Unique Selling Propositions

Today, ‚Housemates‘ is one of the most successful formats for the age group
10 – 15 in Germany. However, it is extremely popular far beyond that, also
considering international adaptions.

Germany Linear: Above average TV ratings on Kika
From the start of the first season in 2009, TV ratings in German were above average for the time slot.

Germany Non-Linear: Top Kids show within the ZDF media library
• Each ‚Housemates‘ season is regularly among the top 5 watched contents over all genres including adult drama, documentaries and shows.

• ‚Housemates‘ has been the most watched program within the kids genre over the last years (considering accumulated views per library title per year. Each of the three best performing titles were ‚Housemates‘ episodes in 2022, 2021, 2020).

• Top watched episodes have up to 380K views per day

• In 2021, ‚Housemates‘ accumulated 27 million views in total (with an average of
74K views per day)

German Long-running reality hit show for teens
The show has achieved the status of a true evergreen in German TV by now. ‚Housemates Boys‘ has accumulated over 140 episodes in 8 seasons, while ‚Housemates Girls‘ can look back on over 130 episodes in 7 seasons. On top of that, several specials, spin-offs, and brand extensions have taken the franchise to even higher levels.

Impressive YouTube performance
The YouTube channel has around 300K subs and counting. Individual episodes have up to 1.8 million views on average, generating a whopping 200K hours of playback time in total. The channel can be found regularly in the YouTube Trends, along with a surpassing CTR of 6.2% of all impressions.

Vivid social media fanbase
Communities have formed on all common social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. Former residents stay connected and share experiences with their fans. Also contributing to community building are the numerous funny memes and catchy songs that have been released over the years.

Multiple award-winning format
‚Housemates‘ was nominated and won multiple awards, among others:

• ‚Housemates‘ won the most prestigious German TV award ‚Grimme Preis‘
(for the 10th episode of Housemates Boys – A Month Without Parents in the Snow)

• And also the kids TV award ‚Golden Sparrow Award‘ (for the 3rd episode of
‚Housemates Boys – A Month Without Parents‘)

• ‚Housemates‘ was furthermore nominated for the ‚Prix Jeunesse‘

Successful International Adaptations

‚Housemates‘ has a proven track record and also sold internationally. Without exception all adaptions of ‚Housemates‘ went into multiple seasons wherever it launched.

There are currently three adaptations up to date.

Netherlands
Dutch title: Zonder Ouders Op Vakantie
Running since: 2022
Format per season: 10 x 20’

Belgium
Belgian title: Zonder Ouders Op Vakantie
Running since: 2022
Format per season: 10 x 20’

Germany
‚Housemates – the Reunion‘ for FUNK (German public service young adult channel)
Reunion after 10 years staying together for the first time
Running: 2020 and 2021
Format: 20 x 20’

Structure

Each ‚Housmates‘ episode pursues one goal: to present the world of the young
protagonists authentically and lovingly and in an entertaining way. The
format follows a clear structure, which sets the frame for the depiction
of the protagonists in a documentary style.

The premise
Five young people who don’t know each other spend several weeks without their parents in a shared villa in an exiting place. They not only get to know each other, but also the country as well as local people.

One episode, one day
One episode, one day: As a rule, one episode depicts one day. It starts in the
morning with a getting up or breakfast scene and ends in the evening with a
concluding ‚good night‘ scene.

The mix of elements in one episodes
Each episode usually consists of the following elements:

• Household and everyday activities (such as ‚cooking‘, ‚cleaning‘, ‚doing the
laundry‘, but also ‚hair styling‘ in the bathroom)

• Bigger activities (such as ‚go-karting‘, ‚ice hockey training‘, ‚cooking school‘, or ‚one-day internships‘)

• Smaller activities (such as ‚visiting a hairdresser‘ or ’shopping‘)

• Talks between the residents that can either result from the experienced activities, or just happen situationally (such as ‚living vegan‘, first relationships, bullying in school etc.)

The balancing of elements within one episode is handled in post-production by the responsible author, who asseses the footage of the day. The aim is to bring all those elements together in order to tell an entertaining and coherent story of the day.

Standards for the first and final episode
Certain standards have been established for both the first and final episode:

The first episode always consists of a distinctive pattern to introduce the cast.One protagonist after another gets introduced at recognizable landmarks of the location. These introductions get intertwined with short pre-shot homestories to give further insight in the protagonists background and character. The second main element of the first episode is always the joint exploration of the shared villa.

The final episode also contains two distinctive main elements: the preparation and organization of a final party, inviting as many people as possible whom the protagonists have met along the way. At the very end there is the farewell the next morning – at this point the narration shifts from commenting the present into giving an outlook on the next day when the protagonists will return to their own lives outside the shared villa.

Core Values

‚Housmates‘ offers a glimpse into the world of five adolescents – it‘s about attitudes, opinions and experiencing new things. Many children dream of living like ‚Pipi Longstocking‘ – without paternalism from their parents, trying out adulthood. In ‚Housemates‘, this dream becomes reality.

The format needs protagonists who can express themselves well and verbalize their emotions (please see 7. Casting-guidelines). Girls and boys who can address conflicts and find solutions to emerging problems.

Thus five strong, emotionally stable young people who are curious and open-minded are required. Although they may differ in their hobbies and opinions, they are equally mature in order to form a team with members at eye level. On the threshold of adulthood, the protagonists are allowed to try out what it takes to make decisions independently and self-responsibility but also what problems and conflicts can be encountered along the way.

The viewers experience how strongly and proactively the residents manage their everyday lives, what opinions they have and what questions are on their mind. The viewers can also experience how ‚cool the big ones‘ are,  while being sensitive at the same time. The viewers realize how respectfully the protagonists exchange ideas with each other – about issues that concern children facing puberty and which our protagonists reflect openly, yet occasionally critically, looking for an attitude. Thus, the format encourages viewers and provides them helpful orientation.

Diversity, especially when selecting the protagonists, is an important requirement. From the beginning, young people from of all stripes were represented in ‚Housemates.‘ Children from big cities and from the countryside, children from working-class families as well as academic households, children with the most diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Protagonists get casted with different migration biographies, e.g. from Belarus, Turkey, Ghana, Vietnam, Syria and diverse sexual orientation.

‚Housemates‘ is a reflection of a diverse society in which young people grow up in.

During the shoot, a pre-defined frame of narration is given. On the one hand, it relies on the basic premise of being on vacation without parents and on the other hand on participating in daily activities.

One day, the protagonists can do an internship in a retirement home, getting in conversation with another generation when recording a podcast, another day they can go to a wakeboarding workshop or on a self-planned camping trip where they have to set up their tent and cook for themselves.

Within this frame of narration however, the protagonists act freely and authentically. In this way Housemates keeps its documentary character.

The ‚Housemates‘ fanbase appreciates and expects a harmonic atmosphere in the show. It is not about creating and facilitating conflicts among the protagonists. It is about building friendships and respectful cooperation within a team. The format deliberately neither creates competitive, nor excluding situations. Any conflicts that arise are resolved by the protagonists themselves in a respectful manner. The friendly interaction in the group serves the viewers‘ longing for friendship and affiliation. Based on trust in the group and the unusual freedom without parental care, the young people try out and grow with the challenges of sharing a house.

There are important dos and don’ts that define the core values of the brand.