Banijay to Launch Italian 'Cooking Grandmas' Format at Mipcom

Italy's grandmothers are going global. Banijay Entertainment will debut "Cooking Grandmas" at Mipcom in Cannes, selling an Italian primetime cooking contest to international buyers. The plan was reported by Variety on 12 October 2026.

The format, meaning a show idea that other countries can license and remake locally, comes from Banijay Italia, Banijay Entertainment's Italian production arm. It was commissioned by TV8, the Sky Italia channel, which means the channel ordered the original version. It is made for primetime, the evening slot when viewing is highest.

The contest puts grandmothers at the centre of the kitchen. Each cook brings traditional family recipes and regional specialities. Challenges then test those home repertoires against fine dining, street food and international cuisines. It is familiar food under contest pressure.

Outside the timed cooks, the contestants live together in a rustic farmhouse. That shared house creates a second storyline around daily life and rivalry. Banijay Italia's listings for the TV8 version describe ten grandmothers drawn from across Italy's regions.

Head chef and judge is Alessandro Borghese, the restaurateur and celebrity chef. He runs the kitchen and delivers the verdicts. His background includes formal culinary training in Italy and abroad, with expertise in classic French cuisine, according to his FAO biography.

Mipcom, the annual television market in Cannes where broadcasters and streamers buy formats and finished programmes, is the launch pad for the global sale. The development push is led by James Townley, chief content officer for development at Banijay Entertainment, and Francesco Lauber, chief creative officer at Banijay Italia.

Banijay Italia first presented the project in July as a new show cooked up for TV8. Early Italian listings carried "Cooking Grandmas" as a working title and placed it in prima serata, the Italian term for primetime. Those listings pointed to TV8 as the home channel.

At Mipcom, "Cooking Grandmas" will sit alongside "100 Knives," "Last One Standing," "Million Dollar Idea" and "Date Knight." No international sales have been announced yet. Buyers will decide where, and if, local grandmothers get their own versions.

What makes this stand out is the casting. Many cooking contests chase young professionals. This one bets on family cooks.