Format

The trajectory of Pandora’s Box across European markets offers a particularly instructive case study on the impact of local adaptation in high-concept mystery reality formats. While the format struggled to find its audience in France, the Dutch version delivered strong results, confirming both the resilience of the core concept and the importance of editorial positioning, scheduling and audience alignment.

Originally developed as a mystery reality competition game, Pandora’s Box is built around a powerful narrative engine inspired by Greek mythology. At the centre of the game is a mysterious box that, on a daily basis, reveals the names of two “cursed” contestants who are automatically at risk of elimination.
To escape their fate, players must face trials inspired by ancient myths. Victory grants them the right to open the box and swap their destiny with that of another contestant. However, each opening triggers a new collective curse, creating a permanent tension between individual survival and group interest. The box therefore becomes both a weapon and a threat, forcing contestants to continuously renegotiate alliances, strategies and trust.

The French adaptation, produced by Studio 89 for M6, premiered on 22 December 2025 in prime time. Despite the ambition of the project and the international strength of the IP, the show failed to gain traction with a broad audience.
The debut episode attracted 1.83 million viewers with a 10.1% share among individuals 4+, rising to 20.6% among women under 50. However, the second episode saw a sharp decline to just 952,000 viewers, prompting the network to burn off the remaining episodes in a single night in order to close the run quickly

By contrast, the Dutch version of Pandora, produced by Blue Circle for RTL 4 and Videoland, proved to be a strong performer. Premiering on 3 January 2026, the show reached 1.3 million viewers with an impressive 39.9% share, confirming the format’s appeal when correctly positioned

photo credit: Tom Cornelissen