Banijay Unveils Fantasy Dating Format Date Knight for Mipcom
Forget coffee and small talk. In “Date Knight,” singles fall in love dressed as knights, elves, witches and warriors. Banijay Entertainment has unveiled the dating reality format ahead of Mipcom 2026, according to Variety.
Mipcom is the international market where broadcasters and streamers buy and sell new shows. A format, meaning a show idea that can be remade with local casts in other countries, lives or dies there. “Date Knight” will form part of Banijay’s sales line-up for this year’s event.
The original version comes from Denmark. It is produced by Nordisk Film TV, which sits inside Banijay Nordic, for DR, the Danish public broadcaster. Public broadcasters are state-funded channels with a remit to serve broad audiences.
The set-up leans into romantasy, the blend of romance and fantasy familiar from books and films. Contestants first meet and date entirely in character inside that fantasy world. No real names. No everyday clothes. Just the persona.
Their love lives then play out through grand balls, secret encounters and romantic quests. It is dating with costumes, rules and storylines built in. The fantasy holds until it does not.
They are not left alone in the quest. The Danish version is guided by DR P3 radio host Jannik Schouw alongside couples therapist and anthropologist Julie Houe. One brings the audience with him. The other brings relationship expertise.
Then the armour comes off. As the dates continue, participants gradually drop their personas to reveal who they really are. The question is simple. Does the connection survive without the character?
Behind the launch are three familiar names in the trade. James Townley is chief content officer, development, at Banijay Entertainment. Ulrik Jørgensen is chief executive of Nordisk Film TV. Isabella Alonso De Vera Hindkjær is head of DR P3.
“Date Knight” will travel to market alongside three other Banijay titles: “100 Knives,” “Last One Standing” and “Million Dollar Idea.” For buyers, that is the point of the market. They can pick up several ready-made ideas in one trip.
What makes this stand out is the order of events. Costume usually comes after connection. Here it comes first.
