Rakuten TV commences shooting for new series in the Canary Islands: Discovering Canary Islands

Rakuten TV has started filming its next original production: Discovering Canary Islands, an adventure reality show hosted by Pilar Rubio which, in its first series, will travel around the Canary Islands. The show will uncover the most incredible and unusual myths surrounding the islands by immersing contestants in the local culture and traditions.

For the first time, an OTT platform (Over The Top) is committed to an international format where 8 contestants of 8 different nationalities will compete to be the best explorer in Europe. The contestants, who are still to be revealed, will discover that the Canary Islands number not eight… but nine! La Graciosa, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera hide their own legends. Between reality and folklore, history and fiction, it is said that there is a ninth island: San Borondón. Known as Whale Island, because of the way it appears and disappears in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, it has been the dream of cartographers and sailors for centuries.

Discovering Canary Islands is supported by Promotur- Turismo de Canarias and is created and co-produced by Atlantia Media and Mediabrands Content Studio/Initiative. The creative team has a consolidated experience in production in Spain and internationally of innovative entertainment formats (Supervivientes, Gran Hermano, Pekín Express). Led by Paolo Nocetti, executive producer, and Constantino Martínez, director of R&D and entertainment, this first season will be directed by Cristina Jiménez, a specialist in entertainment content and reality shows.

The show will be hosted by Pilar Rubio, who is an internationally renowned Spanish presenter with a long career in television. Rubio, who has more than 7.5 million Instagram followers, was delighted with the project: “I am happy to be able to present a show that will reach 42 European countries. It is a format which is hugely identifiable: a family show, full of adventures in a unique setting!”.

The most spectacular scenery in the Canary Islands will be the backdrop for impressive challenges of strength, ingenuity, and skill. All will be required in a dynamic race that will explore the islands across six episodes. During the show, each challenge is a key to the next, offering an advantage or a reward, and the possibility of obtaining a clue in the form of a coordinate and part of the legend to reach the final goal: San Borondón.

Discovering Islands will be incorporated into the Rakuten Stories collection, which presents original and exclusive Rakuten TV content with stories of optimism, empowerment and diversity that reflect the company’s DNA. Cristian Liarte, Head of Originals, states: “We are delighted to present this never-before-seen format that allows us to unite Rakuten TV’s values with quality entertainment for a broad, European audience”. The collection, available on demand and as a linear channel on the platform’s free-to-air service, features multiple exclusive documentaries such as Ona Carbonell: Starting Over, Barcelona Surf Destination, Champions, Andrés Iniesta – The unexpected hero, BVB 09 Stories: who we are, Break Point: A Davis Cup Story, Ride Your Dream, Los secretos de la Roja- Campeones del Mundo, The Australian Dream, Inside Killian Jornet, Sadio Mané – Made in Senegal, Serge Ibaka – Anything is Possible, Gigantes and SEVE.

The reality series will premiere in the second half of the year and will be available exclusively and free of charge on Rakuten TV’s linear and on-demand programming, present in 42 European territories.