NATPE News: Electus shops Mob Wives, looks at format deals

Electus has sold the second season of Mob Wives into a hundred territories and president of distribution, John Pollak, told TBIvision that the company is currently talking to producers and broadcasters about creating local versions of the reality series.

The show, which follows the partners of US mobsters, airs on VH1 in the US and Electus International has shopped it to broadcasters including MTV Latin America, XYZ (Australia) and Shaw (Canada).

“It’s a very US-centric show, but once you watch an episode you realise that it’s actually about family – it definitely is a format,” Pollak, president of Electus International, said. “We need to find a producer that really understands casting and a broadcaster that is willing to take a chance on something that could become a franchise for them.”

Separately, Pollak said that Electus has some telenovela titles on its radar and wants to pick up the rights to a show, attach sponsors and brand and shop the package into the US. Electus founder Ben Silverman has a track record of exporting novellas having been instrumental in launching Ugly Betty internationally.