Format of Finnish TV show sold to UK; W-tyyli a parody of making a talk show

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The format of the Finnish television show W-tyyli, which is a parody of making a TV talk show, has met with plenty of interest abroad.
      Production company Broadcasters has now sold an option to use the format to the UK, and earlier the same option has been sold to Germany, Portugal, and Australia. The Belgian version of W-tyyli will hit TV screens in December, initially with 13 episodes.
      The option on the W-tyyli format was purchased by British production company Hat Trick, which specialises in comedy. Broadcasters and Hat Trick have done business before as well, with Broadcasters bringing the Hat Trick format Have I Got News For You to Finland.
     
The British market is considered particularly difficult to penetrate, and Broadcasters producer Juha Tynkkynen is extremely proud. "We have never succeeded in selling anything there because the competition in the UK is so tight. There is still a long and slow road ahead, and a lot will depend on the success of the pilot episode", Tynkkynen explains.
      Tynkkynen believes that Hat Trick could well succeed with W-tyyli. However, only a part of the sold options ever make it into actual production. The company that buys an option has exclusive rights to the format in its country for a specified period of time.
      W-tyyli parodies the making of the imaginary Wickström Show. The completed talk show is never seen, only the process from behind the scenes. Its central character is the supposed host of the show, André Wickström. In one episode, the format of the Wickström Show was sold abroad.
      Four Broadcasters formats have previously made it to TV screens abroad.


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