BBC Worldwide announced the sale of its format Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week to Poland’s public broadcasting corporation Telewizja Polska (TVP) at MIPTV. The broadcaster has purchased three series of the format which will each be composed of six episodes.

Rapid Blue, a multi award winning production company, based in Johannesburg, which has been partnered with BBC Worldwide since 2016, will facilitate the production of the three series locally in South Africa. This will be Rapid Blue’s first BBC format commission from a European broadcaster.

In this action- packed series, super-fit men and women endure 12 consecutive days of physical and mental endurance, masterminded by veterans of the world’s toughest Special Forces. In each episode, the recruits will face challenges that reflect the selection processes used by a different unit, from the Polish GROM to the UK’s SAS. It is a process designed to break the most hardened soldiers. The programme has been hugely popular in the UK, eclipsing BBC Two’s primetime average for young adults by 90 per cent over its two series.

Grant Welland, Executive Vice President, Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, BBC Worldwide said, “Together with Rapid Blue, BBC Worldwide has been able to bring some of the world’s most popular formats to African audiences including The Great South African Bake Off. It is fantastic to see that within 12 months of partnering together Rapid Blue is successfully able to facilitate productions of BBC Worldwide formats for international broadcasters including TVP.

“This deal is the next step in an important partnership with TVP following the success of previous licensing of content and formats such as Bake Off, Honey We Are Killing the Kids and Junior Doctors.”