The new word-based gameshow, created by The Tornante Company, Keller/Noll, Crazy Legs Productions and Playing Field Entertainment, joins Banijay’s global distribution offering.
Banijay Entertainment has acquired the global format and finished tape rights to Scrambled Up, a new studio-based gameshow developed by Michael Eisner’s The Tornante Company; Keller/Noll, the company founded by US format creators Cleve Keller and Dave Noll; Crazy Legs Productions; and Playing Field Entertainment.
The deal adds the format to Banijay’s international catalogue ahead of Mipcom, strengthening its entertainment offering with a fast-paced concept built around wordplay and competitive puzzle-solving.
Scrambled Up (320 x 30’) sees four contestants compete in a series of challenges in which they must solve increasingly difficult scrambled words. As the letters gradually unscramble on the board, the host provides clues to help contestants identify the correct answer before their opponents.
Following two main rounds, the competition accelerates with Speed Scramble, where contestants race against the clock to solve shorter, category-based puzzles. The highest-scoring player advances to Ultimate Scramble, the final round, where they must solve three puzzles in 60 seconds for the chance to win a cash prize.
The format originally launched in the US as a daily syndicated gameshow and was recently renewed for a second season with multiple partners, including CBS-owned stations. Production has wrapped on 160 new episodes, doubling the show’s total episode count.
The format has also expanded into the FAST ecosystem with the launch of a dedicated 24/7 channel on Samsung TV Plus in the US and Canada.
Keller and Noll have created several successful US entertainment formats, including CBS gameshow Flip Side, which has reached 360 episodes in national syndication; GSN’s long-running America Says, with 590 episodes; and Food Network’s Chopped, which has surpassed 1,100 commissioned episodes.
“Gameshows continue to demonstrate proven value across platforms, and the success of Scrambled Up in the US already shows its ability to connect with audiences,” said Helen Greatorex, Head of Format Acquisitions at Banijay Entertainment. “Cleve and Dave have a real instinct for creating formats that audiences want to interact with, and this is no exception. It takes the familiar fun of word games and gives it a lively and entertaining twist, while keeping the mechanics simple to follow.”
“With all the right ingredients to travel internationally, the format complements our offering for MIPCOM perfectly,” she added.
Dave Noll, Cleve Keller, Ross Babbit, Dave Bulhack, Gary Apple, Tom Cappello, Scott Thigpen, Adam Londy and Joe LaBracio serve as executive producers of Scrambled Up.
The format joins Banijay Entertainment’s premium third-party offering, which includes Werewolves from StudioCanal and Dreamspark; Ninja Warrior from Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS); Stop the Train from Unfold Production; and dating reality format Temptations Under the Sun from Productions J.
Scrambled Up also strengthens Banijay’s established gameshow catalogue, joining international hits including Deal or No Deal, The Money Drop, Lingo, Pointless and Tipping Point.
