Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Morocco is the latest country to license The Week The Women Went, a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Productions reality format licensed internationally by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide.

This is the first time Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide has licensed a format to Morocco.

The series, which will consist of four one-hour episodes, will be produced by licensee Made in Morocco Films for Moroccan state broadcaster 2M TV.

The Moroccan Arabic title of this local version translates literally as Madam Goes Travelling. The series will broadcast from 11 October, to coincide with 'journée nationale de la femme Marocaine' – a national holiday on 10 October celebrating Moroccan women.

Matt Paice, Executive Vice President, International Production at Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide, commented: "In television we often talk about shows as 'social experiments'. The Moroccan version of The Week The Women Went – the first ever in a Muslim country – will be one of the biggest social experiments ever initiated by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide.

"The series has real purpose and real warmth, and the fact that it will be broadcast on National Women's Day makes us very proud to be part of it."

Ahmed Bouchaala, Producer and Director at Made in Morocco Films, also welcomed the deal, saying: "This brilliant format has been challenging men around the world to get their act together, and we're sure viewers here will love watching Moroccan husbands struggling to cope as full-time mums!"

The Week The Women Went examines what happens when women leave their community for a week, to see how the men cope with domestic life and supporting the community.

This year has already seen a local version launch in France. Une semaine sans les femmes peaked with 4 million viewers on France 2, and has returned for another two-hour primetime special, as well as spawning a new commission, Une semaine sans electricitΓ© (A week Without Electricity).

In addition to Morocco and France, the format has been licensed to Belgium (VRT), Canada (CBC), Denmark (TV2), Finland (YLE), Germany (RTL2), Holland (SBS), India (Star Plus), Norway (TV2), Sweden (SVT), Ukraine (Studio 1+1) and the US. (Lifetime).

The Week The Women Went was one of the formats available to international broadcasters from Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide at MIPCOM.

Ben Nolan