Friday TV

Friday TV is a Stockholm-based Swedish television-format company established in October 2004 by television executives Estelle Bodén, Mattias Olsson, and Jock Millgårdh in partnership with Metronome Film & Television. Its business has centered on creating original unscripted television formats, licensing those formats to broadcasters and production companies in other territories, and providing production and consulting support for international television projects. The company was formed by three executives who had previously worked together at Strix Television. Their earlier development work included internationally adaptable reality and entertainment concepts such as The Farm, The Bar, Expedition Robinson, Kerry's Getting Married, and Harem. That background shaped Friday TV's focus: rather than operating primarily as a broadcaster, the company developed repeatable program ideas that could be localized for different markets while retaining a common underlying format structure. Friday TV's relationship with Metronome was central to its Scandinavian operations. Metronome Film & Television was described as a major independent production group in the Nordic region, with subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. Within Scandinavia, Friday TV formats were produced exclusively by the Metronome group. This arrangement linked format development and rights exploitation with an established regional production infrastructure, while allowing Friday TV to sell concepts to broadcasters and producers internationally. The company expanded its international presence through a Los Angeles office opened in October 2008. Its most commercially visible formats included Clash of the Choirs, Minute to Win It, and Single Moms, which were sold or adapted in numerous territories. The formats reached broadcasters including NBC, TLC, MundoFox, France 2, M6, TF1, Sat.1, RTL Television, CCTV, Cuatro, Antena 3, Seven Network, and several Nordic networks. Clash of the Choirs was commissioned by NBC in 2007 and subsequently received local versions in 19 countries. NBC commissioned Minute to Win It in 2009; the game-show format was later sold to broadcasters in 68 countries according to the referenced company history. In 2010, Minute to Win It received the C21/Frapa Award for Best Studio-Based Game Show Format at MIPCOM. Corporate ownership changed during the company's first decade. Friday TV became a wholly owned subsidiary of Metronome in 2007. Metronome was acquired by the UK's Shine Group in April 2009, and News Corporation acquired Shine Group in April 2011. These transactions placed Friday TV within progressively larger international entertainment groups, although the available reference material does not establish a later corporate structure or the company's current operating status. The founding management team departed in 2012. Per Blankens succeeded Estelle Bodén as managing director, but left in May 2013 to become an executive producer on American Idol. Friday TV's head of development, Simon Romanus, served as interim managing director after Blankens's departure. In April 2014, Marika Makaroff, previously associated with FremantleMedia Finland, became managing director, while Romanus returned to his head-of-development role. The available material does not provide subsequent leadership, financial, or operational information. Friday TV is therefore best characterized as a historically significant Swedish format-development and distribution brand whose known portfolio had broad international reach, while its present status requires verification.

Friday TV was founded in Stockholm in October 2004 as a joint venture between Estelle Bodén, Mattias Olsson, Jock Millgårdh, and Metronome Film & Television. The three individual founders had worked together at Strix Television, where they were involved in developing television concepts including The Farm, The Bar, Expedition Robinson, Kerry's Getting Married, and Harem. Their experience in reality and entertainment programming informed Friday TV's subsequent specialization in original television formats designed for adaptation across national markets. Metronome provided an important Nordic production base. The group operated production subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, and Friday TV formats were produced exclusively by Metronome companies in Scandinavia. Friday TV itself focused on format creation, distribution, licensing, and production or consulting services for broadcasters and independent production companies. This division enabled the company to develop concepts centrally while relying on local producers to adapt them to language, casting, scheduling, and broadcasting conditions in individual territories. The company became wholly owned by Metronome in 2007. Its international profile grew through the sale of formats to broadcasters in Europe, North America, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. In 2007, NBC commissioned Clash of the Choirs. The format subsequently appeared in local versions in 19 countries, including France, Spain, Poland, India, Colombia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and China. In October 2008, Friday TV opened an office in Los Angeles, strengthening its access to the US television market and its ability to coordinate international format activity. In September 2009, NBC commissioned another Friday TV concept, Minute to Win It. The studio game show became the company's most broadly distributed known format, with sales to 68 countries reported in the source material. Adaptations were produced or broadcast in markets including Germany, Spain, India, Sweden, Australia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Peru, Chile, Belgium, Poland, and Brazil. In October 2010, the format received the C21/Frapa Award for Best Studio-Based Game Show Format at MIPCOM in France. Friday TV also developed or distributed Single Moms, known under localized titles such as Must Love Kids and Maman cherche l'amour. Friday TV's corporate setting changed twice during this period. Metronome was acquired by Shine Group in April 2009, and News Corporation acquired Shine Group in April 2011. The company therefore operated within a larger international entertainment structure while continuing to develop and license television formats. In addition to format rights, its Los Angeles operation handled casting for international adaptations of the Metronome format Swedish Hollywood Wives in Denmark, Norway, Spain, Belgium, Poland, and the Netherlands. The original management group left Friday TV in 2012. Per Blankens replaced Bodén as managing director, but departed in May 2013 to become an executive producer on American Idol. Simon Romanus, then Friday TV's head of development, served as interim managing director. In April 2014, Marika Makaroff, formerly associated with FremantleMedia Finland, became managing director, and Romanus returned to development. No later leadership, ownership, financial, or operational details are established by the supplied references. The company's current status consequently remains unverified.

1. 2014Marika Makaroff becomes managing director

   Makaroff assumes the managing-director role, while Simon Romanus returns to development.

   Source
2. 2012Founders leave the company

   Bodén, Millgårdh, and Olsson depart Friday TV.

   Source
3. 2010Minute to Win It wins a C21/Frapa award

   The format receives the award for Best Studio-Based Game Show Format at MIPCOM.

   Source
4. 2009Minute to Win It is commissioned by NBC

   NBC commissions the game-show format that later becomes one of Friday TV's widest-selling concepts.

   Source
5. 2008Los Angeles office opens

   Friday TV expands its international operating presence with an office in Los Angeles.

   Source
6. 2007Metronome takes full ownership

   Friday TV becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Metronome Film & Television.

   Source
7. 2007NBC commissions Clash of the Choirs

   The US commission helps launch a broad international adaptation cycle for the format.

   Source
8. 2004Friday TV is founded in Stockholm

   Estelle Bodén, Mattias Olsson, Jock Millgårdh, and Metronome Film & Television establish Friday TV as a joint venture.

   Source

An international business-to-business television-format developer and distributor, combining Swedish and Nordic production expertise with globally adaptable unscripted entertainment concepts and related production consulting.

• Minute to Win ItStudio-based game-show format2009

  Minute to Win It is a competitive studio game-show format built around short, visually clear challenges. NBC commissioned the format in 2009, after which it was licensed to broadcasters in dozens of territories. The concept was adapted in markets including Germany, Spain, India, Sweden, Australia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Peru, Chile, Belgium, Poland, and Brazil. Its international scalability came from a repeatable challenge structure that could be localized through presenters, contestants, prizes, and production design.

• Clash of the ChoirsMusic competition format2007

  Clash of the Choirs is a music and reality competition format in which competing choirs are assembled and presented as entertainment teams. NBC commissioned the format in 2007. Local versions subsequently aired in 19 countries, including France, Spain, Poland, India, Colombia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and China. The format illustrates Friday TV's model of creating a recognizable core premise that can be re-cast and produced for different national television markets.

• Single MomsReality and relationship format

  Single Moms is a relationship-oriented reality format distributed under localized titles including Must Love Kids and Maman cherche l'amour. The program is among Friday TV's identified international formats, although the supplied reference material does not provide detailed information about its original broadcaster, launch date, production structure, or total number of adaptations.

• 2009Launch of the Minute to Win It international format programProduct launch

  Friday TV had established a format-development business and NBC had previously commissioned its Clash of the Choirs concept.

  What changed. NBC commissioned Minute to Win It, a studio-based game-show format.

  Aftermath. The format was subsequently sold to broadcasters in 68 countries and won a C21/Frapa award at MIPCOM in 2010.

  Source
• 2008International expansion through a Los Angeles officeStrategy

  Friday TV was selling and adapting formats across multiple international territories and sought a stronger presence in the US and global television market.

  What changed. The company opened an office in Los Angeles in October 2008.

  Aftermath. The office supported international format activity and casting for adaptations of Swedish Hollywood Wives. The available material does not quantify the office's financial impact.

  Source
• 2007Metronome consolidates ownership of Friday TVM&A

  Friday TV had been established as a joint venture involving its three founders and Metronome Film & Television.

  What changed. Metronome made Friday TV a wholly owned subsidiary.

  Aftermath. The company continued developing and licensing formats within the Metronome production group, particularly through exclusive Scandinavian production arrangements.

  Source

• 2014Marika Makaroff becomes managing director

  Marika Makaroff assumed the managing-director position, while Simon Romanus returned to head of development.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 2013Per Blankens leaves and Simon Romanus becomes interim managing director

  Per Blankens left Friday TV to become an executive producer on American Idol, and development executive Simon Romanus took the interim managing-director role.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 2012Founding management team leaves Friday TV

  Estelle Bodén, Jock Millgårdh, and Mattias Olsson left the company after its first years of operation.

  Leadership change
  Source
• 2011News Corporation acquires Shine Group

  News Corporation acquired Shine Group, indirectly placing Friday TV under News Corporation ownership at that time.

  M&A
  Source
• 2010Minute to Win It receives MIPCOM format award

  Minute to Win It won the C21/Frapa Award for Best Studio-Based Game Show Format at the MIPCOM television market and festival.

  Other
  Source
• 2009NBC commissions Minute to Win It

  NBC commissioned Friday TV's studio-based game-show format Minute to Win It.

  Product launch
  Source
• 2009Metronome is acquired by Shine Group

  The Shine Group acquired Metronome Film & Television, placing Friday TV within the Shine corporate group.

  M&A
  Source
• 2008Friday TV opens Los Angeles office

  The company established a Los Angeles office to support its international format and production activities.

  Other
  Source
• 2007Friday TV becomes wholly owned by Metronome

  Friday TV became a wholly owned subsidiary of Metronome Film & Television.

  M&A
  Source
• 2007NBC commissions Clash of the Choirs

  NBC commissioned a US version of Friday TV's singing competition format, which later received adaptations in multiple countries.

  Product launch
  Source

1. Friday TV