Hat Trick Int’l to shop Livewire’s ‘TV Showdown’ celebrity quiz format

UK-based Hat Trick International has acquired distribution rights to Livewire Pictures celebrity game show format TV Showdown.

The show is an updated version of entertainment format Telly Addicts, which Livewire has licensed from owner and creator Unique Television. Its UK version, Paul Sinha’s TV Showdown (6 x 45-minutes) airs in a prime-time Saturday night slot on broadcaster ITV1.

The show sees stand-up comedian and TV buff Sinha host as two teams of three celebrities battle it out in a TV trivia quiz over four rounds of clips and questions covering TV shows, adverts and music videos from the current day and recent decades, followed by a final quickfire Q&A round. Sinha is joined in the UK version by team captains Fay Ripley and Rob Beckett.

“This was an entertainment format that was just waiting for a complete refresh for today’s audiences in the multi-channel world,” said Guy Freeman at Livewire. “We are extremely pleased to be working with Hat Trick International, an indie distributor with a reputation for handling gameshow tape and format sales that is second to none.”

Sarah Tong, director of sales at Hat Trick International, added, “This is the first time we have worked with Livewire and it is a pleasure to have such an engaging new gameshow to offer to our clients.  International platforms and channels are looking out for ‘feel good’ series for family viewing and this certainly fits the bill.”