Independent distributor Hat Trick International has secured its latest international match for hit factual entertainment format Dinner Date, as SABC in South Africa prepare to debut their own local adaptation.
Produced locally by Phoenix Productions in collaboration with Quizzical Pictures, this new 13 episode series will launch on SABC3 on 5 April in primetime. Originally produced by Hat Trick Productions for the UK’s ITV1 and ITVBe, Dinner Date is now in its eighth series for ITVBe, which has sold to more than 65 countries around the world. The new South African version adds to local adaptations in France (Direct 8), Australia (Channel Seven) and Finland (MTV3).
Dinner Date is a factual entertainment format that follows one person who is given the chance to find true love over three meals… each cooked by a blind date in their own home. In each episode a participant will choose three menus from five put together by prospective partners. They then go on three dates with the “chefs”, who cook them a meal in their own homes. After the three dates, all the chefs prepare for a night out at a swanky restaurant, but the participant can only choose one to go with – leaving the other two with a night in alone and a takeaway.
Sarah Tong, director of Sales at Hat Trick International, commented, “I’m delighted to announce this brand new format adaptation for Dinner Date in South Africa. The format delivers a very simple and highly returnable series, which is both cost-effective to produce and also ensures hugely entertaining content that will appeal to a wide range of viewers. The show continues to be very popular in the UK, and I look forward to seeing it prove a hit for SABC.’
