Channel 4 has ordered a third series of its Global Format Fund show, Open House: The Great Sex Experiment, from Firecracker Films.
The “boundary pushing social experiment” will return with a new open relationships expert, a new luxury location and new format twists.
Open House will continue to “provoke conversations about whether monogamy is an outdated concept in modern relationships”, following previously monogamous couples as they experiment in open sexual relationships for the first time.
The first series, which aired in 2022, remains Channel 4’s biggest new unscripted 10pm series launch since 2017 and the second series was up 13% share of young audiences (16-34s) in the same slot.
Commissioning Editor Tim Hancock said, “Reflecting the growing trend of non-monogamy in an authentic, aspirational and sometimes shockingly frank way, Open House is the kind of show that can only sit on Channel 4. Its continued success has been due to an alchemy of excellent casting and high-quality storytelling, and I can’t wait to discover who’s coming to the house this time around.”
Firecracker’s Chief Creative Officer, Jes Wilkins, who devised the series said: “Open House is the perfect embodiment of the mischievous purpose which has always characterised Firecracker’s best work for Channel 4. For such a bold format to be greenlit for a third series in the current commissioning environment is a towering achievement for everyone involved at both Firecracker and Channel 4.”
The series was recommissioned by Commissioning Editor, Tim Hancock and Senior Commissioning Editor Vivienne Molokwu. From Firecracker, Executive Producers are Nicole Streak and Matt J Smith with Julie Scott as Head of Production. The third series will also be funded from the broadcaster’s Global Format Fund, the ringfenced spend designed to stimulate the creation of original new formats from UK-based indies for UK and International audiences. The series will be distributed by Passion Distribution.
Jon Creamer
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