BBC Worldwide to hypnotise MIPCOM format buyers

BBC Worldwide is bringing two hypnotists from its You’re Back in the Room format to MIPCOM and the pair will hypnotise acquisitions execs in a live show.

Keith Barry from the UK version of the entertainment series and Stéphane Rotenberg from the French version will entrance buyers at the event. Worldwide, the commercial arm of the UK pubcaster, will be shopping the format in Cannes.

It was created by UK indie Tuesday’s Child Television and has already been bought by W9 in France and RTL in the Netherlands.

The Great British Bake Off

Worldwide announced a trio of format sales ahead of the market. The Great Bake Off has been picked up by Romanian free-to-air broadcaster Pro TV. It has now been sold into 21 countries.

Elsewhere, SVT in Sweden has ordered an 8x60mins local version of Street Doctor and, also in Scandinavia, Denmark’s TV2 has ordered another season of its version of sports quiz A Question of Sport for its TV2 Sports channel.

Kate Phillips, creative director, formats, BBC Worldwide said: “With MIPCOM fast approaching I’m extremely proud to announce our new format deals, including yet another sale for the increasingly popular The Great Bake Off.”

She added: “I’m especially pleased that You’re Back in the Room’s Keith and Stéphane will be joining us in Cannes and giving buyers an unforgettable experience with an exclusive live hypnosis event.”

Worldwide said it will launch 12 new formats at the market and the slate includes One in a 1000, Strictly Come Dancing spin-off The People’s Strictly and motoring magazine series Mud, Sweat and Gears.

The car show was originally ordered by Worldwide for its international channels as a companion piece to Top Gear.