Miami, FL – BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, announced today the company’s first format deal in Uruguay with Canal 10, the country’s largest free-to-air broadcaster, for El Gran Uruguayo, a series based on the UK format Great Britons.

 In this one-time event series, the public nominates, and ultimately selects, a person who will be crowned the greatest Uruguayan in history. From historical figures like Uruguayan forefather José Gervasio Artigas Arnal, to football greats including Obdulio Jacinto Varela, captain of the country’s 1950 World Cup win and living legend Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona to novelist and poet Mario Bendetti or even Carlos Gardel, tango singer and songwriter, the public will have many national treasures to choose from. The series will feature popular Uruguayan history professor, actor, comedian and presenter, Diego Delgrossi.

 The Greats format has been sold to over 20 countries since the series launched on the BBC in 2002.  In the UK, the nationwide vote was spread over six months with Sir Winston Churchill revealed as the Greatest Briton of all time. The US version saw Ronald Regan pipping Abraham Lincoln for the top spot and the French voted for Charles de Gaulle with Louis Pasteur coming 2^nd. The Czechs went much further back in their history for their Greatest with the accolade going to an emperor from the 14^th century, Karel IV, while Chileans voted for Salvador Allende, the country’s first Socialist President.

 Great Britons is one of the many formats that will be available at Showcase 2018, BBC Worldwide’s biggest celebration of British creativity. This yearly event includes insights into the latest trends, a comprehensive overview of the company’s slate and an exclusive preview of BBC Worldwide’s upcoming titles. The four day event will take place this year in Liverpool, from Sunday, February 18 to Wednesday February 21.

The BBC Worldwide Showcase non-scripted format slate includes Blink, a comedy game show where celebrities have their pop culture and music knowledge tested in a rapid-fire battle, which has already been licensed to the US, and Safety in Numbers an ambitious show which brings together people who share unusual conditions, such as alopecia, vitiligo, cerebral palsy or Tourette’s, to help overcome their insecurities. Phone Dater is a series featuring blind dates with a twist while Curious Creatures is packed with breathtaking natural history clips, extraordinary facts and spirited debate celebrating all aspects of the animal kingdom.