ITV Commissions ‘Major’ New Quiz Show For Flagship Channel

ITV1 has commissioned a new quiz show for its peak-time schedule to be made by Ant and Dec’s company Gallowgate Productions.

Duel, based on a French format, will see contestants battle head to head in a bid to win a “big money jackpot”.

The broadcaster said the quiz would create the “ultimate test of self confidence and nerve as players face total elimination from the show if they make just one error of judgement”.

Even though Ant and Dec’s company will produce the series, it is not clear whether the cheeky duo will present the show, following the success of PokerFace.

ITV’s controller of entertainment Duncan Gray has commissioned eight one-hour episodes of the quiz that are set to air early next year.

The broadcaster has long wanted to find another major quiz show to sit alongside the revamped Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, which it has just signed to a new two-year deal (see X Factor Back With A Bang).

The quiz format, created by French production company French TV, has received a lot of interest internationally, with a major US network also set to announce it has commissioned it in the next few days.

Earlier this year, ITV signed a new deal with Ant and Dec, meaning the duo would stay with ITV until the end of 2009. The pair have been exclusively signed to the network since the year 2000, presenting a string of high rating shows like I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Ant and Dec’s Gameshow Marathon and two series of Pop Idol (see ITV Secures Ant And Dec Until The End of 2009).

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