Variety reports that Fox has snapped up the rights to three reality TV formats, including a talent boot camp series that's a logical successor to summer smash "American Idol." The trio are from Dutch production powerhouse Endemol, which already has successful shows in place at CBS ("Big Brother 3") and NBC ("Fear Factor," "Spy TV").
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Additionally, Endemol will supply Fox with two one-hour episodes of the relationship format "All You Need Is Love" and an hourlong episode of "Exhausted." Both are being developed as backdoor pilots, with Fox reserving an option to turn either project into a weekly series. They are expected to bow sometime during the 2002-03 season.
The tentatively titled "All You Need Is Love" is a Dutch format Goldberg describes as "a mondo relationship series." It will essentially combine elements of "every kind of relationship reality show you can think of," according to one production insider. "One segment might be like 'Temptation Island while others could be about surprise proposals or reunions of long-lost loves," Goldberg said.
"Exhausted," meanwhile, is best described as a sort-of "Fear Factor" meets a college cram session. It will take a group of contestants and "pre-exhaust" them, as one insider puts it. After staying awake for a predetermined amount of time -- perhaps 24 or 48 hours -- players will then be pitted against each other in various competitions, performing tasks that are far more difficult for a sleep-deprived individual. "The show will come down to two people looking at a huge pot of money," Goldberg said.