Format

The month of May 2025 has brought an exceptional variety of unscripted premieres across multiple territories, highlighting once again the creative vitality and continuous evolution of the format business. From high-concept dating experiments to psychological reality games, from bold physical challenges to hybrid comedy shows, producers around the globe are pushing the boundaries of traditional unscripted genres, blending emotional engagement, strategy, and humor into innovative storytelling.

Dating Reinvented: From Love to Therapy
Dating shows remain a driving force for broadcasters and streamers, but with increasingly sophisticated and emotionally charged twists. In Denmark, Stranded on Honeymoon Island (Kanal 5/Max, Snowman Productions) isolates newlyweds who marry complete strangers on a deserted beach for 14 days, testing not only compatibility but also survival instincts. In Austria, Match My Ex (JOYN) adds a layer of psychological tension as contestants’ former partners take charge of their dating choices, creating a mix of reconciliation, jealousy, and emotional confrontations.
Pushing even further into personal development territory, Virgin Island (Channel 4, UK) introduces a bold therapeutic approach. Here, twelve young virgins work through their insecurities and emotional blocks under the guidance of professional sex therapists. The show combines intimate confessions, group therapy, and physical exercises, offering a highly sensitive and original look at modern relationships.

Mind Games & Psychological Strategy: The Rise of the Social Experiment
One of the strongest emerging trends this spring is the surge of formats that mix reality competition with mystery, strategy, and deception. Canada's Aller Simple: La téléréalité (Crave, Fremantle) locks ten strangers in a remote cabin, each hiding personal secrets that may cost them the game if revealed. In Estonia, Minu ID (Go3) challenges participants to assume entirely fake identities, testing their improvisational skills while trying to expose others' lies. Spain's La jugada de Maquiavel (TV3) adds a “saboteur” mechanic, blending physical challenges with strategic alliances and betrayals inspired by Machiavellian theory.These formats reflect a broader appetite for game shows that go beyond physical endurance or general knowledge, leaning instead on psychological tension and social interaction.

The Global Adaptation Machine Keeps Spinning
Several major international formats made their way into new territories this May. NBC introduced the U.S. version of Destination X, following its success in Belgium, France, Germany, and beyond. Spain launched That’s My Jam: Que el ritmo no pare (RTVE), based on Jimmy Fallon’s American hit, while Germany presented Domination – Schlägst du Deutschland? (RTL+), adapting Keshet’s knowledge competition with a unique social mapping twist. The UK also brought back a reinvented version of the classic Faking It (Channel 5), updated for a new generation after 20 years.

Comedy Hybrids and Celebrity Intimacy
The comedy genre is also experiencing an interesting wave of hybridization. Silence is Gold (U&D, UK) offers a unique take on the game show format, challenging contestants to resist laughter in front of 30 comedians. Japan’s Welcome, Now Get Lost (Netflix) transforms the humor of humiliation into a survival challenge for comedians facing constant insults, while Canada's Une nuit avec Christine (Illico+, Québecor) blends celebrity interviews with overnight pyjama party antics.
Celebrity-led feel-good programming also continues to shine, as seen in Edvins lustgård (TV4, Sweden) and Roast on the Coast (Amazon Prime Video, Sweden), which offer viewers personal, playful, and unscripted access to well-known faces.

Coaching, Business Rescue & Culinary Strategy
On the coaching front, The Motherhood (Hallmark, USA) sees Connie Britton guide single mothers through personal transformations, assisted by a team of expert mentors. Meanwhile, Gordon Ramsay returns with Secret Service (FOX, USA), secretly infiltrating failing restaurants before confronting staff with his signature no-nonsense intervention.Even the cooking competition genre has seen creative reinvention: Cutthroat Kitchen: Knives Out (Food Network, USA) introduces a highly strategic, sabotage-driven culinary battle, proving that skill alone is never enough when money can buy obstacles for your rivals.

Physical Challenges, Escape Games & Knowledge Isolation
The physical challenge genre continues to thrive. Most Wanted – Wer entkommt? (Joyn, Germany) features celebrities escaping a fictional high-security prison while being chased by professional hunters. Darts Party (Sport 1, Germany) blends obstacle courses with traditional darts, while Greg Gutfeld’s What Did I Miss? (FOX Nation, USA) tests contestants' knowledge after being cut off from news and social media for an entire week.