NBC Universal (NBCU) cookery format Top Chef is heading into local production in India, Mexico and Brazil, after doing the numbers on M6 in France throughout March. NBCU's international formats unit, headed by former Eyeworks exec Yvonne Pilkington, has sealed deals for the show with FremantleMedia in India, Mexico and Brazil.
In France, the format debuted in the 20.40 slot on February 22, growing from a 17.1 share in its target group and 2.7 million viewers to a 26.3 share and four million viewers in last Monday's semi-final. It has won its timeslot for the past four episodes, with the average share for the timeslot being 18.3%, according to NBCU.
"Top Chef was a great opportunity for the M6 group to raise its standard of cooking programmes. The format allows a perfect mix between drama, teaching and emotions and shows how cooking can be an art," said Matthieu Bayle, head of production at M6.
"The search to find the Top Chef of tomorrow has become nothing less than a phenomenon in the US and France, and its international success looks set to continue," added Pilkington. The format has also been greenlit for a seventh season for the US cable network Bravo, part of NBCU.
Ed Waller 1 Apr 2010
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