This week in global unscripted TV: German reality show becomes a streaming success on RTL+. Italy's ‘Temptation Island’ breaks viewership records, and HGTV axes multiple renovation shows.
German reality show 'Celebrities Apart – The Ex Couples' (Prominent getrennt - Die Villa der Verflossenen) used to struggle on linear TV, leading to schedule amendments on RTL. However, it is a hit in streaming. Season 4 launched strongly on RTL+ in early July, according to dwdl.de, and in the week of July 21–27 reached 0.87M viewers – the top title after sport and news, per AGF Videoforschung data. In this Seapoint Productions format, ex-couples team up and compete in challenges despite their separation. The format was recently adapted in Hungary, airing this summer on the local RTL+ platform.
ITV2 and ITVX in the UK have ordered a brand-new culinary reality format, 'The Heat' (ITV Studios), which follows a group of young chefs living, working, and competing with one another, blending their professional and personal lives. They'll work under a Michelin Star award-winning chef searching for the next rising star.
Canale 5 enjoyed the most-watched season ever of 'Temptation Island', according to FormatBiz, as the 14th Italian season of the dating reality show averaged 3.85M viewers and a 29.9% share.
Banijay UK's Remarkable Entertainment has developed a new reality competition, 'Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock: The Detective Academy', which will test players' powers of deduction and logic as they attempt to solve puzzling crimes from the world of Sherlock Holmes.
HGTV has cancelled several shows, including 'Christina on the Coast' after five seasons, and both 'Bargain Block' and 'Battle on the Beach' after four. "These HGTV home renovation shows can cost up to $500,000 per episode compared to real estate shows, which generally come in between $200,000-$300,000 and can be filmed in a much shorter time span," Deadline reports.
M6 France has ordered 'Shaolin Heroes', marking the 4th international adaptation of the Banijay adventure reality format. Celebrities will embark on a journey to master the ancient disciplines of the Shaolin Warrior Monks. Stripped of everyday distractions, they will face intense challenges.
Photo: RTL+