NATPE Hot Pick: Through the Keyhole

Through the Keyhole is a solid option for buyers with mainstream audiences – the series brings together humour, intrigue and celebrity, and has comic character Keith Lemon (real name Leigh Francis) presenting.

For Latin American channels at NATPE, those elements could be key, says Sheila Aguirre, senior VP, sales and development for Latin America and US Hispanic at distributor FremantleMedia International.

“Lately, celebrity shows have been trending across Latin America,” she says. “Because of this focus on celebrities, I am confident that Through the Keyhole will be a success. It gives viewers a unique peek into the way that their favourite celebrities live, their lifestyles and things they didn’t know or could have ever imagined.”

Through the Keyhole initially ran on ITV in the UK for more than two decades with the late journalist David Frost hosting but had been on hiatus between 2008 and August 31 last year, when ITV reluanched it with FremantleMedia producer Talkback attached to take on production duties.

The format has been updated but at its core relies on the same notion: a panel of three studio-based celebrities attempt to guess which famous face’s home the presenter is snooping around based on a series of subtle clues.

Lemon, whose creator Francis is best known for near the knuckle comedies such as Bo Selecta!, has toned down his risqué persona in the series, dropping cheeky hints about the identity of the homeowner, meaning it is suitable family viewing. “With a combination of humour and local celebrities, this is a format that clearly works for all channels,” says Aguirre.

“There are many celebrity formats but no others in which the viewers can actually see inside celebrity homes and get a humorous taste of what their life is like,” she adds.

FremantleMedia is expecting both finished and format sales in Miami.

The show: Through the Keyhole

The distributor: FremantleMedia International

The producer: Talkback

The broadcaster: ITV (UK)

The concept: A tongue-in-cheek revival of the popular daytime gameshow series