VRT’s highest rating entertainment premiere picked up internationally

Independent international distribution company Lineup Industries has signed international deals for Paneka’s entertainment format Taboo, the format which scored VRT Belgium’s highest ever rating premiere for an entertainment programme.

The UK’s Wall to Wall, Kinetic Content in the US, France’s We Make, Denmark’s Monday, Warner in Sweden, Norway’s Feel Good, Moskito in Finland and Gil Productions in Israel have all optioned the format following its TX in Belgium where it won more than 1.6million viewers, an unprecedented 61.4% market share (excluding catch up), and was hosted by one of the country’s biggest comedians, Philippe Geubels.In each episode of Taboo a famous comedian tests the boundaries of comedy and good taste. They perform a unique routine which in each show challenges a group of people judged by society at large too taboo to laugh at. The difference is that in this show the material to the routine will have been sourced directly from those affected, be it the blind, the obese or other physical disabilities. They will be the focus of the jokes but also in the front row of the live audience….

Each performance is researched over a period of a week during which our comedian has lived with four people, all of whom suffer from a similar disability. The comedian will delve into their story to find out how they live with their disability and the daily prejudice they face. Equally they will challenge the fact they are somehow a taboo subject set apart by society that takes offence on their behalf. Being beyond a joke.

Julian Curtis, co-founder of Lineup Industries said: “This is a ground-breaking format that questions the relationship between humour and societal standards. It uses comedy and humanity to explore the idea of prejudice through the eyes of those affected and asks if this shifts the boundaries of what is really taboo. The format proved to be must-see TV in Belgium with standout ratings, and we are seeing significant international interest in opening up and sensitively exploring this controversial topic.”