Format

Sandwiched between the other two Asian giants (Japan and South Korea), China has always struggled to find its own way in terms of formats, despite the efforts made so far. This is also evidenced by the recent Gold Rush, which was created and produced by Hunan TV and presented with great emphasis in a special session at the last MipCom.
In fact, it’s just a business competition that’s inspired by the classic Shark Tank/Dragons’ Den, but with a more factual approach and featuring the brightest university students: the aim of Gold Rush is to take viewers on a nationwide search to find the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The action starts with 30 students drawn from diverse disciplines and with equally diverse visions, who must battle through a series of tasks and challenges designed to turn their bold ideas into real-world breakthroughs. From dorm rooms to boardrooms, student-led start-ups compete in a four-stage competition to achieve this. But, to be honest, all seems a bit boring and it never takes a real twist.
The international rights of the Chinese programme have been acquired by Los Angeles-based TGC Global Entertainment (TGC GE), the format distribution company launched by US veteran Phil Gurin.
Axel Fiacco