Sales round-up: ‘Michael Palin Into Iraq’ pick ups; Banijay takes ‘Fortune Hotel’ rights; Mondo TV inks ‘Grisù’ deal

Michael Palin Into Iraq

‘Michael Palin Into Iraq’ pick ups

SBS Australia and BBC Earth Asia have acquired travel series Michael Palin Into Iraq, among a slew of international deals for the series struck by distributor Orange Smarty.

NRK Norway, YLE Finland, Virgin Media Television Ireland, VRT Belgium, RTV Slovenia, HRT Croatia, HOT8 Israel and FTV Prima Czech Republic have also acquired the 3 x 52-minute series, which follows actor and TV presenter Palin on a 1,000-mile odyssey along the course of the great Tigris river, from its source in eastern Turkey to its mouth in the Persian Gulf.

SBS has also acquired a package of nearly 50 hours of content, including Myths & Legends, Paul O’Grady’s Little Heroes and Stacey Dooley: Stalkers.

NBC New Zealand, meanwhile, has picked up around 80 hours of A Place in the Sun and 12 hours of Stacey Dooley-fronted programming, including the presenter and journalist’s latest documentary for the BBC, Stacey Dooley: Ready for War.

Banijay takes ‘Fortune Hotel’ rights

Banijay has acquired the global distribution rights to new ITV1 and ITVX UK reality entertainment series, The Fortune Hotel.

In a deal negotiated by Banijay Rights with Tuesday’s Child – the producer behind reality format, LEGO Masters – Banijay will represent the format, with distribution arm, Banijay Rights, handling finished tape sales for the new primetime series, which invites viewers into a luxury Caribbean resort filled with glamour, opulence and deception.

Hosted by Stephen Mangan, the 8 x 60-minute series will see 10 pairs of contestants arrive at The Fortune Hotel, where they will each be given an all-important briefcase. However, only one plays home to the ultimate cash jackpot. Eight are empty, and one contains the dreaded Early Checkout Card – whichever pair is left holding that at the end of each show will see their stay brought to a dramatic, and premature, end.

The Fortune Hotel will launch on ITV1 and ITVX in 2024, produced by creators Tuesday’s Child who also retain the rights to produce the format in the US.

Grisù

Mondo TV inks ‘Grisù’ deal

Mondo TV Group has sold exclusive Chinese VOD rights to its new children’s series Grisù to Youku.

Mondo TV Group, Toon2Tango, Calidra and ZDF Studios are jointly co-producing the new series, which is based on the classic property Grisù, created by its original authors Nino and Toni Pagot. The brand-new 52 x 12-minute series of Grisù will make its small screen debut with a premiere on Rai Yoyo in Italy around Christmas 2023.

The series follows the adventures of Grisù, a brave, positive, determined young dragon – just like the firefighter he wants to be when he gets older. There’s just one problem: he is supposed to be a fire-breathing dragon when he grows up.