PRESS RELEASES
March 24, 2017

Quebecor Content Snags Format Rights for BBC Hit Show You’re Back in the Room

Montreal, Canada – Quebecor Content is pleased to announce that it has acquired the format rights for the ITV hit series You’re Back in the Room through a deal with BBC Worldwide North America.

This fantastic gameshow format sees contestants performing simple tasks with hilarious results as they are all under hypnosis. The sometimes slapstick, often side-splitting fun starts when the contestants discover that being hypnotized is confounding their efforts. To win cash prizes, they must join forces to surmount their hypnotic hurdles.

The show, which ranked in the UK’s top ten highest rated Entertainment shows of 2015, promises lots of laughs for the whole family. In the UK it proved particularly popular with young adults (16-34) and female viewers. It won the award for Best Studio-based Gameshow at the 2016 International Format Awards and was nominated for Best Entertainment Programme at the 2016 Broadcast Awards.

You’re Back in the Room was created and produced in the UK by the independent production company Tuesday’s Child for ITV and is represented by BBC Worldwide.

For Quebecor Content, this partnership with BBC Worldwide North America is a first. “We are excited to be partnering with BBC Worldwide North America on this amazing format,” said Yann Paquet, Quebecor Content VP, Acquisitions & International Development. “We’re on a mission to provide to our audiences the best shows available on the market. Our partnerships with companies such as BBC Worldwide North America help us bring new high caliber content to our platforms. You’re Back in the Room is a fresh idea with lots of universal comic appeal. We’re sure it will find an enthusiastic audience here in Québec.”

“We’re pleased to be expanding our international partnerships to include Quebecor Content, a Canadian leader in entertainment, and hope to continue to expand our format presence in French Canada,” said Michael L. Smith, SVP, TV Sales, Co-Productions & Digital, BBC Worldwide North America. “We hope this is the beginning of an enduring and mutually beneficial relationship.”

The newly acquired series will be aired on TVA. The format of the show will be adapted to suit the tastes of Québec viewing audiences.  It has already been licensed to seven countries: USA (Fox), France (BBC Worldwide France for W9), The Netherlands (RTL), Australia (Fremantle Media for Channel 9), Columbia (RCN), Slovenia (ProPlus) and New Zealand.

About Quebecor Content

Quebecor Content, a wholly owned business unit of Quebecor Media, creates, develops, acquires, distributes and exports distinctive, high-quality audio-visual content, providing consumers with a multi-platform experience via the services of Videotron and TVA Group, all while promoting Quebec artists at home and abroad.

About BBC Worldwide North America

BBC Worldwide North America is the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) operating in the U.S. and Canada. The company exists to maximize the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the UK license payer and invests in public service programing in return for rights. The company operates four businesses in the territory – linear and digital content sales and co-productions, consumer products, BBC.com, and two production divisions – BBC Worldwide Productions, responsible for the smash hit Dancing with the Stars and the U.S. version of Top Gear; and Adjacent Productions, producers of Da Vinci’s Demons, Life Below Zero, and Ladies of London, among others. The company also owns a 50.1% share in cable channel BBC AMERICA through a joint venture with AMC Networks.

Press Contacts:

Quebecor Content :
Annie Martineau | annie.martineau@tva.ca | 514 526-9251 #2704

BBC Worldwide North America :
Deborah Schonfeld | deborah.schonfeld@bbc.com  | 212 705-9498