LA-based distributor TGC Global Entertainment has acquired the international rights to a slate of digital-first dating formats from Elixir, which launched earlier this year to create reality shows for YouTube.
Date on a Plate features four singletons – but only from the neck up. The contestants’ heads emerge from under giant silver cloches, whereupon they compete in a series of surreal compatibility challenges.
In First Dates in Bed, the format starts where a successful date might end – in bed. The series is described as “a bold new experiment in dating…sometimes leading to a genuine connection, sometimes to a ‘cosy disaster.’”
Red Flag Green Flag, meanwhile, challenges contestants to reveal their best and worst qualities to potential partners. According to TGC GE: “The result is comedic, addictive and packed with WTF viral moments, from cringe-worthy confessions to binge-worthy hot takes.”
Finally, fuses the dating and talent genres in a social experiment that asks how much a special gift – be it artistic, musical or athletic – increases your sex appeal. The shiny-floor format sees four contestants show off their unique talents to win their dream date.
TGC GE will present the four formats to buyers at Mipcom later this month. The company’s founder, Phil Gurin, said: “We are now truly in the era where formats can come from anywhere, but right now a fertile ground for the need to be experimental and find audiences quickly is YouTube.
“There’s a distinct difference with what Elixir is doing however – these ideas are not just segments, they are fully realised formats crafted by TV professionals. This is the future of where great formats will spring from but it’s the originality of these shows that sets them apart.
“Elixir has a genius for fun, fast-paced dating formats that are irresistibly watchable, highly shareable and built for today’s audiences. We believe they have the structure, creativity and eyeball stickiness to be replicated around the world in any territory and on any platform, from traditional to digital – just like great formats always have been.”
