Exclusive: France’s ‘The A Talks’ lands in Spain, with options struck in UK, Australia & Nordics

The A Talks (aka Les Rencontres du Papotin)

Mediaset Spain has ordered an eight-episode series of The A Talks, the French format first produced for France 2 that featured president Emmanuel Macron earlier this year.

The series is being produced by Banijay’s Shine Iberia and will see popular celebrities facing a group of 30 interviewers, each of whom has ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

The interviewers then pose a raft of surprising, unpredictable, sometimes funny and sometimes poignant questions to the celebrity, promptingmore honest responses.

The format, which is sold by Arnaud Renard and Damien Porte’s distribution firm Can’t Stop, is based on the original Les Rencontres du Papotin, which was created by Quad+Ten and Kiosco TV for France 2.

It was recently extended with a 20-episode order, following interviews with French President Emmanuel Macron, with that episode becoming the most watched unscripted show ever on streamer France.TV.

Spain becomes the second country to adapt the format following TVN Warner Bros Discovery in Poland picking up rights earlier this year, with production starting later this week.

Options have also been signed with Warner Bros International TV Production (WBITVP) for Flemish Belgium and the Netherlands, while Fremantle has rights in the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland).

Banijay has optioned in Portugal and Israel; Ballandi in Italy; Seapoint in Germany; Avanti in Quebec; Rockerdale Studios in the UK; Mark Fennessy’s Helium in Australia and New Zealand; and Kite Entertainment in Ireland.

Porte told TBI: “This show is content at its best. Kind, surprising, funny, emotional, and inclusive. We can’t wait to see these first of many adaptations spread the positivity around Autistic Syndrome Disorder.”