Channel 4 to adapt NBC’s ‘Songland’ format

UK broadcaster Channel 4 (C4) is set to adapt NBC’s songwriting competition format Songland.

C4 will adapt the format for a UK audience with NBC-backed producer Monkey Kingdom, which will produce the series.

Songland will see the channel return to a music competition format for the first time since its venture with The Singer Takes It All in 2014.

The original format was created by Eurythmics musician Dave Stewart, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder for NBC US. It will debut is the US on 28 May at 10pm.

Auditions for the UK edition of Songland will begin next month.

Each self-contained episode of Songland features a new group of songwriters who pitch and perform their original songs to a panel of three visionary producers and one major recording artist. Three are ultimately chosen to move forward to the studio and record, with the artist selecting one song to record as a single and release worldwide.

Producers for the US original include Universal Television Alternative Studio and Live Animals in association with Dave Stewart Entertainment and Levine’s 222 Productions.