CBS has attached former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe to their American production of Global Agency’s Keep Your Light Shining and will call it In the Spotlight. The original format was launched by Global Agency at MipCom 2013 and has since been optioned in Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, MENA region, Spain, Thailand and the USA.
Keep Your Light Shining was created by Izzet Pinto, CEO of the Istanbul based international distribution company. “In the last five years, we have become very well known for our reality formats,” said Pinto. “We noticed that international buyers were always looking for singing talent formats and there was room in the market for something fresh and original. With its strong visual appeal and plenty of audience interactivity, Keep Your Light Shining ticked all the boxes for our buyers. We are very pleased to see how quickly it has been picked up and are sure it has all the potential to be the next big thing in talent shows.”
Keep Your Light Shining
Keep Your Light Shining has 12 contestants appearing on a darkened stage. They are given the same song to sing in a round, and a moving spotlight highlights each singer for around 15 to 20 seconds as they sing their part. With a limited amount of time to impress the audience before the light moves on, the contestants have to give it everything they have. After each song, one contestant will be eliminated by audience vote, giving the remaining ones a little more time in the spotlight during the next round. At the end of each show, just two will remain for a sing off. Three judges comment and can protect some of the contestants in each round, but ultimately the audience decides who goes into the grand finale that takes place after 12 episodes.
Catherine Stryker, Head of Sales for Global Agency, brokered the deal in the USA. “While we have made great inroads into the U.S. market, this development is an important one for us. We look forward to seeing this version and the other international productions that are planned throughout 2014.”
