Format

A spectacular and ambitious new format is about to be broadcast on French public television. L’Anneau (The Ring) will air on France 2 on Tuesday, 30 December at 9:10 pm. For the first time, the channel has opted for 45-minute episodes to emphasise the serialised nature of the concept, with three episodes being broadcast back-to-back.
This adventure game was developed by David Rosconval and Jérôme Pichot from French TV, along with Jérôme Caza from 2P2L Groupe, in response to a call for projects from France Télévisions. It is being produced in collaboration with the production companies 2P2L and French TV.
As the title suggests, the main concept is a gradually shrinking ring that serves as the playing area from which contestants are not permitted to escape. 13 anonymous contestants (7 women and 6 men) find themselves in extreme mountain conditions at an altitude of 2.500 metres in the Mercantour region of the Alps, under 24-hour pressure from the ring. They must coexist with the Ring, a circle of energy that controls the game and the flow of time. Represented by a red circle that appears in almost every shot, the Ring communicates with the contestants via a connected watch nicknamed the ‘Sting’. The contestants’ goal is to never leave the Ring, otherwise they will be eliminated immediately.
The playing area is dynamic. For example, the perimeter of the ring shrinks during the challenges as the time limit runs out. The challenges enable contestants to increase the prize fund by collecting ‘crystals’ scattered around the ring and earn comforts. For the rest of the time, the contestants must survive in a bivouac exposed to the elements at high altitude. They have a tent, a cabin and an igloo at their disposal. Each type of accommodation constitutes a separate team, which may encourage the development of strategies for the challenges. However, everyone knows that ultimately, there can only be one winner.
The maximum prize money for this first season is €100,000, which will vary depending on the number of crystals won during the challenges.
This is a very interesting format that is part of the growing trend of ‘Surviving in the Wild’, which is included in the first tier of our new report, ‘THREE-TIER TREND of FORMATS in 2025 by FRIDAY’s ESPRESSO’.

by Axel Fiacco
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