Format

Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) has unveiled its MIPCOM 2026 formats slate, bringing together new unscripted and scripted formats from its global network of production companies and partners. The unscripted slate is led by comedy game show Unacceptable, produced by Ranga Bee Productions for TLC in the UK. The format sees two teams of comedians defend wildly controversial opinions and attempt to persuade a studio audience to agree with them.

Also featured is 100 Cooks, from Lando Entertainment for Food Network in the US. The cookery competition brings 100 home cooks together in an arena where chance determines their fate. The Challenge Mixer decides what contestants must cook, while the Cook Mixer determines who will compete and how many cooks will face each challenge.
The Dark Side, produced by WBITVP Finland for Nelonen, pairs a journalist with a former detective to revisit compelling crimes and mysteries. Together, they retrace events, examine the evidence and explore competing theories surrounding each case. The format uses cinematic AI-generated dramatisations to bring unseen moments to life, exploring both what is known and what might have happened.

The slate also includes two renovation formats. Home Town Takeover, from RTR Media for HGTV in the USA, sees experts work alongside residents, community leaders and volunteers to transform an entire small town. Bachelor Mansion Takeover, produced by Warner Horizon for HGTV in the USA, is the latest addition to the Bachelor franchise. Familiar faces return to the iconic mansion, but this time the focus is on renovation rather than romance.

The scripted slate features three new formats from Belgium and New Zealand, spanning dark comedy, relationship drama and coming-of-age storytelling. Crackhead, from WBITVP New Zealand for Three and ThreeNow, follows Frankie after she chooses the ‘luxury’ rehab her sister agrees to pay for instead of jail.

Time, produced by WBITVP Belgium for VRT, follows Ellis and Brecht, a couple who have spent years building a life together. Just as Brecht’s battle with cancer appears to be behind them, he asks for one month away from Ellis and the business he shares with his best friend. His decision forces those around him to question the lives they thought they wanted as Brecht attempts to regain control of his own.
Young adult drama United, produced by Eyeworks for Ketnet, follows a close-knit group of talented teenage footballers whose lives on the pitch, at school and at home overlap.

André Renaud, WBITVP’s GVP of Format and Finished Sales, comments: “This year’s MIPCOM formats slate brings strong ideas that immediately make their presence felt. Unacceptable turns the most ridiculous opinions into a contest of persuasion, while 100 Cooks combines incredible scale with the simple tension of never knowing when your number will be called. Meanwhile, The Dark Side’s use of generative AI brings a new dimension to true crime on television. Alongside them, our scripted formats challenge characters in pivotal moments in their lives, whether hitting rock bottom, experiencing a life-threatening illness, or simply trying to navigate the emotional challenges of growing up. It’s a slate with real range, and I’m looking forward to the conversations it will spark in Cannes.”