John de Mol’s Formats Giant Talpa Studios is heading to next week’s TV market Mipcom with a slate of new entertainment formats, led by “Sing With Me” and “The Golden Elevators.”
The producer from the Netherlands behind “The Floor” is bringing the shows to Cannes. “Sing With Me” is a music entertainment format built with IDTV, the team behind “The Traitors.”. In it, hopeful singers get the chance to perform alongside some of the country’s most celebrated artists. Each performance starts as a solo, until one of the established artists hears something they like and grabs a microphone to join in, turning the performance into a duet.
The format launches on SBS6 in the Netherlands on Nov. 7. “The Golden Elevators” is a quiz show that combines general knowledge with social strategy. It has been ordered by ITV in the U.K. and SBS6 in the Netherlands, where it is set to air early next year.
The Elevator Quiz
A building holds ten people inside it, and each one must choose between two elevators, each standing for a possible answer to 10 questions. The right choice lifts you up; the wrong one leaves you behind. Contestants can gather together before the doors close, trading what they know — or sending a rival into the wrong elevator on purpose — so every question becomes a fight of knowledge, strategy and trust. At the top waits a fortune large enough to change a life, to be shared by anyone who reaches it.
Talpa Studios has built its expansion around a growing list of partnerships, and IDTV is one of them. The two studios co-developed “Sing With Me.”, with IDTV serving as the studio behind “The Traitors,”.
Formats Across 34 Countries
Talpa Studios continues to expand its global footprint, with 26 formats active across 34 countries. Sebastian van Barneveld, Talpa Studios’ director of global distribution, underscores the role that partnerships play in that growth, alongside the company’s investment in original IP. Shows developed through partnerships now account for more than 40% of Talpa Studios’ catalog.
He said “In a rapidly changing market, strong ideas need more than creativity alone. Collaboration and flexibility are key to making them travel,” according to “Our Mipcom slate reflects that approach: by combining original IP with creative partnerships and developing formats that can work across markets, platforms and audiences, we’re creating multiple routes for ideas to grow.”.
The data supports the claims. A portfolio of twenty-six formats spans 34 nations, which demonstrates notable scope, and the collaboration approach has produced tangible outcomes. The company’s lineup combines its own intellectual property with joint development work, and the size of the partnership stake reveals where the greater portion of the effort lies.
Murder Mysteries and Sports Games
Titles produced through the partnership model include a murder mystery format “A Party to Die For,” which was developed with ITV Studios. “Let’s Play Ball,” originally co-developed by EndemolShine Nederland (part of Banijay Benelux), Talpa Studios and Signal.Stream, has since secured commissions in French Canada and Finland.
Talpa Studios works with Signal.Stream as a strategic partner, and the company has produced several other titles that are finding success in the market. One of these, “Most Wanted”, now has new commissions in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania. Another title, “Catch Us”, has added new commissions from TV4 in Sweden and ProSieben in Germany, along with adaptations in the Netherlands and Hungary.
Across the globe, Talpa Studios follows the same formula for each title: a core idea, a partner with local expertise, and a rollout that covers several countries at once. The sequence repeats consistently from one project to the next.
The Floor and Other Hits
Talpa Studios’ established brands continue to build momentum around the world. “The Floor,” for example, has reached more than 30 territories. Meanwhile, “The Winner Takes It All” secured its first international sale to France Télévisions and a recommission in the Netherlands.
A daily reality competition “The Alliance,” which has been shortlisted for the Netherlands’ most esteemed television audience award, has been launched on Prime Video in India with a version featuring celebrities, and the platform has confirmed a second season. The format is “Caught in the Middle,” a fast-paced studio game show where a pair tries to outmanoeuvre 100 rivals who keep closing in around them, and it is set to return for a second run in the Netherlands while continuing its international expansion, with versions already running in Spain for Atresmedia and Australia for Seven Network.
Talpa Studios is defined by its flagship brands, with “The Floor” being the one most people recognize. Its reach across 30 territories stands as a benchmark for the company’s ambition.
De Mol’s Track Record
Maarten Meijs serves as CEO of Talpa Studios, which was established in September 2023. The company’s founders, Endemol and Talpa Media, created several well-known brands including “Big Brother,” “Deal or No Deal,” “Fear Factor”, and “The Voice.”. De Mol, a reality television veteran, previously ran both of those companies.
The legacy is plain to see on the slate. Big Brother and Deal or No Deal form part of the company’s DNA, and the formats shown at Mipcom trace directly back to that history. Sing With Me is a music entertainment show, matching the genre of The Voice. The Golden Elevators is a quiz show, matching the genre of Fear Factor. The company is not starting over; it is simply applying the same instincts to new formats.
What Mipcom Means
At Mipcom, producers present their fresh concepts to the industry. Talpa Studios is coming with an entire slate, not just a single show, which shows how sure they are. Instead of dipping a toe into the market with a single pilot, the company is committing fully to the event.
The approach is simple: a blend of original intellectual property and creative alliances, combined with formats capable of thriving across various markets, platforms and audiences. The aim is to develop several paths for ideas to expand.
The Bottom Line
Talpa Studios is banking on two shows to travel, and both of them are stunts. The elevator quiz is a stunt. So is the singing show. Stunts are the currency of Mipcom, and a gimmick that works is a gimmick that travels.
De Mol knows how to do this. He built Endemol into a global powerhouse, and Talpa Studios is continuing that work. The formats are fresh, but the people behind them have the experience.
The figures speak for themselves: twenty-six formats spanning 34 countries, with partnerships making up over 40% of the catalog.
| Format | Partner | Status |
|---|---|---|
| “Sing With Me” | IDTV | Launches Nov. 7 on SBS6 |
| “The Golden Elevators” | N/A | Ordered by ITV and SBS6 |
| “A Party to Die For” | ITV Studios | Developed |
| “Let’s Play Ball” | EndemolShine Nederland, Talpa Studios, Signal.Stream | Secured commissions in French Canada and Finland |
- “Sing With Me” pairs Talpa Studios with IDTV, the studio behind “The Traitors.”
- “The Golden Elevators” is a quiz show combining general knowledge with social strategy.
- “A Party to Die For” is a murder mystery format developed with ITV Studios.
- “Let’s Play Ball” is a sports game show co-developed by EndemolShine Nederland, Talpa Studios and Signal.Stream.
Source material: “John de Mol’s Formats Giant Talpa Studios Heads to Mipcom With New Shows ‘Sing With Me,’ ‘The Golden Elevators’ (EXCLUSIVE),” Variety.
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