Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP) today unveiled its MIPCOM 2026 formats slate, bringing together new unscripted and scripted formats from its global network of production companies and partners.
Unscripted Formats
Leading the slate is comedy game show Unacceptable, which sees two teams of comedians defend wildly controversial opinions and persuade the studio audience to agree with them. From arguing that “attractive people shouldn’t pay tax” or “AI should rule the world” to other spectacularly unpopular opinions, contestants must deploy wit and charm to win people over. A live ‘swing-o-meter’ tracks how many minds they change in this battle to make unacceptable arguments surprisingly convincing. Produced by Ranga Bee Productions for TLC in the UK.
From Lando Entertainment for Food Network in the US, 100 Cooks is an epic cookery competition in which 100 home cooks compete in an arena where chance determines their fate. The Challenge Mixer decides what contestants must cook, while the Cook Mixer determines who will compete and how many cooks will face each challenge. With no way of knowing when their number will be called, everyone must be ready for anything. As the competition intensifies, the arrival of the Money Mixer introduces a tempting dilemma: take the money and walk away or add it to the growing prize pot and risk everything for the ultimate win.
The Dark Side pairs a journalist and former detective to revisit compelling crimes and mysteries in this format produced by WBITVP Finland for Nelonen. Together, they retrace what happened, examine the evidence, and explore the competing theories and questions surrounding each case. Cinematic AI-generated dramatisations bring unseen moments to life, exploring not only what is known, but what might have happened.
Renovation formats also feature on the slate, with two shows offering distinctive takes on the popular genre. Taking renovation to an entirely different scale, RTR Media’s Home Town Takeover for HGTV in the USA sees experts join forces with residents, community leaders and volunteers to transform an entire small town. From revitalising local businesses and public spaces to renovating deserving residents' homes, the series celebrates the community's unique character while creating new opportunities for its future.
Meanwhile, the latest addition to the globally successful Bachelor franchise, Bachelor Mansion Takeover, produced by Warner Horizon for HGTV in the USA, sees familiar faces return to the iconic mansion, this time with renovation rather than romance on the agenda. Famous rooms become ambitious design challenges as shifting alliances, old rivalries and strategic eliminations test whether contestants have what it takes to transform the property and outlast one another.
Scripted Formats:
Three new scripted formats from Belgium and New Zealand bring dark comedy, relationship drama and coming-of-age storytelling to the slate.
From WBITVP New Zealand for Three and ThreeNow, darkly comic drama Crackhead follows Frankie, who chooses the ‘luxury’ rehab her sister agrees to pay for over jail, only to find a run-down clinic filled with unpredictable patients and overstretched staff. With four weeks standing between Frankie and freedom, getting clean is only the beginning. Group therapy, withdrawal, and her own spectacularly bad decisions bring new friendships, bitter rivalries and relationships that quickly become complicated. As old resentments and secrets surface, Frankie must confront what brought her here, and whether she can change before she destroys what little she has left. Dark, messy and sharply funny, Crackhead follows Frankie to rock bottom and leaves her facing the one person she has spent her whole life trying to escape: herself.
In Time:out, Ellis and Brecht have spent years building a life together. Just as the worst of Brecht’s battle with cancer seems to be behind them, everyone is ready for life to return to normal. Except Brecht. Having survived an illness that took control of his life, he suddenly wants control back. He asks for one month away from Ellis and the business he shares with his best friend, sending shockwaves through their tightly connected circle. As Brecht questions the life he thought he wanted, the people closest to him begin questioning their own. Produced by WBITVP Belgium for VRT.
Young adult drama United, produced by Eyeworks for Ketnet, follows a close-knit group of talented teenage footballers whose lives on the pitch, at school, and at home constantly overlap. When Hannes gets the chance to join a major rival club, he must choose between his dream and his friends, while others in the group face pressures of their own. As ambitions change, confidence is tested, and parents push too hard, they discover that being on the same team does not always mean wanting the same thing.
André Renaud, WBITVP’s GVP of Format and Finished Sales, comments: “This year’s MIPCOM formats slate brings strong ideas that immediately make their presence felt. Unacceptable turns the most ridiculous opinions into a contest of persuasion, while 100 Cooks combines incredible scale with the simple tension of never knowing when your number will be called. Meanwhile, The Dark Side’s use of generative AI brings a new dimension to true crime on television. Alongside them, our scripted formats challenge characters in pivotal moments in their lives, whether hitting rock bottom, experiencing a life-threatening illness, or simply trying to navigate the emotional challenges of growing up. It’s a slate with real range, and I’m looking forward to the conversations it will spark in Cannes.”