ITV to Air British Version of Beat Your Host

30 January 2008

MUNICH: SevenOne International has announced that British broadcaster ITV is developing a local version of ProSieben’s Beat Your Host game-show format, titled Beat The Star.

Hosted by Vernon Kay, the U.K. version will differ from the German concept by featuring a celebrity to compete with a member of the public. Similar to the ProSieben version, the two will have to take part in a number of competitions, including sports, knowledge and dexterity. If the contestant beats the celebrity opponent, the contestant will win 50,000 pounds. If the celebrity wins, the money will rollover, leaving a 100,000 pounds jackpot in the following show.

The eight-episode series is currently in production and will air later this year. The series is executive produced by Matt Paice for Diverse Productions, Ed Forsdick, the managing director of Gallowgate Productions, and Jörg Grabosch, the managing director of BrainPool.

“Right from the start, Beat Your Host has captured the attention of the international TV market thanks to its innovative concept and high audience shares,” said Jens Richter, the managing director of SevenOne International. “In ITV, we’ve found the perfect partner to adapt the show to one of the world’s most important TV markets. Beat Your Host undoubtedly benefits from its extraordinary concept, and attracts audiences because of the strong visual experiences that the competitions offer.”

Duncan Gray, ITV’s controller of entertainment, commented: “Beat The Star is a hugely dramatic piece of event TV—it takes the thrills and spills of a sporting event and combines it with the emotion and jeopardy of a high-stakes game show. ITV is thrilled to have this project and we can’t wait to see it in our schedule.”

World Screen, Ned Berke, 2008-01-30