Primitives, the Belgium-headquartered specialist TV formats distributor, today announced its first format sale for Belgian political format First Choice — and its second format deal with STVR Slovakia in less than three months.

CEETV reported first about the adaptation of format in Slovakia last week.

STVR is set to launch a 5 x 60 mins adaptation of First Choice, created by Belgian production company De Mensen for public broadcaster VRT, on October 29. The deal follows the Slovak public broadcaster’s decision in August to renew Primitives-distributed travel-entertainment format On the Right Track for a second season, following a successful first local run of SVT’s evergreen format, now in its 37th season on the Swedish public broadcaster.

First Choice launched on VRT1 as Eerst Keus in May 2024, attracting large audiences and sparking a nation-wide debate in the run up to Belgium’s regional and federal elections. The format turns traditional political debate on its head by putting first-time voters in control of the conversation. Across five episodes, 150 students aged 16-to-22 are given the opportunity to question politicians directly about the issues that matter most to young people.

The hybrid format combines civic debate with entertainment, bringing together students from different schools, backgrounds and viewpoints and offering them not only a voice, but the ears of the politicians hoping to win their vote. We learn about the young people’s lives, ambitions and concerns, while a political journalist tests their knowledge and understanding of the electoral landscape. Each episode culminates with three politicians facing the questions, hopes and fears of a new generation of voters. The result is honest, enlightening, inspiring — and at times heated — as the students hold their would-be political representatives to account.

"We are very happy to bring this kind of format to our viewers. We wanted to create a space in which young people will not only be an audience, but active participants in the discussion. The goal of First Choice is not to tell high school students what to think, but to give them a chance to say what they think and how they perceive the world themselves," said Peter Begányi, manager of Slovak Television.

Emma Gosling, Sales & Acquisition manager at Primitives said: “With democracy under threat and political views becoming increasingly polarised, we're delighted that STVR has commissioned a first season of First Choice. Broadcasters have an important role to play in helping audiences engage with politics and feel that their voices are being heard.

What we love about First Choice is that it doesn't preach about democracy, it puts young people right at the heart of it. The format asks politicians the questions that matter to young people, giving them nowhere to hide and audiences the chance to hear their answers first-hand. It's about giving young people a voice, encouraging them to engage with politics and, importantly, helping us all better understand and respect different points of view.”