MIPTV News: Eccho Rights wants to Crack Them Up

Scandinavia-based distributor Eccho Rights is launching a Ukrainian comedy panel format with a twist at MIPTV.

Crack Them Up sees members of the public attempt to make a fair of comedian panelists laugh, gaining cash in the process. The ‘reverse’ panel show’s host can award money for even the slightest hint of a smile on the comics’ faces.

“There are lots of comedy panel shows out there but the fun thing with Crack Them Up is ordinary people come in and try to crack up two judges, who are professional comedians. It’s the panel’s job to keep a straight face if they can,” Eccho Rights’ director of sales and acquisitions Mia Engstrom told TBI.

The show comes from Studio Kvartal 95 and broadcast on Ukrainian channel Inter TV, where it went out in 10x60mins formats. “It has done very well there and made a big impression, and we’ve already received lots of interest,” said Engstrom.

Eccho Rights is the sales division of the merged Sparks Network and Ecchomedia companies, which came together last year.

In further news, Eccho Rights has sold its Japanese game show format Hide and Seek into the US. Jack Black’s production company Electric Dynamite will coproduce a localised version with Santa Monica-based T Group Productions, the latter of whom will shop the show to US networks over coming weeks.