Can celebrities give up the limelight? Channel 4 commissions Scared of the Dark (w/t)

16 May 2022

The latest Global Format Fund commission comes from Possessed and MultiStory Media

Channel 4 has announced the latest commission from its Global Format Fund. Scared of the Dark (working title) , is a brand new six-part series co-produced by MultiStory Media and Possessed, both part of ITV Studios.  In this ground-breaking endurance experiment, a group of celebrities will give up the limelight, in fact give up ALL light, and enter a specially created pitch-black reality space for seven days.

Nyctophobia, or the fear of darkness, is one of the most common phobias. Living in complete and total darkness the celebrities must endure the unique pressures of light deprivation in the lightless space that they will call home.  Their living space has everything they need for a comfortable stay……they just can’t see any of it.

Over the course of seven days, the celebrities must undertake a series of thought-provoking challenges. Those that fail at their challenges will have to take on herculean tasks to save their place on the show. Each celebrity will be motivated to conquer their fears because at the end only one will step out into the light as series winner.

Phil Harris, Head of Entertainment and Events at Channel 4 said “Channel 4 has always been home to some of the most outlandish and boundary pushing reality creations that challenge preconceptions through innovative formats and diverse casting, and Scared of the Dark is a commission firmly in that tradition.” 

Tom Beck, Head of Live Events at Channel 4, said: “Funny, frightening and totally unexpected, this idea really jumped out at us – much like we’ll be jumping out and surprising a load of terrified celebrities. The show promises an enticing mix of reality, entertainment and experiment and I can’t wait to turn the lights off and get started”.

Simone Haywood, Head of Factual Entertainment at MultiStory Media, said “10 million of us in the UK are reportedly scared of the dark. From managing their primal fears to the nuances of group bonding without the aid of traditional social cues, exploring the different ways people cope with light deprivation makes for a fascinating experiment".

Glenn Hugill, Managing Director at Possessed, said “We can’t wait to see the stories that unfold when our stars turn out the light. They'll enter a world where recognition means nothing and instead the imagination can take over. Fear of the dark is primal and never leaves you. It promises an intense experience for the celebrities and audience alike.

It’s a thrill to make this truly unique show with Phil and Tom at C4 and Simone and the incredible team at MultiStory Media. Scared of the Dark is exactly the kind of envelope-pushing commission that Channel 4 has always done best”.

The format is produced by MultiStory Media from an original idea created by Possessed, both part of ITV Studios, and was commissioned for Channel 4 by Tom Beck, Head of Live Events with Phil Harris, Head of Entertainment and Events.

The series will be Executive Produced by Glenn Hugill, Simone Haywood and Jon Cahn

The series was commissioned from Channel 4’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. ITV Studios will handle global distribution.

Ends