Do you like a mystery? Reality television? And drama? 10’s The Traitors is set to debut this Sunday, and with a new format comes fresh opportunities for brands.
You have to give it to Network 10. The network isn’t afraid to try new formats, and The Traitors is part reality television show, part real-life version of Cluedo.
Ciaran Flannery, the executive producer at Paramount ANZ, explained that as soon as he saw a version of The Traitors in Holland, he was determined to get it made for an Australian audience.
He said: “I was desperate to get this show. We are looking for new formats and ideas, and this just seemed the perfect format!”
Plus, you can see the appeal of creating something new. You can hear the excitement in his voice, and he said: “Everything was a surprise because it was a brand-new format. It was a social experience, and you’ve got these 24 people that have moved into a spooky hotel and the paranoia that creates and the finger-pointing.”
“It’s a murder mystery made real!”
Plus, Flannery is enamoured with the fact he is giving audiences something new. “You look at Survivor, Big Brother, they rely on popularity to win. Whereas this show is clean and pure, it’s about winning a game, and the person that walks away has to be the most cunning not the most liked.”
The Traitors is hosted by Rodger Corser. The Aussie actor is known for making characters feel relatable and raw, and he is lending his talents to make the reality show, feel more like real-life than fabricated fun.
The show involves a bunch of ‘traitors’ living amongst the ‘faithful’, deceiving and lying their way to the prize. Basically, you never know who to trust as you compete to win.
Corser told B&T, “I was approached out of the blue for the role.” However, he decided to switch up acting for hosting when producers explained to him that the role would be, “built around me.”
It’s a role that has allowed Corser to have tons of fun. He can lean into playing the role of the spooky host, but he also found that, “The experience was an interesting insight into human nature.”
He also admitted it was a change working with reality television stars over trained actors. He said, “Having someone in your ear, can take some getting used to. Plus, you work fast, and you aren’t working with actors, so the reactions are unpredictable.”
So with a show like The Traitors? Who are they hoping the show appeals to?
Tamar Hovagimian, Partnership Director Effect, Paramount ANZ told B&T, “It appeals to people of all ages,” However, she also realises it may attract a different audience than, say, Masked Singer, “I think we will get more of a Hunted type audience.”
But, Hovagimian is also excited about this show because it’s been such a hit internally: “Internally, we are just obsessed with this show as Hunted. It’s addictive, and it’s fresh,” she explained.
Plus, a new format gives brands opportunities to play in a whole new way, “There was a real opportunity to stand out unexpectedly. It created innovative opportunities for brands, and we’ve been able to customise ideas for brands,” she said.
“New shows always create new opportunities for brands!”
The Traitors debuts this Sunday.
