Sparks Network News

Sparks distributes the entire production of UK channel Wedding TV. Check fall listings site here

The entire fall listings of Sparks Network will be ready in mid September

Sparks is as getting ready for the bi annual Mip event in Cannes the 4-8th of October 2010. Our new listings will be presented early September but if you already now wants to book a meeting, please contact nathalie@sparksnetwork.com or call +48855609380

The Susamuru format Tourist Guides was extremely well received in Cannes last month. The format has so far been optioned in 10 different countries including Blue Circle - Fremantle (Holland), Monster (Norway), ALF Productions (Russia), OTW (Sweden), Schwartzkopff TV (Germany), Kapa Studios (Greece), Zana Media (Switzerland), ATM Grupa (Poland), Elephant TV (France) . Tourist Guides is a daily docusoap that follows the work of a travel agency's guides in Alanya, Turkey. Tourist Guides scored record ratings on its premiere on the 25th of January 2010 and the viewership has increased ever since. Ratings were the best ever in the broadcaster's 7pm timeslot - more than three times the slot's average. First series was prolonged from 42 to 50 episodes and a second series is commissioned.

Sparks is proud to introduce three new members in the territories Spain, Belgium and China.

Zebra Producciones - Spain Zebra Producciones from Spain was established in 2003 by some of the most influential TV-personalities in the Spanish TV-industry. Zebra has a wide catalogue of productions including films, documentaries, fiction series, reality, factual and entertainment programs both on a national and international level. The company also invests heavily in the development of formats. Zebra has opened production units in several cities in Spain to produce for the local stations and to use them as test markets for their new formats. All in all, Zebra has a clear strategy on how to conquer the TV-market, both domestically and internationally.

Idea Asia Media

Idea Asia Media, based China with headquarters in Shanghai, is one of the key players to enter the complex but increasingly important Chinese market. As a matter of fact, Idea Asia Media has been more successful in placing formats in the Chinese market than any other of the more established international players. Idea Asia Media was founded by Hu Nan, a young entrepreneur that has already impressed the international community with her patient and focussed penetration of the Chinese market.

Sputnik TV

Sputnik TV from Belgium is the latest entry in the Sparks group. They are a fast growing company with a broad variety of formats in most genres, from fiction, factual to kids shows. Sputnik develops line extensions to all their formats and for their most recent success Tournée General - The Belgian Beer Tour, they have produced their own beer brand which has become a success with 200.000 bottles sold in a short period of time! Sputnik TV is one the few true indies in the heavily consolidated Belgian market.

The Ranch, the very successful drama series from ATM Grupa in Poland, is commissioned for a 5th season. 52 episodes has aired with very high ratings on TVP in Poland. The Ranch scored last season an average share of 45% compared to TVPs normal average share of 21%. The Ranch is a drama series about the American women Lucy, who inherits a 100 year old country manor in a small village in the Polish countryside. This is the start of an unusual drama series that has taken Poland by storm.

The hit drama series Ezel, from Ay Yapim in Turkey, is being received extremely well all over the world. 27 episodes has so far been aired with very strong ratings, peaking at 13 million viewers. The format and the scripts will be adapted by BTV in Bulgaria who licensed a first series of 35 episodes with an option for additional 35. Ezel was also extremely successful a few weeks ago in the Ismail Cem Television Awards, the Turkish equivalent to the Emmy Awards, where it won 9 prices including best drama series, best male and female actors and best trailers. Check full episodes here

Sparks Network listings of new formats for the Spring of 2010 including Miptv Sparks is proud to announce the new format line up for the spring of 2010. We are happy to once again conclude the high creative level of the members of Sparks Network as well as producers and broadcasters from around the world that are represented by the Sparks distribution team. If you are not yet set for a Miptv meeting, please contact us at info@sparksnetwork.com.

The entire spring listings can be found at: Spring Listings site

Tourist Guides from Susamuru

Tourist Guides, a work place reality from Susamuru Tourist Guides is a hit television series that chronicles the everyday life of tour guides and their guests in a popular vacation resort. The show is a big hit for Channel 4 in Finland more than doubling the share for the broadcaster. The main characters are the tourist guides, a team of good looking and hard working people that manage hundreds of quests every week. Their work place is a ground for great drama and warm comedy; guests that may be on their first trip abroad ever, others who constantly gets way to drunk, or just normal cute couples on their honey moons.

Battle of the Blades from Insight

Battle of the Blades, Ice hockey stars take on figure skating from Insight Productions Battle of the Blades is a fierce competition of grace and drama, as some of Canada's Olympic elite and world famous female figure skaters team up with eight of the country?£á?s greatest hockey players in this pair figure skating showdown. See what happens when two worlds collide! Battle of the Blades was a huge success for CBC in Canada, and aired in the fall of 2009 scoring an average 1,5 million viewers compare to CBS?£á?s normal prime time average of 713.000. Second series commissioned.

Country Women Cooking from SF

Country Women Cooking, a life style cooking competition from SF The story of seven women from different farms around the country, one from each region. Each woman invites the others for a Saturday night dinner in their own country farm home. This is a dinner competition wrapped in a colorful lifestyle documentary about the life on a farm. Food prepared in the way grandmother did, combined with the story of good real ingredients very far from the modern food industry.

Ezel from Ay Yapim

Ezel, a drama series based on love, crime and revenge from Ay Yapim A young man returning from military service is set up by his friends and fianc?? and ends up in prison for 10 years. By faking his own death in prison, he manages to escape and finds out the truth. From then on, Ezel is determined to get his revenge, but also to understand why the persons he loved did this to him. Ezel is a big success with more than 13 million viewers in Turkey.

How to Become a Millionaire from OTW

How to become a Millionaire, a get rich reality from OTW This is a challenge for two of country?£á?s greatest comedians who will get 5000 euro as a start capital in the first episode. Their goal is to growth the money throughout the series by exploring the world of the rich and successful; two charming Average-Joes venture into big business and rash gambling. With a lot of humor and curiosity they take on topics like venture capital, stock funds and brand building as well as hard core gambling. Premiered in March 2010 in Sweden with very strong ratings.

Tribute Stars

Tribute Stars, a reality talent quest from OTW Tribute Stars is the nation wide search for the best tribute bands. A series of prime time family shows with four bands competing with the biggest hits in history. A panel of experts judges the musical resemblance, the look and the stage show, but the viewers are the ones that finally decide. Tribute Stars picks up the retro-trends established by Guitar Hero, Rockstar and Singstar and has one major advantage compared to other talent quests; most of the Tribute bands do really know how to play the hits of their idols.

Big Bubble from Susamuru

Big Bubble, a kids game show from Susamuru Big Bubble is a game show for comic and cartoon lovers. Targeted on kids between 8 and 12, this fast paced show is full of action, knowledge and fun! Big Bubble also appeals to middle aged comic fans and is excellent entertainment for the whole family. The show is hosted by a live presenter along with the cartoon characters Vincent and Rose as co hosts. Bubble has aired more than 150 episodes in Finland, including specials like celebs against the Big Bubble winners. The show has consistently delivered great ratings peaking at a 60% share for the target group!

Job Show from Imagic

The Job show, a career coaching format from Imagic Confused about what career to choose? Is it hard to find an exciting and interesting job? Worry no longer. Our dream team will take on the mission to go and look for just the right opening available on the market. In a fresh and fast paced package, Job Show is a 45 minute weekly magazine that gives young adults a true insight of a certain career.

Favorite Getaways from OTW

Favorite Getaways, a celebrity adventure show from OTW Every country has its own secret getaways off the beaten path, spots only known by a few - beautiful or even strange locations, just waiting to be discovered and revealed to the viewers. In Favorite Getaways we take the viewers on a fantastic tour, meeting people from all corners of the country, visiting these unknown, gorgeous and unique places. Viewers nominate their favorite getaways and a team of two celebrities visits one location per segment to check out the place.

The reality format Just Married is commissioned by Show TV and is now in pre production in Turkey for a daily run. The format is also beeing piloted in the US by the Sony owned producer Embassy Row. The format is optioned in several other countries around the world.

Just Married is an exhilarating new prime time format in which eight of the nations most eligible celebrity singles are matched up to live as married couples, at least for 48 hours a week.

The competition figure skating showcase Battle of the Blades is the breakout success story of the year for CBC Television in Canada. The original format is created and produced in Toronto by Insight Production Company Ltd. Sparks Network will distribute the series worldwide in a deal announced this week.

- “Battle of the Blades was instantly loved by Canadians from coast to coast and we’re confident the same success can be re-created in any country with an ice sport tradition. The format has already gathered a lot of interest from all over the world and we’re looking forward to working with Sparks on the international launch and distribution of Battle of the Blades” says John Brunton, President and CEO of Insight Productions.

Battle of the Blades is a fierce competition that showcases the grace and beauty of Olympic and World Champion female figure skaters. The women team up with eight of the country’s greatest hockey players to battle it out for the championship title and cash prizes worth over a quarter of a million dollars that will be donated to eight great Canadian charities.

- “Battle of the Blades is a great idea that is very well developed and produced by Insight Productions. The combination of the worlds of ice hockey pros and figure skating ballerinas is simply irresistible”, says Fredrik af Malmborg, Managing Director of Sparks Network

Battle of the Blades premiered in the fall of 2009 and was an instant success. The 14-episode run on CBC in Canada scored a weekly average of 1.5 million viewers. The weekly ratings outperformed audience expectations for a new series launch. The Sunday performance episodes regularly peaked over 2 million viewers and the CBC has already commissioned a second season.

- “Battle of the Blades was such a big hit for CBC Television we've ordered more episodes for next season and look forward to building an ongoing franchise with this unique concept”, says Julie Bristow, Executive Director, Factual Entertainment, CBC Television

Tourist Guides, a docusoap format created by the Finnish indie Susamuru, got record ratings on its premiere on the 25th of January. The first episode attracted over 374000 viewers with a 25 % market share on Channel Four in Finland (Nelonen). Ratings were the best ever in the broadcaster's 7pm timeslot - more than three times the slot's average. The first episode also created a phenomenon on the channel's website Ruutu.fi with more 60.000 unique visitors even before the premiere of the TV show.

Tourist Guides is a daily docusoap that follows the work of travel agency's Detur guides in Alanya, Turkey. The series has 40 episodes and will air from Monday to Thursday until the beginning of April.

- Tourist Guides is a very attractive format both in content and the way of producing it. Together with our Turkish partners we can put together a unique package which enables a fast and very easy production in Alanya", says Mr. Kari Voutila, the CEO of Susamuru.

- We are thrilled about the success of the show. Nelonen is strong in the docusoap genre and this strengthens us further. We firmly believe that the format has a chance to succeed also internationally", says Mr. Mikko Silvennoinen, Head of Domestic Programming on Nelonen.

- Tourist Guides is a great format. All channels are looking for prime access programming and the Tourist Guides offers a solution. This format has already gathered a lot of interest from buyers all over the world.", comments Mr. Nicola Söderlund , President of Spark Network.

The format Tourist Guides including co-production location is distributed world wide by Sparks Network.