October 09, 2023
VRT formats score at EBU's Formats Forum in 2023
VRT was nominated for EBU's Formats Forum with two productions and managed to bag both nominations. Waarom wachten (Why wait) received the grand prize and Een nacht in het museum (A night at the museum) took third place. EBU (The European Broadcasting Union), a leading alliance of public broadcasters, organised the Formats Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, in search of the most innovative and exciting programmes of the past year. The programmes of the Flemish public broadcaster faced strong competition. A group of experts selected 14 formats beforehand, including Britain gets singing, a TV show from British ITV Studios. The winners were announced at the end of the day by a vote among all members.
Both winning titles are focused on public added value. Waarom wachten invites viewers to reflect on their relationship with parents and/or children, emphasising the importance of open communication. On the other hand, A night at the museum puts art and culture on the map through an accessible approach, demonstrating that art can also be entertaining.
Generations in conversation
Waarom wachten is a human interest series focused on the parent-child relationship, appealing to a wide audience across generations. The makers sought out known people in their homes and asked detailed questions about the relationship with their parent or child. Do you resemble each other? Which advice do you ask one another? Are there topics on which you may never agree?
After the conversation, both parent and child take a long walk in nature together. During that walk, they listen to excerpts from each other's individual conversations. Specific fragments are chosen to reveal something to the other. This way, parent and child discover more about their relationship. The result is poignant, funny and, at times, often particularly emotional. After watching the series, viewers cannot help but reflect on their own relationship. The strong cross-generational content can be enjoyed by multiple generations together at home.
Accessible masterpieces
After an 11-year renovation period, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp reopened. VRT took this opportunity to make art visible and accessible to a wide audience. The three-part series A night at the museum, presented by Thomas Vanderveken, offers an entertaining look at art without the audience having to be experts. Thomas takes a guest to an exclusive evening visit to the museum. During their visit, they look at a masterpiece and discuss background stories that can offer a new perspective. The story about the masterpiece is brought unpretentiously to living rooms, making art accessible to a larger audience.
