Avalon extends its Nordic footprint with further remakes
Taskmaster is set to be localised for the Norwegian and Finnish markets.
MTV Finland and Norway’s Discovery have ordered local versions of Avalon’s award-winning comedy game show Taskmaster.
Rabbit Films is making Finland’s MTV series Suurmestari (The Big Master), while the Norwegian adaptation of the Alex Horne creation, Simon Says (“Kongen befaler”), is a co-production between Nordisk Film TV and Concorde TV.
Both series will run to 10 x 60 minutes and the orders bolster the show’s presence in the Nordic region.
Sweden’s adaptation, Best in Test! (Bäst i Test), is entering its fourth series on SVT 1 and, this year, won programme of the year at Sweden’s TV Academy Awards, while a third series of Metronome’s Danish adaptation Stormester is in production for TV2.
Head of drama and development at MTV Finland Jani Hartikainen said: “The show is lots of fun and very entertaining and has a strong potential in the prime time. We see it as perfect match for our main channel MTV3.
“The strong track record of the show in Sweden and Denmark was essential when picking up the show for the main channel.”
Meanwhile, Discovery Networks Norway’s senior vice-president of content Eivind Landsverk said the channel’s adaptation will be used to launch new talent.
The Taskmaster programme and format combined has been sold to 160 countries, with the latest orders taking the remake total to seven.
The show started its life on Dave and its ninth series is currently airing on the UKTV Channel.
Its eighth series averaged 1.8m viewers.
Avalon director of distribution Isobel Hughes said: “The format is so highly original and fun, and it’s been wonderful to see the talent drawn in to take the all-powerful position of the Taskmaster by other broadcasters.”
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