Owner, Small World IFT and Entertainment Consultant
Tim Crescenti has been one of the worlds’ top format acquisition and sales executives over the last four decades, even named by Broadcast magazine as a “Top Dealmaker” in international television. From discovering format juggernaut Dragons’ Den (aka Shark Tank) in 2002 to his more recent conversion of Korea’s Grandpa Over Flowers into the NBC top rating Better Late Than Never, Tim has seen it all when it comes to international formats sales and acquisitions. More than seeing it all, he has been well and truly in the centre of the world’s formats business, with a global reputation for finding those hidden gems in unexplored markets.
Tim travels the world on a shoestring (well, maybe something a tiny bit bigger than a shoestring, but you get it), to talk to all the world’s top players in the formats world; be they producers, distributors or broadcasters. In doing so, he travels to all the well known territories but he also visits countries that are so small Rhode Island could beat the bejeezuz out of it. Whilst doing so, he is seeking his next undiscovered format gem, that can be taken from the world’s hinterland into the freeways of the major broadcasters where such programmes can be turned into a worldwide format success.
Some of Tim’s work includes – Dragons’ Den which was the first Japanese format sold into the UK; Got What It Takes was the first Romanian format produced in the UK. The Fan was the first Thai format produced in Europe with TV4 Sweden leading the way. On the other side of the pond, our Ukraine Come to Bed show was the first Ukraine format sold into the US while Better Late Than Never aka Grandpas Over Flowers stands as the first South Korean format produced in the USA, thanks to NBC. It has also been adapted in 13 other European countries.
Big in Japan/I Survived a Japanese Game Show won the prestigious Rose d’ Or as Best Overall Programme in 2009.
Presently, Small World/Tim has a format in development with CBS network in US, along with Big in Japan in development in Germany.
