Secures deals in major territories for ground-breaking social justice format

Independent international distribution company Lineup Industries has signed a significant raft of deals with broadcasters and producers across the globe for its bold, pioneering format The Bully Project, a hidden camera show seeking a revolutionary restorative approach to tackling bullying in the lives of young people. Coming from Dutch producer Skyhigh TV, The Bully Project has already aired to critical and audience acclaim in the Netherlands.

In the UK, production company Fresh One has optioned the show and is in advanced talks with a major broadcaster to produce. Over the Atlantic, Banijay Studios, North America, a Banijay Group company, will take The Bully Project to audiences across the US.

France’s Reservoir Production, a leading player in format production, has also snapped up the show and is in discussions with a national network. Elsewhere in Europe, the format has been taken by Germany’s MME while unscripted specialist Ambra Banijay Italia, a Banijay Group company, has optioned rights for Italy.

Across Scandinavia, broadcasters NRK in Norway and TV2 in Denmark have all taken on the project – while in Finland, production indie Shine Finlany Oy has inked a similar deal for the show.

In Israel, factual entertainment experts Gil Productions has scooped up The Bully Project with Australia’s Lune Media also taking an option and in advanced talks with free-to-air networks.

Controversial, unorthodox and remedial, The Bully Project seeks to help young victims of bullying to shine a light on what it is actually like for them by secretly filming their day to day life. The footage is then collected and shown to the child’s class (including their bullies), and with the help of our host and a team of experts in support the class come together to discuss what to do next. Created by Skyhigh TV, The Bully Project hit every headline and news outlet when it premiered in the Netherlands, and more than doubled the slot average share from 4.3% to 9.5% for its initial Dutch broadcaster RTL 5.

Johnny De Mol, Host of the original Dutch show said: “It was heart breaking to see the enormous impact bullying has on young people. Fortunately The Bully Project allowed us to do something about it what’s more it proved to work, with sustainable results. Not only that but bullying as a topic is now permanently on the agenda be it with the viewers, the media, at schools or in politics. It was about time. ”

“This format is one of the best factual formats I’ve ever seen.  It has the power to initiate change in the most powerful and moving way, shining a light of hope into the darkness that is the hell of a bullied child’s life.  We knew the minute we saw it that we had to make it,” added Claudia Rosencrantz, CCO & Director of Programmes Fresh One.

Anette Romer, Head of Acquisitions & Formats, TV 2 Denmark said: “Sadly bullying continues to be high on the agenda and not only amongst children in classrooms. Social media has pushed the boundaries, harassment now has many new and even meaner forms. As a broadcaster we reach at the new and very effective opportunity to focus on responsible behavior which The Bully Project gives us.”

Julian Curtis, co-founder of Lineup Industries said: “These deals are testament to our tailor-made approach and our ability to find the best and most fitting partners in each territory. We believe these collaborations will produce bold, sensitively handled, and ultimately impactful versions of this unique format which are relevant to and topical for local audiences.”

Lineup Industries is a newly launched distribution business that offers a global, tailored and competitive approach to format sales and derived IP, headed by studio executives with more than 20 years experience in international television distribution and IP management across globally-recognised successes such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Big Brother, Dragon’s Den and Deal or No Deal.