It’s been a minute since the Dutch guessing game format hit the big time, but format developers are still turning to it for inspiration
Nearly three years have passed since The Traitors first landed on the BBC and Peacock, immediately signaling what felt like a new era for formats, and an invigorating one at that.
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The watercooler moments ushered in by that first season of The Traitors were ten a penny (if you haven’t checked out the infamous breakfast scene from the British version then fire up YouTube now). Crucially for The Traitors distributor All3Media International, the show, which was originated in the Netherlands and made there on a modest budget, registered significant moments on both sides of the pond.
Since then, The Traitors train has kept chugging. Both the American and U.K. Traitors have gained viewers as they settle firmly within the cultural zeitgeist, and new versions are springing up around the world. A celebrity spin-off featuring Stephen Fry and Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed just launched on the BBC and could provide the franchise with yet another lease on life.
The impact of The Traitors is felt beyond its audience. Our Hot Ones submissions for this year, which are an annual barometer of what’s hot and what’s not, are stacked full of guessing-game formats covered with The Traitors’ pawprints.
All3Media International’s The Inheritance, which comes from The Traitors producer Studio Lambert, is set in a country estate and sees strangers compete for a fake fortune from a deceased benefactor, played with aplomb by Liz Hurley. Tim Harcourt, Studio Lambert’s chief creative officer, tells us The Inheritance would work well as a companion piece for networks that already show The Traitors, and “buyers who missed out on The Traitors and want something with the same human drama.”
ITV Studios, meanwhile, is bringing Celebrity Sabotage to MIPCOM, a show that is packed full of evasion, while Fox’s latest, Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service,uncovers a world of infiltration and espionage, as the top chef goes undercover in failing restaurants.
Last year was a slightly quieter one for new versions of The Traitors,as it was knocked off the top of analyst firm K7’s annual Format of the Year rankings by fellow Dutch hit The Floor, but this year, The Traitors has come back with a vengeance. With 13 new launches this year, we’re seeing that it is now becoming evergreen.
“Despite the slower pace of 2024 premieres, The Traitors‘ pipeline indicates a strong continued momentum,” writes K7 in its latest Tracking the Giants report.
The BBC and NBCUniversal, whose partnership spawned the British and American versions of The Traitors and subsequently Destination X, are now on the hunt for their next premium launch, and they have issued a callout to producers to pitch original British IP.
As format developers from around the world continue to seek inspiration from The Traitors, the show that signaled the beginning of a new generation looks set to stay in the thick of conversation on the Croisette.
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