German broadcaster ZDF’s commercial arm, ZDF Studios, has acquired worldwide format distribution rights to the reality show Housemates – Vacation Without Parents (Die WG in Europe).
Produced by ZDF, the 30 x 26-minute show follows a group of teens ranging in age from 13 to 17, who spend three weeks without their parents in a shared house. During their “vacation,” they must take on household chores such as cooking and cleaning, as well as grown-up tasks like shopping and going to the hairdresser.
Since its 2009 premiere on the German channel KiKA, Housemates has become one of the broadcaster’s most-watched programs, according to ZDF. KiKA has explored several variations on the format, including all-boy and all-girl (pictured) editions. Since 2021, KiKA has also been broadcasting a version with both guys and girls living in a shared apartment.
Multiple broadcasters outside Germany have acquired the format and turned it into their own series, including ABC Australia (Housemates), VRT Max in Belgium and NTR in the Netherlands (Without Parents on Vacation).
The format’s success is due to young viewers identifying with the cast and projecting themselves into the situation of living with housemates, said ZDF Studios’ junior director Jan-Frederik Maul in a release.
The show’s young stars become more independent as they take on everyday challenges and overcome fears, which makes the format popular with kids, added Lisa Boersen, NTR’s head of children’s department, in the release.
The format’s European YouTube Channel, Die WG, also has a strong fanbase, with 271,000 subscribers.