Active TV

A rush of new formats

activeTV Asia partners Bertram vanMunster and Michael McKay may have emerged from a prolific production phase over the last 6 months but say racing around the world has probably led to a rush of creativity, delivering a raft of new formats.

Van Munster is overseeing series 14 of the multi Emmy award winning "The Amazing Race" (CBS) while McKay has headed up the third series of the award winning Asian race franchise (for Sony's AXN) and the inaugural Israeli version which is proving to be a ratings hit for terrestrial broadcaster Reshet.

On top of this McKay's Australian based company has been busy with a range of projects down under.

"Despite a gruelling production schedule, or maybe because of it, we have just emerged from a really productive creative phase and will be taking a number of new projects to MIPTV" says van Munster.

These projects include Opposites Attract, a "road trip from hell" observational series; Ultimate Escape, a feel-good action adventure travel series; The Face - a blockbuster makeover format; "What Has The Earth Ever Done For Me?" , a cheeky environmental series with hip pocket appeal; Street Food, an Asian focused foodie romp, World Mind Games, a country versus country international quiz show.

"We have also licensed Hell's Kitchen Asia from ITV Global Entertainment and we are delighted with the reaction from broadcasters in the region" McKay says.

As would be expected of Executive Producers of The Amazing Race franchises, van Munster and McKay both spend several months of each year travelling in planes but both agree being at 35,000 feet with an absence of communications devices can be a creatively rewarding time.

"We've also been supported by a terrific development team led by Amanda Peppard in Australia and Rob Khoo in Singapore who have become quite used to getting our calls in the middle of the night when we've landed in some deserted airport on the other side of the world." van Munster says with a laugh.

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