Talpa Quiz Format ‘The Floor’ Heads To Ukraine To “Provide Respite” From The Devastation Of War

Jesse Whittock
·7 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Talpa Studios entertainment format The Floor is in production for a remake in Ukraine, as a response to the devastating war that continues to cripple the Eastern European country.

Novy Channel and Netherlands-based Talpa are co-producing the remake of the shiny floor show as part of a relief effort designed to “offer a form of distraction from the news and contribute to the positive well-being of Ukrainian viewers,” they say.

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The Floor Ukraine is set to air in spring 2024, with a quick turnaround production kicking off in the safety of the Netherlands at Talpa’s production hub yesterday. Olena Anotova, Head of Production at Novy stablemate Starlight Production, told Deadline it was currently “not safe to set up a steady and continuous production of this scale” in her home country.

“The production of The Floor in the Netherlands offers a safe environment for both contestants and the Ukrainian production team. It took about two days for our Ukrainian part of the team to get to the set from Ukraine to the Netherlands, so we can say that we traveled to work for more than 40 hours.”

She added the production has been in development “for months,” with 80 Dutch and 15 Ukrainian staff working together on the production.

Casting quietly took place as an online and offline process, led by a Ukrainian crew working from Talpa’s office on Laren, Netherlands. During the selection process, contestants shared moving personal stories of their experiences since Russia invaded Ukraine and began a deadly conflict. Daily fighting continues, with media outlets this morning reporting the city of Kharkiv has been hit by a missile attack that left a ten-year-old boy dead and 16 injured.

The Floor sees 100 contestants face off in quiz duels on a giant LED floor divided into one hundred squares, representing categories ranging from ‘famous athletes’ and ‘Hollywood actors’ to ‘iconic buildings’ and ‘mammals.’ A random contestant challenges an adjoining opponent to a quiz duel in their category, with the winner taking over the opponent’s square and the loser leaves the game. The contestant who takes over the entire floor wins a large cash prize.

“At the beginning of the year, we welcomed a Ukrainian colleague to our Global Distribution team, and she told us how much the people in her home country craved entertainment as a temporary distraction from the war,” said Talpa Studios CEO Maarten Meijs. “We were all moved by her story and decided to contribute by doing what we do best: making great entertainment shows.”

“Talpa Studios’ support means a lot to us and all Ukrainians,” said Olga Zadorozhna, General Manager, Novy Channel. “The show’s unique format fosters a sense of unity within society, emphasizing the importance of socialization for veterans and promoting our language and culture. We know that there is an increasing demand for entertainment shows in Ukraine and we greatly appreciate the sympathy of Talpa Studios and their local partners for our country. We are honored to work with the world leader in formats.”

Starlight Media-owned Novy Channel is known for adaptation shiny-floor shows and has previously launched international formats such as MasterChef, Got Talent and The Bachelor.

John de Mol quiz The Floor, which debuted on RTL4 in the Netherlands, is being remade in the U.S., where it’s due to play on Fox, and has been ordered locally in France, Spain, Romania, Germany and Italy. Read on below for interviews with key players in the production

DEADLINE: This feels like a huge logistical and production operation. What were the main challenges? 

Olena Anotova, Novy Channel Head of Production: To turn the project around in a short time, given that the employees and the project team were in different countries due to the war. And due to the local circumstances in Ukraine, it is not safe to set up a steady and continuous production on this scale. The production of The Floor in the Netherlands offers a safe environment for both contestants and the Ukrainian production team. It took about two days for our Ukrainian part of the team to get to the set from Ukraine to the Netherlands. So we can say that we traveled to work for more than 40 hours.

We’ve been preparing this production together for months, for example with local casting of 100 players, and during the production there will be over 80 Dutch colleagues involved and 15 Ukrainian colleagues. We worked with a combined offline and online casting, with casting member in the Netherlands and casting managers working online in Ukraine. For a TV project, this is a complex process with many selection criteria and it usually takes place offline, because live communication is really valuable for good casting, interacting with people. But here we did not have this opportunity to the fullest. However, the team did a great job, with 100 amazing contestants.

DEADLINE: It also feels symbolic – as if Ukraine is telling the world it can still make great TV despite the war. How do you all reflect on the significance of the production? 

Oleksandr Bogutskiy, CEO, Starlight Media: From the first explosions in the morning of the 24th of February till now, Ukrainian television never stopped, even for a minute. During the most brutal battles, blackouts and missile shots, we’ve tried to find our way not only to inform but also to provide emotional support for Ukrainians during the darkest times.

We greatly appreciate Talpa Studios’ steadfast support. Their talent in combining entertainment with the poignant journeys of Ukrainian refugees is commendable. The efforts in reconnecting them, ensuring our production team’s safety, and producing meaningful content for those in Ukraine are genuinely valued. At this moment, on the stage together, we’ve created not just a grand European show but a fantastic global show for Ukrainian viewers.

Our audience deserves this extraordinary experience and distraction from the grim thoughts, the worry of a missile strike and reflections of what tomorrow holds. We will undoubtedly win, but I wish that apart from that unwavering faith, we also maintain a cheerful spirit daily. I believe together with our European partners, we will create more new projects for Ukrainian and global markets in the future.

Maarten Meijs, CEO, Talpa Studios: Ukraine has always been an early adapter of international formats harvesting many talented creators and makers. Our vision is to create formats with global appeal and local relevance — content that should include everyone and can be watched by everyone.

The project is multifaceted. It is impressive to see how the two productions teams from Talpa Studios and Novy Channel are working together as one. There is a strong motivation to inspire, entertain and offer people distraction who will watch the show. As an example, during the casting of this project, we noticed that the Ukrainians participating were very moved and touched by this project, as we also were obviously. One of the reasons is the fact that people are being reunited — the program brings together Ukrainians currently living in the Netherlands and connects them to their homeland.

DEADLINE: What does this special version of The Floor say about how shiny floor formats can perform roles beyond purely entertainment? 

Maarten Meijs: Unscripted entertainment is all about great storytelling and giving people a voice. Strong concepts, such as The Floor with a captivating gameplay, are universal and understood across different countries and cultures.

A Ukrainian colleague, who started in the beginning of this year in our Global Distribution team, explained to us how much people in her home country crave entertainment, as a temporary distraction from the war. We were all moved and decided to contribute by doing what we know best: making great entertainment programs. We hope it will offer them a welcome reprieve from the circumstances in their country.

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