Format

The international non-fiction market continues to show strong appetite for adaptable entertainment concepts, with game shows, dating formats, true crime, lifestyle and AI-driven ideas among the key trends emerging from the latest In the Spotlight – Summer 2026 report.

The selection highlights a broad mix of original concepts, local adaptations and returning brands from Europe, Asia and the Americas, reflecting a market increasingly focused on clear mechanics, recognizable IP and formats that can travel easily across territories.

Among the most notable adaptations is the Italian return of The Wall, which comes back to television after a seven-year absence. Hosted by Max Giusti, the Canale 5 version is produced by Endemol Shine Italy, part of Banijay. The format combines general knowledge with the visually distinctive giant wall mechanic that determines the contestants’ fortunes.

Adaptation remains a major driver elsewhere in Europe. Germany’s Das Fifty-Fifty Quiz, produced by BBC Studios Germany for NDR, is the local version of BBC One format The Answer Run, with celebrity pairs competing through a fast-paced 50/50 question mechanic. Denmark has also adapted the British comedy panel show Would I Lie to You? as Bukserne de flyver, while the Netherlands has taken on the French format Loups Garous with Wolven: het spel van list en bedrog, built around hidden identities, deception and deduction.

Dating remains another major pillar of non-fiction commissioning, although producers are increasingly looking for stronger twists around the traditional relationship format. In the Netherlands, Undercover Lover returns with five couples separated at the start of the experiment, while one member of each pair must pretend to be single in a tropical setting as other contestants try to identify who is secretly in a relationship. The format is produced by SimpelZodiak and distributed by Banijay Rights.

South Korea pushes the genre into more experimental territory. Love Against Time brings together participants aged 20 to 39 who have experienced a near-death experience or received a terminal diagnosis, while My AI Partner – Kian’s Date explores the intersection between artificial intelligence and human relationships inside an AI-designed virtual environment.

AI is also appearing directly inside game mechanics. South Korean title Murder Club, available on Disney+, brings together ten celebrities who must solve murder cases recreated through artificial intelligence, combining deduction, observation and deception.

Business and entrepreneurial competition continues to travel well too. In Brazil, Elevator Pitch Brasil marks the first local adaptation of the Israeli format Elevator Pitch, in which entrepreneurs from modest backgrounds present short business pitches to investors in the hope of securing financing and a cash prize of R$1 million. The Brazilian version is produced by Bellino’s Unlimited, Keshet International and The Plan, with Keshet International handling distribution.

True crime and factual storytelling also remain prominent across global platforms. Netflix titles in the report include Worst Neighbor Ever, focusing on neighborhood disputes that escalate into extreme situations; The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare, reconstructing the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students; and Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes, which uses previously unheard prison calls, first-hand testimony and archive material to revisit the Manson story.

Meanwhile, 9/11: Reunited, produced by 72 Films for Disney+, takes a more emotional factual approach, reconnecting survivors who experienced life-or-death moments with strangers during the September 11 attacks. The three-part series was produced in collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

The report also points to continued demand for entertainment built around music, talent and performance. Chilevisión’s Fiebre de Canto brings 20 celebrities together for a live singing competition, while Spain’s A Orquestra Perfecta aims to assemble the ideal orchestra for Galicia’s traditional verbena scene. In South Korea, Street World Fighter: Directors’ War shifts the dance competition focus from performers to choreographers and performance directors, placing creative staging and routine design at the centre of the format.

Other concepts underline the breadth of the market, from US renovation competition Roast My Rental and nostalgia-driven Totally ’90s House, to Dutch animal magazine Beestenboel, Brazilian family competition Sua Mãe Te Conhece, and Japanese comedy contest The One Shot.

Overall, the Summer 2026 selection confirms several recurring priorities in the international non-fiction business: strong and easily communicable mechanics, established IP with adaptation potential, social experiments with distinctive hooks, and growing experimentation around AI, identity and human relationships. At the same time, established genres such as quiz, dating, true crime and lifestyle remain central to commissioning strategies, but are increasingly being refreshed through sharper concepts and more specific storytelling angles.