Italy & Russia latest to Guess My Age

Broadcasters in Italy and Russia have become the latest to remake French game show Guess My Age.

Sky network TV8 has commissioned Banijay Group-owned Magnolia to produce 45 daily episodes later this month, while U-TV  in Russia is getting 20 daily eps from another Banijay firm, Mastiff.

The deals with format owner Vivendi Entertainment, whose parent owns a piece of Banijay, bring to eight the total number of networks that have ordered a local version since it debuted in France.

Guess My Age tasks a pair of contestants with guessing the age of complete strangers in order to win a €100,000 (US$114,000) prize.

The original French series has been a consistent ratings winner for Vivendi-owned network C8 over three seasons. It has regularly beaten its average slot share by 53%, increasing 25-49s and 16-34s, with celebrity specials going even higher.

TV JOJ in Slovakia and Czech Republic has also renewed the format for a second season, while TV2 in Hungary will launch its series later this month.

“Guess My Age performs well either as a daily or in prime-time with celebrities guessing,” said Matthieu Porte, Vivendi Entertainment’s executive VP of international and development.

He said the Italian and Russia version would have the “same neat structure, music, graphics, set design and emotion with local clues and surprising strangers”, adding the format was expected to launch in “many more territories in the coming months”.