In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the German and French adaptations of Farmer Wants a Wife, we spoke to Chris O’Dell, who has been with Fremantle since 2007. He serves as Head of Global Entertainment Productions since 2014.

In the interview, Chris highlighted the enduring global success of the Fremantle-created format, the seamless collaboration of local teams within the international community, and revealed the number of babies born thanks to the dating show. “It reminds us that it’s not just a show among others, it actually has a real-life impact!”, says Chris.

1. The first season of Farmer Wants a Wife was broadcast in 2001, and since then, it has had more than 30 local adaptations. What do you think is behind the success of the format? 

The premise of the format itself is quite simple and easy to understand, which is a key factor in its success. It has very few rules or regulations, making it accessible to a wide audience, while also making it easy to adapt to different markets. The success of the format can also be attributed to the possibility of tailoring the local versions to local preferences, but still maintaining its core essence: genuine people trying to find love.

In Farmer Wants a Wife, all the participants share a common goal: they are looking for love and someone to spend the rest of their lives with. They do not see their participation as a stepping stone for a broader social media fame, which can be the case in other dating formats.

The genuine stories that are told in the format are also a key factor in its success. Since the first season of Farmer Wants a Wife, the series has resulted in 215 marriages and 561 babies! The show has a real-life impact on the participants, which can explain the loyal following of the show.

2. With so many local adaptations, how do you manage the balance between maintaining the essence of Farmer Wants a Wife and allowing for regional variations? Would a German or French viewer recognise the format if they watched it in another country?

One of the key factors behind the format’s success is its adaptability to different markets. I think a German or French viewer would recognise the Hungarian version! But as the premise of the show is for farmers to find love, the language matters. That’s why, for instance, Canada has both English and French-speaking versions of the show.

Over the years, the local teams have done several trials with spin-offs and working with additional content for other platforms. In France, a spin-off was broadcast with previous contestants watching and commenting on the current season, while a Canadian spin-off followed a previous participant and his family throughout the year, to give the viewers insight into how life is on a farm.

We have a global production community with local producers where we share ideas, which makes it easy to maintain the quality and success of the show across the local versions.

3. How has the evolution of digital media and streaming platforms impacted the production and distribution of Farmer Wants a Wife? Have you noticed any changes in viewer demographics or engagement?

As you can see in both Germany on RTL and France on M6, the show remains stable with strong audience figures on linear TV. In general, Farmer Wants a Wife hasn’t heavily used social media for additional content or to drive engagement. We have rather benefited from using social media as a marketing tool and for casting, when we are either searching for new farmers or people who would like to date the farmers.

Even though the show remains stable on linear TV, streaming platforms have helped us to attract a younger audience to the show, as they find the format on VOD (Video on Demand) platforms. For example, nearly half of the VOD viewers for the last season of Farmer Wants a Wife on the German RTL+ were within the 14 to 49-year-old target group.

We can also see that the show performs extraordinarily well in markets such as Sweden, where streaming added an extra 29 per cent to the total viewership, performing well on catch-up and on-demand platforms. In Sweden, they have also experimented with creating additional digital content, such as online-exclusive farmers on the streaming platform, to provide even more content for viewers and fans.

4. You mentioned the global production community of Farmer Wants a Wife. Could you talk more about how you are working together? 

In this production community, our producers from around the world participate in regular chats, to share stories, ideas and solutions to challenges. This knowledge-sharing is so important within our production community! We have the producers helping out each other, giving tips and ideas on how they have overcome certain obstacles, and also how to apply different solutions in different territories.

This production community was especially important during the Covid-19 pandemic, when our colleagues discussed the continuous production of the show, despite restrictions. Producers shared their experiences and solutions, securing the continuation of the series.

It’s also in this community where we have the ‘baby count’, a system for reporting new Farmer Wants a Wife-babies. It reminds us that it’s not just a show among others, it actually has a real-life impact!

5. You have been with Fremantle for almost 18 years, congratulations! In your opinion, what has been the most rewarding aspect of working for the company, and how has your role evolved over the years?

It’s a privilege to work with great formats and great people. I joined Fremantle as a Flying Producer, a role that involved travelling globally to support productions. I was very impressed by the slate of entertainment shows: Pop Idol, The X Factor and Got Talent to name a few. To me, to work at Fremantle is to work with great formats, both classic and new, spanning from Family Feud and Price is Right to brand-new formats such as The Piano.

In my role, I’ve been fortunate to have travelled to numerous countries and visited many studios and locations. It has been very rewarding to gain this experience, meeting people from all around the world.

I’m proud to work for Fremantle as the collaboration is excellent between our colleagues, alongside the knowledge-sharing. We have a truly global reach in the company, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to work with people from all over the world.