UK commercial channel ITV has commissioned a fourth season of Long Lost Family, its version of long running Dutch format Find My Family. The recommission comes after the Wall to Wall-produced Long Lost Family won the Royal Television Society award for Best Popular Factual programme. Absolutely Independent distributes the format, which has run for more […]
The sales and marketing director of Netherlands-based formats house Absolutely Independent is exiting the company after nearly five years, TBI has learned. Gertjan van Valen has told colleagues he was exiting last week and that company CEO Patty Geneste and other staff members will assume his duties in the short term. TBI understands he is moving to […]
Patty Geneste, chairman, FRAPA and CEO Absolutely Independent and Gertjan van Valen, marketing & sales director, Absolutely Independent, indulge in some formats trend-spotting. It is a good time to reflect on some of the trends we have seen in the format world over the last year. Personality driven reality shows, with the likes of Jersey […]
A Swedish broadcaster has acquired the Australian version of Find My Family, the much-travelled factual entertainment format. Among deals scored at MIPTV last week, TV4 bought all 42 episodes of the Quail Television-produced show, which broadcast on Seven Network, from distributor Absolutely Independent. The Dutch-created format, in which families are reunited, has previously been sold […]
A new Absolutely Independent format that takes Dutch rappers on a life-changing trip to the Canadian wilderness is heading for Cannes. Rappers in the Snow, which comes from iCare Producties, follows well-known Dutch hip hop artists Negativ, Keizer, Brace and Darryl as they trade in their rapper lifestyles for an expedition to Canada. Based on […]
Dutch distributor Absolutely Independent has entered into a “multi-layered” partnership with the video division of Netherlands media giant Telegraaf Media Groep. The deal will see the pair exchange content and develop and coproduced new programmes for the Dutch broadcast market. As part of the deal, Absolutely’s format catalogue, which includes the likes of The Exit List, […]
Imagine Nation has bought a 50% stake in Netherlands-based formats distributor Absolutely Independent. Imagine Nation is the new company set up by ex-Sony and 2waytraffic boss Kees Abrahams and theatre impresario Robin de Levita, and Abrahams becomes co-chairman of Absolutely, alongside its founder and chief executive Patty Geneste. “I was looking for the right partner […]
