Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Syfy has picked up Opposite Worlds, a 12-episode unscripted series based on a hit Chilean reality format. It will be executive produced by former NBC reality chief-turned-producer Craig Plestis. Syfy has acquired the U.S. format rights from Canal 13 and distributor Banijay International, and plans to air Opposite Worlds‘ 12 episodes over six weeks, marking the first time Syfy has aired an original series twice a week.

In Opposite Worlds, 20 people from all walks of life are mixed together in two opposing teams that live in two distinctly different worlds — the Past and the Future.  The Future is a Utopia where every wish can be granted with a push of a button; the Past is a constant struggle for survival. Each week, players compete in a series of challenges to determine who lives in the Past and who lives in the Future. “This groundbreaking, edgy program is a remarkable television experiment transporting the audience and the contestants into starkly opposite worlds, simultaneously,” said Syfy’s president of original content Mark Stern. This is Syfy’s second adaptation of a hit international reality series, following its success with Total Blackout.

Through his Smart Dog Media, Plestis has executive produced NBC’s Minute To Win It, Who’s Still Standing, as well as the upcoming singing game show The Winner Is. The deal with Syfy, brokered by Paradigm, comes just ahead of MIPCOM 2012, where Banijay will officially launch the Opposite Worlds format to the global market.

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