Format

Primitives, the Belgium-headquartered TV formats distributor, has secured the first international sale for Belgian political format First Choice, marking its second deal with STVR Slovakia in less than three months. STVR will launch a five-part adaptation, with episodes of 60 minutes, on October 29. Created by Belgian production company De Mensen for public broadcaster VRT, the format puts first-time voters at the centre of political debate.
The deal follows STVR’s decision in August to renew On the Right Track, the travel-entertainment format distributed by Primitives, for a second season. The Slovak public broadcaster commissioned the new run after a successful first local season of SVT’s long-running format, which is now in its 37th season on Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

Launched on VRT 1 as Eerst Keus in May 2024, First Choice attracted large audiences and sparked a nationwide debate ahead of Belgium’s regional and federal elections. Across five episodes, 150 students aged 16 to 22 question politicians directly about the issues that matter most to young people. Combining civic debate and entertainment, the format brings together students from different schools and backgrounds, with a range of viewpoints. A political journalist tests their knowledge and understanding of the electoral landscape, while each episode culminates with three politicians answering questions from a new generation of voters. The discussions address young people’s lives, ambitions and concerns, with students holding prospective political representatives to account.

"We are very happy to bring this kind of format to our viewers. We wanted to create a space in which young people will not only be an audience, but active participants in the discussion. The goal of First Choice is not to tell high school students what to think, but to give them a chance to say what they think and how they perceive the world themselves," said Peter Begányi, manager of Slovak Television.
Emma Gosling, sales and acquisition manager at Primitives, said: “With democracy under threat and political views becoming increasingly polarised, we're delighted that STVR has commissioned a first season of First Choice. Broadcasters have an important role to play in helping audiences engage with politics and feel that their voices are being heard. What we love about First Choice is that it doesn't preach about democracy, it puts young people right at the heart of it. The format asks politicians the questions that matter to young people, giving them nowhere to hide and audiences the chance to hear their answers first-hand. It's about giving young people a voice, encouraging them to engage with politics and, importantly, helping us all better understand and respect different points of view.”