Show of the week: Who’s Who?

In a risk-averse formats world, Who’s Who? has a good chance of jumping the queue in the battle for buyers’ attention thanks to solid ratings from various international territories, and on-air success as an access and a primetime show.

The format sees three contestants race to find out the occupations or hobbies of six guests. They can ask the guests questions or make them perform challenges as they seek to work out who has which job or interest.

Created by now-defunct UK indie Rose Bay Media and Noel Gay Television, the format has been picked up by KABO International, the distribution arm of France-based production group KABO. With its Pick ‘n’ Mix comedy-sketch formats selling well, it was looking for a gameshow format in a wider attempt to broaden its formats offering.

“We were strong in scripted, but want to offer buyers all of the formats food groups; we want to have gameshow, entertainment, factual and drama formats,” says Kabo International boss Arabelle Pouliot-Di Crescenzo. “You can’t have a formats distribution company without a great gameshow format.”

Who’s Who? is KABO’s gameshow offering, and launched at MIPCOM. Strictly speaking, it is a relaunch, as the show has been on air across Europe. It ran for six years on France 2, initially as an access primetime series and then as a celebrity-based primetime special.

“It is a game we all play every day, trying to work out what people we see on the street or in everyday life do,” says Pouliot-Di Crescenzo.

It has also gone out on NRK in Norway, SVT in Sweden – where today it resold for a new spring 2016 version – and TV2 in Denmark, among other broadcasters. In Sweden at 8pm, it peaked with a 45% share. In France it averaged a 22% share, and in Norway, also in primetime, it had a peak share of 78%.

Sony Pictures Television France and Sony-backed Gogglebox Entertainment have also picked up option rights in their respective territories.

“Our strategy is focused on the many countries that have not yet done it, as well as others that may want to bring it back,” says Pouliot-Di Crescenzo. “This can be access or primetime, with more spectacular challenges and performances. Some formats can’t be adapted for different slots, but this has worked in both and has gone out as a one-hour, two-hour and 30-minute show.”

The show performed well in several territories, de-risking it for buyers, the KABO boss says. “Why do people acquire a format? The concept has to be good, but a track record is a great selling point. With Who’s Who?you get that and a solid gameshow format. From a budget point of view it is reasonable to make, the casting is very important, but the set itself isn’t elaborate.”

The show: Who’s Who?
The distributor: KABO International
The producer Rose Bay Media, Noel Gay TV
The concept: Classic gameshow format based around hobbies