ITV Is Piloting A Lockdown Reboot Of ‘Family Fortunes’ By Filming In Contestants’ Homes
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EXCLUSIVE: ITV is reinventing Family Fortunes for the coronavirus age, breathing new life into an entertainment show that was last on British television in 2015.
Deadline can reveal that Fremantle-owned Britain’s Got Talent co-producer Thames is working with ITV to pilot a lockdown version of the much-loved format, which is based on the American game show Family Feud.
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Thames will do away with the shiny-floor studio and instead send cameras into the homes of two families, who will compete to win cash prizes by second-guessing the responses to a survey of the British public.
Observing the UK’s strict social distancing rules, a presenter will be stationed at a third location to preside over the two teams. All three will be filmed using remote outside broadcast technology.
It remains early days and ITV is yet to decide whether Family Fortunes will go to series. There is a feeling at ITV that it is a good time to experiment with the format, which would provide a window on people’s lives in isolation and supply the schedule with some fresh, feel-good content at a time when production has largely ground to a halt.
It is not clear who will present the reboot. Vernon Kay hosted the show’s most recent iteration, All Star Family Fortunes, between 2006 and 2015, while Les Dennis and Bob Monkhouse were among the presenters of previous series.
One source speculated that comedian Alan Carr could be a good candidate, given he is hosting the upcoming Epic Gameshow, a new format that will bring together elements from five iconic entertainment shows, including Play Your Cards Right and The Price Is Right. Epic Gameshow is made by Fremantle label Talkback.
Channel 4’s Gogglebox has shown that there is an appetite among British viewers to see families in their homes during the lockdown after the Studio Lambert show has scored a number of record audiences in recent weeks. Last Friday’s episode was seen by 4.5M people.
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