John de Mol’s Talpa Studios, whose popular formats include quiz show “The Floor,” heads to next week’s TV market Mipcom with new entertainment formats led by “Sing With Me” and “The Golden Elevators.”
“Sing With Me” is a feel-good music entertainment format developed in collaboration with Dutch producer IDTV, creator of “The Traitors.”
At the show, aspiring singers get the chance to share the stage with some of the country’s biggest artists. Each performance begins as a solo, but when a well-known artist hears something special, they can grab a microphone, join in and turn the performance into a duet.
The format will air on SBS6 in the Netherlands on November 7.
“Golden Elevators,” a quiz show that combines general knowledge with social strategy, has been ordered by ITV in the U.K. and SBS6 in the Netherlands, where it will air early next year.
Ten contestants enter a skyscraper where they must choose between two elevators, each representing possible answers to 10 questions. Make the right choice and move up; Choose the wrong one and you’re out.
Before the doors close, contestants can work together and share what they know, or deliberately send a competitor into the wrong elevator, turning every question into a battle of knowledge, strategy, and confidence. Waiting at the top is a life-changing bonus that will be shared with the person who gets there.
Talpa Studios continues to expand its global footprint with 26 formats active in 34 countries, and Sebastian van Barneveld, Talpa Studios’ director of global distribution, highlights the role that partnerships, as well as the company’s investment in original intellectual property, have played in this growth.
Shows developed through partnerships now make up more than 40% of Talpa Studios’ catalogue.
“In a rapidly changing market, strong ideas need more than just creativity. Collaboration and flexibility are key to taking them on the journey,” he said. “Our Mipcom slate reflects this approach: By combining original intellectual property with creative partnerships and developing formats that can work across markets, platforms, and audiences, we create multiple pathways for ideas to grow.”
The partnership model has delivered games such as the murder mystery format “A Party to Die For”, developed in conjunction with ITV Studios, and “Let’s Play Ball”, originally co-developed by EndemolShine Nederland (part of Banijay Benelux), Talpa Studios and Signal.Stream. The format has since received commissions in French Canada and Finland.
Signal.Stream, a strategic partner of Talpa Studios and focused on creating formats for the streaming generation, has developed many other games that have gained traction in the market. “Most Wanted” has new commissions in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania, while “Catch Us” has new commissions from TV4 in Sweden and ProSieben in Germany, along with adaptations in the Netherlands and Hungary.
Talpa Studios’ well-established brands continue to gain momentum worldwide. “The Floor,” for example, reached more than 30 territories. Meanwhile, “The Winner Takes All” achieved its first international sale to France Télévisions and recommissioning in the Netherlands.
“The Alliance,” the daily reality competition nominated for the Netherlands’ most prestigious television audience award, has launched on Prime Video in India with its celebrity adaptation, and the streaming giant has confirmed its second season.
“Caught in the Middle,” a high-energy studio game show in which the duo must outsmart 100 opponents closing in on them, returns for its second season in the Netherlands and continues to travel internationally with adaptations in Spain for Atresmedia and Australia for the Seven Network.
De Mol is a reality TV legend who previously ran Endemol and Talpa Media, creators of iconic brands such as “Big Brother,” “Deal or No Deal,” “Fear Factor” and “The Voice.” Founded in September 2023, Talpa Studios is led by CEO Maarten Meijs.