World of Wonder, the company behind reality format, Drag Race, has announced its slate of formats as it heads to MIPCOM to meet with potential international partners to further extend the Drag Race franchise.
Fenton Bailey, Co-founder and producer, World of Wonder:
“The Drag Race franchise continues to defy expectations with its exceptional growth, popularity, social activity, and critical acclaim thanks to its uniquely broad demo. This new slate of proven formats are perfect for different markets, able to showcase local talent hitherto ignored by traditional media. The universal themes of overcoming prejudice, rising to challenges, and creative resourcefulness are universal in their appeal. The humour, joy and love they bring something audiences all around the world are understandably thirsty for.”
The producer behind the global smash-hit and multiple Emmy® Award winning series RuPaul’s Drag Race is continuing to expand its hugely popular Drag Race portfolio with a slate of formats inspired by the success of Drag Race alongside continuing to build on its global roll out of localised versions of the original format. For the first time, World of Wonder will bring entertainment formats to market that have proven track record success via VH1 in the US or its own streaming platform WOW Presents Plus. The platform, which houses the entire Drag Race catalogue in one place, has been a hot bed of creative content for the producer, utilising their creative freedom to create and trial new content.
World of Wonder co-founder and producer, Fenton Bailey, will be attending the market alongside Sally Miles, Director of International Formats, to introduce buyers to entertainment formats within the Drag Race family, including Secret Celebrity Drag Race, make-up competition format Painted with…, factual entertainment makeover show Drag U and dating show 24 Hours of Love. Fronted by and starring members of the Drag Race family, the new formats have already proven successful on their original platforms. The duo will also be looking to expand upon the ever-growing portfolio of international Drag Race versions, which to date include the UK, Canada, France, Spain, Holland, Italy, the Philippines, Australia/ New Zealand, and Thailand and the forthcoming Sweden and Belgium – with more versions in the pipeline.
World of Wonder is in a unique position offering buyers access to their own expertise alongside acquiring the licence to successfully tried and tested entertainment formats. Unlike most producers, World of Wonder has an in-house creative team that works directly with local producers and broadcasters to bring the magic and DNA of the Drag Race brand to localised versions, ensuring the high standard that Drag Race fans and global audiences have come to expect is delivered, and providing access to over 400 drag queens that make up the Drag Race alumni.
Hit entertainment format, Secret Celebrity Drag Race is primed for primetime family viewing. The format is based on the smash-hit VH1 show RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race, which sees celebrities leave their famous identities behind as they fully embrace the miracle of drag. Undergoing transformative wig-to-heel drag makeovers, under the tutelage of their Drag Race queen mentors, celebrities will take part in jaw-dropping challenges, runway looks to impress the judges and lip sync performances. Each of the celebrities’ identity is kept top secret until they are asked to sashay away, allowing viewers to focus on their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. The show launched on VH1 in the US in April 2020 and returned in August 2022 with Season 2.
Make-up plays the central character in exciting new competition format Painted with… which hunts for the most talented, undiscovered next make-up superstars. The format is based on the hugely popular series Painted with Raven, hosted by Emmy® Award-winning makeup artist and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Raven, which was initially developed exclusively for WOW Presents Plus. Painted With… will see 7 make-up artists compete in a unique competition format with no eliminations. Instead, contestants compete each week for points as they undertake a range of creative make-up challenges and weekly face-offs. From creating a fake face tattoo to a look that will make the judges scream with shock, contestants compete from the comfort of their own homes, removing the pressure of cameras and the cost of a studio-based show.
Factual entertainment series DRAG U combines glamour, sass and heart. In each self-contained episode, fabulous Drag Race Queens make over (inside and out!) ordinary, everyday people as they unlock their drag persona and regain their confidence and sass.
New dating reality show 24 Hours of Love asks the question: is 24 hours enough time to find love? In this new non-heteronormative dating show format, a single celebrity spends time with 18 suitors getting down, dirty and a little bit flirty with some potential new boos. Set up in a mansion sized love pad for a series of dates shot across 24-hours, this this format is easily adaptable for each market. Encompassing World of Wonder’s signature style of inclusiveness and queerness, the format is one of the world’s first non-heteronormative dating formats, where anyone and everyone has a shot to find love. The original version, Vanjie: 24 Hours of Love, starred Drag Race alum Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, and became an instant hit with viewers globally on WOW Presents Plus.
The original US series, RuPaul’s Drag Race, has become a worldwide phenomenon; bringing the art of drag to the mainstream and becoming a mainstay of primetime television over the course of 15 seasons. RuPaul’s Drag Race is in the top two of most socially engaged shows. Winning a record number of Emmy® Awards including Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, the series’ won critical praise and launched several live events including DragCon in the US and UK (the next event is January 2023).
The competition format has not only been an incredible international success story, having been licensed in over 190 countries, but has also spawned spin-offs including RuPaul’s Drag Race vs The World and the accompanying Untucked series’, and multiple stand-alone international versions in the UK, Canada, France, Spain, Holland, Italy, the Philippines, Australia, and Thailand and the forthcoming Sweden and Belgium – with more versions in pre-production and not yet announced.
The series sees a group of incredibly talented drag queens take part in weekly challenges, where they use their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to impress the judges and stay another week, or sashay away. Each week the bottom two queens’ face-off against each other in a legendary lip-sync battle for a chance to remain in the competition; with ultimate hopes of making it to the very end and be crowned ‘the next drag race superstar’.
