EXCLUSIVE: Mystery formats continue to reveal themselves in the international formats world.
France’s TF1 and Fremantle have teamed up to create Master of the Game, which is billed as a psychological reality series in which a group of celebrities team up to become sleuths.
The format sees twelve celebs given a cryptic invitation to play a twist-and-turn mystery game with the promise of a substantial cash prize. Their deceptively simple task is to identify the ‘Master of the Game,’ a charismatic and enigmatic figure who remains hidden while orchestrating the entire experience. One of the twelve, however, is secretly working with the Master to mislead the others.
The contestants will face experiences such as the Room of 100 Faces, a gallery of potential suspects. They will look to solve puzzles and tackle immersive challenges as they balance cooperation with competition. At the end of each episode is a tense voting ceremony, where a suspected accomplice is eliminated and the Master can be quizzed.
Commercial network TF1 and Fremantle France created the format together. Fremantle will produce the series and is shopping the format on the international market. A launch date of October 11 has been set, with Laurent Ruquier the host. Celebrities cast are Elsa Bois, Max Boublil, Cartman, Valérie Damidot, Frédéric Diefenthal, Arnaud Ducret, Claire Francisci-Ducret, Jeanfi Janssens, Kody, Chantal Ladesou, Sarah Mortensen and Francis Perrin.
“Creating a format from A to Z with Fremantle was a brilliant adventure,” said Julien Degroote, EVP Content Development at TF1. “Their creativity was impressive, and the quality of the production, down to the smallest detail, means we can offer premium content to our viewers. Master of the Game fits perfectly with our strategy of offering event-based family entertainment that encourages joint viewing and engagement.”
Degroote added viewers would have the chance to “transform themselves into a detective from their own living room,” and would be “investigating with passion, but also laughing out loud at the antics of the accomplice.”
Mystery formats with psychological elements have been driving the formats market forward since the explosion of The Traitors on networks such as the BBC and NBC, with many sources in the market pointing out the longevity of the trend and need for new formats in the space. TF1 and Fremantle will be hoping Masters of the Game fits the bill.
“It has been a pleasure to team up with TF1 alongside our brilliant team in France to produce and develop this epic and innovative new format,” said Andrew Llinares, Director of Global Entertainment at Fremantle.
“Master of the Game is a fresh take on the psychological reality genre, which promises to keep viewers on the edge of their seats as they play along at home – with lots of shocking twists and turns as the celebrity investigators get to work on a range of innovative and immersive challenges to uncover the identity of the Master. We can’t wait for the first adaption to premiere in France and look forward to launching the format in other international markets.”
