04-05-2011

ATM Grupa Sells Ranch for Russian Remake

By Katarzyna Grynienko

    WARSAW: Polish production company ATM Grupa (www.atmgrupa.pl) told FNE that it is in advanced negotiations to sell the format license of its popular comedy series Ranch, which broadcasts on Polish broadcaster TVP (www.tvp.pl), to Russia and the Ukraine.

    ATM Grupa (www.atmgrupa.pl) has already sold the exclusive right to represent the project on the Eastern market to an unidentified Russian company. ATM Grupa is currently adapting the series for the Russian audience. One of the changes will be replacing the crucial character of a priest with a diferent "person of trust" such as a school principal in order to make the new version less controversial. The series is planned to be presented first in Russia, followed by the Ukraine and other countries of the CEE region.

    The interest in ATM Grupa's productions increased after their presence at the MIPTV market in Cannes (www.mipworld.com). European and Asian producers were especially interested in game show formats, especially a project titled Eliminator. The show is an unusual test of knowledge for ten contestants, who have to assess what the others know and choose questions for their opponents in order to eliminate them. ATM Grupa is preparing an offer for the Sparks Network (www.sparksnetwork.com), such as Zebra from Spain (www.zebraproducciones.com), and Imagic (www.imagic.tv) and Media Plus (www.groupplusmedia.com) from Lebanon. Vietnamese producer TKL is currently talking with ATM Grupa about buying the license for the game show Gra w ciemno (Blind Game), which has already been sold to the USA.

    During the market in Cannnes, ATM Grupa was also approached by the History Channel and NBC Universal about plans to produced a documentary film with a Polish partner.