Petter, how did you come up with the idea for this innovative format?
Here at FremantleMedia we’re always on the lookout for big, creative ideas and news ways that audiences can enjoy watching and interacting with our brands. Our relationship with The Future Group inspired the idea for Lost in Time. The Norwegian tech company were looking for an opportunity to develop their innovative technology to use in television. We had a lot of ideas before we landed Lost in Time. The idea started as a “a journey in time” and from which point we developed the gameplay, the format structure and actual format. When using technological advances such as this one, the key is to let the tech enhance and enable the storytelling and not to focus on just the tech element of the show.
How long did it take you to develop the format together with The Future Group?
We’ve been developing the project for a number of years. Bård Anders Kasin, co-founder and CEO of The Future Group, had previously worked on the special effects in The Matrix trilogy movies. We used his experience from Hollywood and tried to adapt it to work for traditional family. So, approximately it took three years and it became more and more intense before we entered into production which was before Christmas in 2016.
Could you tell us more about the technology behind it?
It’s the type of technology that is used in Hollywood special effects. It is a product called Interactive Mixed Reality (IMR) which has been developed by The Future Group, our co-producers on the show. With IMR we can put players in to the ‘eras’ that feature in the gameshow. The technology has been further developed to make it more accessible so that the format, if commissioned in other territories will be cost effective.
How did you pitch the idea to the channel? It doesn’t sound like an easy pitch.
The pitch was always “a very ambitious and exciting project” and also “a family entertainment show”. It was because of that and because of the very impactful opportunity with the supporting app that the viewers at home can play alongside the TV show, the pitch became “the next generation of family entertainment” offering these opportunities beyond traditional TV shows. Luckily, I met with Mr. Landsverk who is always seeking something new. TVNorge has been a great partner on Lost in Time.
How will you combine the TV and VR elements? Could we consider VR as “TV-friendly” now that this show has arrived?
We don’t call it VR because VR uses goggles. It is rather VR developed into something new, a brand new technology. As of now, you can’t see the eyes or the face of the contestants if you’re using VR, so you lose the emotion of the contestants. With Interactive Mixed Reality, players are put into computer graphic environments and we combine this technology with the app so the viewers can play along while watching the TV show.
What is the structure of the format?
Three complete strangers form the team and they are competing for a team jackpot. They have to take on five challenges. Only one of them can play in a challenge and they have to decide between themselves who will be the one to take on the challenge. They collect money and have to reach a minimum to add to the overall jackpot and there is a drama element because when they have reached the minimum they can stop playing and the time left for the challenge they can take for themselves so that they can add more time to their endgame which they play for themselves because only one can win the team jackpot. The challenges include driving, shooting, logic and obstacles and they are all set in six different time eras: the Ice Age, the Jurassic Age, the Middle Ages, the Roaring 20s in Manhattan and the Space Age. As a team they have to work together to collect money but as an individual they have to have a strategy in order to find a way to be the winner in the end.
How will this combine with the viewers competing against them?
Viewers can play along using their app at home. They have the exact same challenge and the same time to complete it. And in each show we will split the viewers’ demographic in two, so for example, one week it could be North vs South and the next it may be women vs men, so if the Women perform better than the Men then we pick one of the female viewers randomly and this TV viewer can win the same amount of money that the contestant on the show wins.
Obviously, playing thru the app can happen at any time and people can play the same challenges throughout the week. The app will be a stand-alone platform and during the actual TV show the TV and app elements will be synchronized.
How important is this show for your company?
It’s very important for us in Norway and at FremantleMedia to stand at the forefront of the TV market and we always look for ways to introduce something new, ambitious and also disruptive, if possible. We strongly believe that this show is something new for the TV market. It is indeed a new direction for family entertainment, the next generation of family entertainment.
TVNorge have decided to schedule Lost in Time on Saturday night which is quite competitive in Norway. Do you agree with this decision? Isn’t this too risky?
I really admire them for putting the show in that slot but the weekend is indeed when the family watches TV together and this way the parents and the children can play along and compete with each other. With TVNorge scheduling Lost in Time at 8 o’clock is very ambitious.
How will you approach international buyers with this show?
The show looks amazing and includes technology which is now accessible but it is also a great family entertainment show and we will present it as “the next generation of family entertainment”. I think a lot of broadcasters around the world are looking for something different that can capture the imaginations of the whole family and play it out in a primetime slot – Lost in Time is exactly that. It appeals to all ages, to the ‘screenagers’ that want second screen action whilst they watch TV and to those who just want to watch something entertaining.
How easy is to produce and adapt it in different markets? Is it an expensive show to make?
We have taken the difficulties away by setting up a hub in Oslo so they just have to bring a flying crew and the contestants and they will use the Norwegian set. We think this is the best way: to have the technology here, control it fully and have the technology experts in The Future Group on hand. This also makes it very cost-effective.
The Nordics are very technically advanced markets. Will the show also be easy to sell in other markets?
I think so. I agree that the Nordic countries are at the forefront of technology but I haven’t been in a country yet where they have no apps and don’t use smartphones. So, as long there are apps, smartphones and TV sets the format can be produced for any market. Another thing is that this show is extremely sponsorship-friendly. TVNorge have had to say a lot of NOs and push back interest from sponsors because the ads can be easily be integrated within the show and the apps but they can also use the technology for commercials. I guess it must have been a fantastic situation to be able to say No to so many brands and sponsors.
Eivind, you were among the first people to see the potential of this format. What made you go for it?
I get a lot of pitches of different formats during the year and I have to say I have never seen anything like this before – fresh and innovative. And when I got the pitch at a table in Tjuvholmen in Oslo I was sitting 30 centimeters above my chair because it was so thrilling to send real people into virtual reality on screen. And when you add the “play at home” effect, this made the format into a brand new TV experience to me. I just haven’t seen anything like it before. And as a broadcaster that’s what we aim for all the time.
How would you describe this format shortly?
Lost in Time is not only a new gameshow. It’s a unique combination of game based linear TV and digital participation brought right into your living room. By combining gaming technology and special effects known from major Hollywood productions viewers are being introduced to a fun entertainment night for the whole family. We put real people into a virtual world on screen and then let the viewers participate through their smartphones or tablet while they’re sitting at home. To top it off, we double the prize money so the viewers at home can compete for the same prize.
Norwegian TV is known for launching revolutionary formats but this one seems to be the most revolutionary by far. Do you think the viewers are ready for Lost in Time?
You never know! You have to take risks to succeed, and I certainly wouldn’t have invested in the show if I didn’t think the viewers will like it. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win! I have played around in the app and I was surprised at how intuitive the home experience was. I believe that this is a revolutionary show. We need to stretch our imagination and keep aiming to deliver fresh new formats.
How hard is it to find the right slot for such type of show? What audience are you trying to reach?
I think the format is tailor-made for family viewing with it’s strong competition driver. We are hoping it will trigger interest both for viewing and the interaction part with the app. We have decided to schedule the show in primetime on Saturdays. It is a little bit bold but we think it is the best slot to reach families enjoying time together. With the current situation in Norway with fierce competition on Fridays, we will launch the show in Saturday primetime. The first season will have eight episodes.
Is Discovery planning to take this show to its other markets?
It might happen. The format will be presented in Cannes at MIPTV by Fremantle who hope to get interest from other markets. For us, at Discovery Nordics, it is natural that Norway launch first, and then we look at our experience before we expand it to the rest of the Nordic region where we have lots of entertainment channels. The Nordics might be a relevant market for this show.
The gameshow genre has always been big for entertainment channels around the world. They are mostly scheduled in daytime and access primetime but because of this technology and the participation model I think it has great potential in primetime. ▪
