Fremantle today announces new sales deals for the acclaimed and uplifting reality TV format, The Piano with RTL4 in the Netherlands and TV2 in Denmark.
The Piano sees talented amateur pianists invited to play on public pianos, sharing their personal stories and music with the general public. Passers-by are stopped in their tracks as heartfelt, emotional and captivating performances take place. However, what the pianists don’t know is that two superstar judges are secretly watching, and one pianist from each episode will be chosen to play on one of the world’s most prestigious stages.
The format, which debuted on Channel 4 in the UK was the #1 new entertainment show of the year, and the channels best-rating new format launch since 2017. The Piano also won Best Reality Format at the C21 International Format Awards at MIPCOM 2023.
The UK version saw four finalists selected to perform at The Royal Festival Hall in London, in front of an audience of thousands, with the winner going on to wow a 20,000 strong crowd and a huge global TV audience as part of King Charles’ coronation concert at Windsor Castle.
Andrew Llinares, Director of Global Entertainment at Fremantle, said: ‘The Piano is one of the most authentic reality shows in the market right now, taking the talent search genre out of studio and into a completely new direction. We’re delighted to announce our first round of sales for this very special original format. It’s so exciting to witness ordinary people from all walks of life perform flawlessly amongst the public, without knowing they’re in a competition. We can’t wait to continue the success The Piano internationally with RTL4 in the Netherlands and TV2 in Denmark’.
The Piano was created by Richard McKerrow and comes from the makers of The Great British Bake Off, Love Productions. Fremantle holds the international rights for the format outside of North America.
Following the success of the first series, Channel 4 has renewed The Piano for another two series with a Christmas special also confirmed for later this year.
