English press release · Les pressemeldingen på norsk ↗
Belgian TV creators Jes Van Gaever and Bruno Wyndaele are the minds behind the format Eternal Glory, which has become one of NRK’s biggest entertainment successes in Norway under the title Mesternes mester. The duo is now launching the production company Blackbird Norway, with the ambition of developing new Norwegian TV formats that have international potential.
Through their production company, De Filistijnen, Van Gaever and Wyndaele have developed and produced numerous award-winning entertainment formats that have been sold internationally. They bring over 20 years of experience in format development, production, and international distribution. They were also co-founders of Primitives, an international distribution company for TV concepts and programs.
Marit Aspen to lead Blackbird Norway
Marit Aspen has been brought on board as Managing Director to build the business in Norway.
"Norway has an incredibly strong creative community and a proven ability to develop content that resonates both domestically and internationally. We intend to combine local storytelling with international expertise in format development to create concepts that can grow well beyond Norway’s borders. I am incredibly excited to get started," says Aspen.
Aspen joins from her role as CCO at Nordisk Banijay, where she held key positions in the development and production of several high-profile Norwegian entertainment formats, such as Skal vi danse (Dancing with the Stars), 71 grader nord, Mesternes mester, and LOL. Aspen was also the driving force behind the Mesternes mester team season currently airing on television.
She brings 20 years of experience in the television industry, spanning production, content development, format sales, and strategic creative leadership.
A strategic market for new formats
“Norway has been an important part of the history of Eternal Glory from the very beginning. Through Mesternes mester, we have seen how effectively Norwegian television can further develop and anchor a format with its audience. At the same time, Norway has become an increasingly significant exporter of TV formats. Norwegian concepts are attracting international attention, and many are now reaching global markets. This makes Norway a strategically important market for us. We want to stay close to the creative community here, develop new concepts, and help ensure that more Norwegian stories and formats reach an international audience,” state Van Gaever and Wyndaele.