our planet’s most unforgiving conditions whose unique lifestyle the viewers get to see from rarely close. A story of gaining trust and building friendships that crosses all barriers in some of the toughest corners of the world.

Brand new season 3 out now!

 

Over Atlanten, the Danish version of the Rabbit Films original format Over the Atlantic premiered on Kanal 5 Denmark (Discovery Networks) on Thursday 21^stMarch with a 7.9% total share and 20.5% share in the commercial 21-50 demo. The finished episodes of the Danish 8 x 60 min series will also be available in the other Nordic countries via Discovery’s online service DPlay. The show is produced by Strong Productions (NENT).

 

“Over the Atlantic is a great format, which is quite genuine, unlike many other adventure programs. You get close to the participants and really sense that there is something at stake. The program shows both an inner and outer journey, where we get close to the participants and discover new sides of them. We sent six celebrities, who didn’t know each other, across the Atlantic, and the whole trip not to mention the ties they have linked to each other has been a unique experience for them. After returning home, the six celebrities have bought a boat together so that they can continue the adventure at sea. That kind of friendship I don’t think many other programs can create”, says Anne Garlichs, Vice President, Content & Programming, Discovery Networks Denmark.

 

“We at Strong Productions have been very happy to work on bringing this fantastic format to the Danish market. Both we and the celebrities knew that this journey was a lifetime experience and still we are all amazed just how epic it turned out to be. After overcoming this challenge, the celebrities even bought a boat together. A beautiful ending to a magnificent journey.” stated Producer Louise Runge Erichsen from Strong Productions.

 

 

In Over the Atlantic, six celebrities are given a once in a lifetime challenge to sail across the Atlantic Ocean. Week after week they learn how to sail, how to work as a team and how to fight the harsh ocean. Most of all the team is on a journey of self-discovery: who they are and who they want to be as human beings. The ocean has no mercy, they just have to find the way to survive!

 

In autumn 2017, the first season of the Finnish version Atlantin yli was a big success, ultimately becoming the highest rated show of all time on TV5 Finland (Discovery Networks)! The whole season had an amazing audience share of 32%. The second Finnish season has been filmed and will premiere in autumn 2019. The show has also been licensed to Kanal 5 Sweden, who will premiere their version in the autumn of 2019, as well as a soon-to-be-released commercial broadcaster in Belgium. Additionally, the show has been optioned in various territories, including France, Spain, the Netherlands and Norway.

 

“It’s been a great pleasure for us to partner with both Strong Productions and Discovery Denmark. We’re truly happy how well they have adapted our format into the Danish version and are looking forward to the other localized versions to premiere later this year.” commented Jonathan Tuovinen, Head of International at Rabbit Films.

Watch the premiere episode here via DPlay

Rabbit Films’ production Stripped Club has won the award of Best Music Entertainment Show at Kultainen Venla – the Finnish TV Awards, held on January 11th 2019. Stripped Club was competing in the category against The Voice of Finland and The Best Singers.

In each Stripped Club (8 x 60′) episode one artist reveals themselves and does an intimate performance in front of a live audience. Hosted by a well-known musician, Stripped Club provides a bare look into the life of a singer-songwriter. The show features acoustic performances intercut with the most personal moving stories like you’ve never seen before. You get to know the artists, their struggles and the stories behind their songs. The stunning 360-degree stage set-up allows for the audience to get as close as possible to the artist. One song from the session is chosen to be released as a digital single.

“We’re delighted to see how Stripped Club has touched a broad audience. Winning against well-established ww success formats is a great accomplishment for a brand-new music format” says Jonathan Tuovinen, Head of International at Rabbit.

Stripped Club’s first season was broadcast in spring 2018 on SubTV Finland. The musicians who appeared in the show were Michael Monroe, Paula Vesala, Juha Tapio, Lauri Tähkä, Kaija Koo, Erin, Mikael Gabriel and Tuure Kilpeläinen. The show was hosted by Elias Kaskinen.