DRG ties with Duck Quacks prodco ahead of market

DRG has struck a first-look deal with Duck Quacks Don’t Echo prodco Magnum Media.

The UK-based distributor will launch a new format from the UK indie, The Twelve Stars of Christmas, at MIPCOM.

The deal gives DRG first-look at all new Magnum formats over the next two years, and the distributor will also sell selected catalogue titles from the producer.

Magnum specialises in entertainment formats and makes Duck Quacks Don’t Echo, which has run to six seasons on Sky in the UK and is distributed by Sky Vision. The prodco previously had a first-look with FremantleMedia.

It was created in 2009, by Andy Auerbach (The Big Breakfast) and Dean Nabarro (Fantasy Football League).

“Magnum Media is without a doubt one of the most creative and commercial independent format producers working in the UK today,” said Katy Cundall, senior VP acquisitions at DRG, who brokered the deal.

“We are really delighted that they have put their faith in DRG and see us as the best partner to maximise their valuable IP on the international market.”

Auerbach said: “DRG is exactly what we are looking for in a distribution partner as it combines the deal-making experience of a global distributor with the passion and entrepreneurial spirit of a small company. As such, it is a perfect fit for Magnum and we are thrilled to be working with the DRG team to create the next big global format.”

The Twelve Stars of Christmas was commissioned by Channel 4 and challenges three celebrities to each win prizes for the audience by answering questions about 2016, delivered by famous faces hiding behind the doors of a giant Advent Calendar.

The show will be one of DRG’s new formats for MIPCOM. Its others include Animal Attraction, a Norwegian format created by NRK’s in-house team.

The show is a twist on the dating genre, and tests whether would-be couples can be paired off based on biological factors alone. Tests include smelling a prospective partner’s urine and listening to men roar. NRK recently commissioned a second season of the show.

Also out of Scandinavia, DRG will launch survival reality format Living Stone at the market. The Strix show sends couples into the wilderness and follows them as they try to find civilisation.

Out of Ireland, TMI is a hidden camera prank show in which millennials use social media to trick each other.

The distributor will also have new seasons of evergreen gameshow format Fifteen to One, which has just received a 100-episode order from Channel 4 in the UK.