Format

Virginia Mouseler once again stole the spotlight at MIPCOM with The Wit’s Fresh TV Formats, the most anticipated session of the Cannes market. Each year, industry professionals crowd the auditorium to witness her exclusive selection of the world’s most innovative and talked-about new formats. Mouseler’s entrance is now greeted with rock-star enthusiasm—admired, adored, and celebrated by a packed international audience.

The Big Narrative: “We Are the People of Content”
Instead of opening with figures or charts, Mouseler began her presentation with a story—a fifteen-year-old song that recently went viral on TikTok. Its unexpected revival, she explained, perfectly symbolizes the new content economy: creativity no longer belongs to networks or studios, but to the people who consume, reinterpret, and amplify it. “With TikTok, it’s impossible to predict what becomes a trend,” she quoted David Guetta. “We have to let people choose—they can make a hit out of anything.”The anecdote set the tone for the session: audiences and creators now share control of storytelling. Mouseler even revealed her own “content creator lifetime achievement”—five billion TikTok views—marking her as both observer and participant in this cultural shift. “We are the people,” she said. “We rule the world of content.”

From that declaration, Mouseler transitioned into a dynamic showcase of trends and formats defining 2025’s creative landscape.Gamified Encounters and “Battle Royale” Energy
One of the strongest currents, she noted, is the blending of competition, collaboration, and survival. Contestants face challenges that demand both strategy and instinct, mirroring the intensity of online multiplayer games and escape rooms.

The first example was Stop the Train, a fast-paced adventure where 11 top content creators—with a combined YouTube reach of over 70 million subscribers—embark on a four-episode race across the country. In just four weeks, the show generated 12 million views, proving the appeal of hybrid storytelling that merges digital star power with traditional production values.

Another hit in this category is Catch Us If You Can, a Dutch format airing on RTL and streaming platform Videoland. In it, celebrity duos go on the run across Europe while being tracked by rival teams—and the public can join the chase in real time via social media. These formats embody agility, interactivity, and the fusion of screen and social engagement.

Strategy, Mystery, and Myth-Inspired Dilemmas
Mouseler then moved into the world of strategic and psychological gameplay, where decision-making and moral tension drive the format.

• Pandora’s Box (Hungary, soon launching in France and the Netherlands) takes inspiration from the Greek myth, forcing contestants to confront high-stakes dilemmas about curiosity and consequence.
• The Heirs of Monte Cristo blends treasure hunt, alliance, and betrayal in a quest for a hidden fortune.
• And The Traitors continues its global domination, ranking third among the most-adapted formats of the year.

According to Mouseler, the evolution of strategy shows reflects a broader appetite for storytelling depth—where players’ choices reveal their psychology as much as their skill.

Reinventing Familiar Worlds
Reboots and reinterpretations are not signs of creative exhaustion but acts of transformation, Mouseler argued. Formats rooted in mythology, literature, or classic games are thriving. Reboots now represent nearly 8% of new entertainment formats—up from just 1% four years ago.
In France, Musical Chairs reimagines the childhood game on an epic scale: celebrity duos must locate and claim giant chairs hidden kilometers apart. In the Netherlands, a human chessboard turns players into live pieces in a quiz-infused contest. And Sea Battle, inspired by the iconic board game, is soon to launch in primetime on TF1.

Emotional Journeys and Human Connection
Beyond competition, 2025’s formats are increasingly about emotion, transformation, and authentic connection.

• Advent Calendar (Crave, French Canada) is a warm, holiday-themed dating show—think The Bachelorette told in 24 festive episodes.
• Tandem (Switzerland) separates two inseparable duos across the country, forcing them to reconnect through unexpected challenges, including literally riding a tandem bike with strangers.

These shows blend heart and humor, offering audiences the catharsis of love, friendship, and discovery.

5. Technology, Mortality, and the New Frontier
In one of the most striking moments, Mouseler turned to AI. She introduced AI Love You (Denmark), a poignant experiment that asks: when a loved one dies, can artificial intelligence keep their presence alive? The premise taps into global anxieties about technology and emotion, bringing science fiction into the realm of factual storytelling.

Balancing this darkness was the hilarious Roast in Peace, in which comedians humorously “roast” the deceased—celebrating life through irreverent laughter.

Virginia Mouseler’s Fresh TV Formats was, once again, more than a showcase—it was a mirror reflecting the cultural heartbeat of global entertainment. From hybrid YouTube collaborations to mythic quests and emotionally charged dating shows, her presentation captured the unpredictability and creative energy of an industry in motion.