14/12/2009
Outright Distribution has struck up a brand new relationship with Finnish indie Storyhouse Ltd (Tarinatalo Oy) which sees the distributor sealing a deal to represent its format, The Happiness Project.
The show aired on YLE TV1 in Finland this Autumn and performed well, regularly beating the slot average. YLE, Storyhouse and Duodecim Medical Publications, daughter company of Finnish Medical Society Duodecim are partners in the project.
Outright has secured worldwide rights for the show excluding the home territory of Finland, plus France and the Netherlands, where the show is already optioned to Fremantle’s local subsidiaries.
The Happiness Project is a unique TV format which seeks to unearth the secrets of happiness. Five people take part in a 6 month long televised experiment, which was devised and managed by Storyhouse and based on a Happiness Test developed by Duodecim, on the back of extensive research into the factors of happiness carried out by qualified and experienced professionals.
The contestants utilize methods recommended by the school of positive psychology which are proven to increase a person’s level of happiness.
Chris Bonney, MD of Outright Distribution explained the acquisition: ‘It’s great to be in business with quality partners such as Storyhouse, YLE and Duodecim and The Happiness Project is a classic feel-good format which is already attracting a lot of attention. Not many shows can offer a premise as important as helping to improve people’s state of happiness, that’s got to be a winner.’
In the TV show, 5 unhappy participants open the series by completing the Happiness Test and revealing both their results and the issues behind their unhappiness in an opening studio-based episode. Then with determination, positive psychology, a pair of coaches, and support from each other, they try to improve their state of happiness by completing specific happiness activities tailored to their particular issues. At the end of an intense six month period, they retake the test. In Finland, four participants out of five got considerably higher happiness scores. The Happiness Test is also made available to the public online.