Nellie Andreeva

ABC has greenlighted Bet On Your Baby, an eight-episode primetime game show series to premiere in April. Hosted by Melissa Peterman, co-star of the ABC Family comedy Baby Daddy, Bet On Your Baby is produced by Ben Silverman‘s Electus and 5×5 Media, who together co-produce NBC’s Fashion Star and TBS’ King Of The Nerds. The series was inspired by the huge popularity of baby videos online. Each hourlong episode will feature five families with toddlers between the ages of 2 and 3 1/2. While their parents and other relatives compete in the game show, the kids, oblivious to the game, will play and complete simple tasks at a giant playground, with the adults trying to predict the outcome. The individual rounds determine which parent/relative in each of the five families know their child best. At the end of the show, the five families return to play the college round for the chance to win $50,000 towards a college education for their child. “The concept of the show just appealed to me on many levels because as a mom I liked the fact that the kids are having fun and being themselves, it’s the parents playing the game,” Peterman said.

Bet On Your Baby was created by 5×5 Media’s Craig Armstrong, Rick Ringbakk, Charles Wachter and Electus’ Silverman and Jimmy Fox. The series is executive produced by Electus (Silverman, Chris Grant, Fox) and 5×5 Media (Armstrong and Ringbakk). Electus International, the global distribution arm of Electus, distributes the series worldwide. The company took out the format at NATPE earlier this week and has already sold it in several territories.

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