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Gerald Fenech
To be authorised under Endemol’s “Big Brother” franchise, a local version would require a custom-built house, whilst CCTV cameras of the kind used in Watermelon Productions’ L-Ispjun would fall short of the “broadcast quality” demanded by the exacting Dutch company.
These details emerged after Malta Today contacted Endemol to enquire about the production standards of such a show, in the light of the drama that went on within and without L-Ispjun over the past few weeks.
Asked about the procedure to acquire a license to produce a ‘Big Brother’ style programme, Endemol’s head of corporate and public relations, Charlie Gardner, confirmed that the company has a team of licensing managers who have sold this format all over the world.
“They are the first point of contact for all broadcasters. If commercial terms can be agreed upon then a licence would be granted for exploitation of the format in that particular territory”.
Asked about the production requirements for such a show, Gardner explained that a team of international consultants ensure that the format is adapted to local cultural needs, albeit still retaining all the mechanisms that make it function as a compelling series.
“We have exacting standards of production and expect all our licensees to produce high quality television that is accompanied, where possible and appropriate, with a full range of digital offerings. In the same way that we aim to be innovative and trend setting in our creativity, we would expect the technical standards of a local production of an Endemol format to be at the forefront of the market, setting a standard for others to aspire to.”
Endemol’s head of PR would not reveal the cost a license for the Big Brother franchise; however, he did add that it would be “commensurate with rates in each market that licences the format”.
The above exacting standards may explain the seriousness with which Endemol took the challenge posed by local reality show L-Ispjun, which the Dutch company claimed breached the franchise’s copyright. Last Tuesday, court marshals sequestered the studio set, although a ruling on Wednesday allowed the programme to go ahead as planned. In the final minutes, producer Pierre Portelli made an unexpected appearance on stage looking visibly drawn and harrowed. He thanked all those who made the programme possible and made particular reference to the past days “which were extremely difficult for us.”
Another quirk in the whole scheme of things was the fact that the winner will be pocketing EUR 25,000… less the expenses defrayed for damages caused inside the house: a raw deal indeed. Add to that, the winner will be receiving the cheque in four months’ time… but apparently sources inform MaltaToday that this was part of the contract conditions. It is also not known if the final contestants will receive any compensation due to the fact that the programme finished two weeks before it was supposed to end. |
