A TV format that hands teenagers responsibility for their family’s annual holiday has been chosen as the winner of the ‘Three Best Formats’ competition at the ninth Eurovision Creative Days Forum in Berlin (16/9).

In all, more than 50 submissions from Active and Associate Members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) were rated by forum participants from a shortlist of 22 formats selected by Members of the Eurovision Formats Core Group. To qualify, formats must have been aired in the country of origin during the previous 12 months.

This year’s three peer-appraised winners are:

1. RTE 1, Ireland for ‘Whose holiday is it anyhow?’ presented by Linda Cullen, executive producer (Coco Television)

A Sunday night series targeting general audiences whereby teens take over the responsibility of planning their family’s annual holiday.

2. Channel 4, UK for ‘Secret lives of teens/students’ presented by Mike Beale, director of international formats (ITV Studios)

Students share their digital lives using texts, picture messages, calls and web searches.

3. VRT één, Belgium for ‘Work it out’ presented by Koen Lievens, editor in chief (Alaska TV)

A reality series that sees four young, chronically unemployed men adopt creative approaches to finding employment.

Eurovision Head of TV Bettina Brinkmann congratulated the winners and contributors whose creative examples she said, represented ‘a source of true inspiration to the Eurovision Community.’

“From its launch in 2006, this annual event has acknowledged outstanding formats in the various factual and entertainment genres that are not necessarily seen outside the country of origin and that inspire Members and encapsulate innovative public service programme-making,” said Ms Brinkmann. “The fact that recognition comes with the endorsement of industry peers makes the awards all the more covetable.”

For the first time, this year’s forum also provided Members with an opportunity to screen formats in development, potentially catching the eye of commissioning editors, and pitch ideas to a ‘Dragon’s Den’ of expert Commissioning Editors.

The formats awarded grants by the Eurovision TV Development Fund from a shortlist of six projects are:

1. ‘The high note,’ presented by Helle Majbritt Rasmussen, chief editor DR Denmark (50,000 chf)

A competitive reality talent show showcasing young operatic talent.

2. ‘Total recallers,’ presented by Grainne McAleer, genre head daytime & lifestyle and Sarah Ryder, executive producer, arts RTE Ireland (25,000 chf)

A family variety game show reliant on memory.

3. ‘The new comic talent,’ presented by Christophe Brunella, producer MFP France (15,000 chf)

A cross-media programme featuring new comic talent.

The winners have twelve months to develop their formats and present a pilot to television peers attending next year’s Creative Forum.

The forum is also open to PSM outside Europe, including Asia, Canada and the USA and is organized by the EBU in cooperation with EBU Member ZDF, Germany within the framework of Eurovision Creative Days.