How Fox built a primetime format out of ‘Snake Oil’

Idea to Iteration is a new regular strand that explores how a show has gone from being the kernel of a thought to a format with global potential. First up, Fox Entertainment’s Snake Oil.

“As someone who spends way too much time online shopping and specialises in buying random products I may never use, Snake Oil really speaks to me,” says Allison Wallach, president of unscripted programming at Fox Entertainment.

Allison Wallach

The format debuted on Fox in the US last month and is now being taken to market for the first time at MIPCOM. It looks to turn the wheel on the veteran sales pitch shows such as Dragons’ Den (aka Shark Tank) – and similar concepts such as Billion Dollar Buyer and Million Pound Menu – by adding a layer of glitz and glamour, as well as a healthy dose of competition, to the familiar recipe.

Idea on the page

The format’s origins lie with Duncan McIntosh, VP of development at Fox Alternative Entertainment (FAE), who became intrigued by the way products of varying quality found an audience.

“He’s a Brit who has lived in America for a long while and is fascinated by the myriad of consumer goods available here and the pathway they need to take to successfully break through the clutter,” Wallach tells TBI.

“It’s amazing how a person can create a product – whether it be completely normal or entirely insane – and sell it to customers before realising they even want or need it. It’s pretty simple when you think of it after the fact, but we wanted to create a gameshow that takes a fun look at this premise.”

The initial concept was a hybrid of ideas, combining comedy and play-along elements that would engage viewers.

Contestants are pitched unique products by entrepreneurs, some of whom are showcasing real business ventures and others who are ’snake oil salesmen’ with products that are fake. To progress, contestants have to guess the real products and which are a sham, with a cash prize lying in wait for the winner.

“Development took approximately a year and there was a lot of discussion about the products we wanted to feature and how we could make sure that they feel real, even if they weren’t,” Wallach adds.

“That was key because it’s crucial to the play along. We also talked about the structure and mechanics of the game. Things like, how do you go from one round to the next; how do the rounds differ; and can contestants poach ideas?”

Talent & greenlight

Central to the format was a comedic element and David Spade was secured as ‘ringmaster’, to offer up “trademark sarcasm, coupled with a troupe of up-and-coming comedic actors who hilariously bring each product’s infomercial to life,” Wallach says.

“It’s a brilliant, broad viewing experience because you have these ridiculous products and services you can debate with your family while watching and letting the contestants and celebrity advisors help guide you along throughout the entire episode,” she says.

Will Arnett was also onboard via his Electric Avenue Productions, with the Lego Masters presenter’s company keen to cement in the concept of “a payoff for everyone”, Wallach continues.

“You want the competition to be meaningful for the contestants, who are playing for life-changing money, so the stakes are high. But we also needed to make it fun and suspenseful for the audience and that’s where David Spade and celebrity advisors like Will, Rob Riggle, Christie Brinkley, J.B. Smoove, Bethenny Frankel and others came in.”

With the format developed and talent attached, FAE took the project to Rob Wade at Fox earlier this year and it was formally greenlit in April.

Its ‘in-house’ nature made the process simpler and Wallach says it was “an easy call to move forward with it, especially when we nailed down the format with the help of our showrunner, Neal Konstantini, and had Will and David attached.”

Production & travels

With the show’s budget and greenlight secured earlier this year, Wallach and the FAE team, along with Arnett’s Electric Avenue, got ready to move into production.

Having made the products – both real and fake – the creation of the infomercials that would bring lightness to the show were created.

Ahead of production, Wallach says the main challenges revolved around “getting the balance between the comedic elements of David and infomercials and the suspense of gameplay just right,” with “strong hooks” required to keep the viewer engaged.

With talent, contestants, assets and production schedule in place, the show started filming over the summer in Atlanta with the first show going out 27 September. It was handed the slot that immediately followed the premiere of The Masked Singer season 10, providing a welcome boost for the new entrant.

With the show’s first season now on air in the US, Fox’s alternative division is taking the format to the international market at MIPCOM.

“This is a format we think has great potential, given its play along premise and business/product element that’s applicable to every territory,” Wallach says.

“There hasn’t been a new and fresh business-oriented gameshow on the market in a while, and we think Snake Oil can fill that void. We’ve had some preliminary discussions with key buyers and are looking forward to holding more during MIPCOM.”