about us
The Format People was founded in 2009 by distributor and broker Michel Rodrigue and content specialist Justin Scroggie. Our goal - to combine the commercial and creative parts of our industry into a consultancy that delivers great formats that travel.
Justin Scroggie
Chief Creative Officer & Partner, The Format People
"Justin's analytical mind makes an impression. He knows in a systematic way how to deconstruct different game elements and expose their funictionality. Not for nothing is he called The Format Doctor".
VRT, Belgium.
Justin is a BAFTA-award winning global content specialist, format creator and trainer with 30 years’ experience in the industry, known internationally as The Format Doctor.
Justin works with broadcasters, distributors and production companies around the world to improve the creation, development and delivery of their formats in genres including gameshows, talent, fact. ent., lifestyle, make-over, reality, chat, and social experiments.
Justin is the creator of hit formats including ‘Chef In Your Ear’ produced in 13 territories to date. He also co-created song-writing format ‘Sing My Song’ (China/CCTV), 3 seasons to date, averaging 252m viewers per season.
Justin helped develop NRK’s hit format ‘Doctors Vs Internet’, 5 seasons to date, licensed to 12 territories, winner of Best Studio Gameshow at the International format Awards 2017; and reality car racing show SIXTH GEAR. Other formats he has consulted on include gameshows ‘Splatalot’, 'Canada's Super Spellers', and ‘Canada’s Smartest Person’, ‘Pablo’ (BBC/Netflix), the first animation series about a character on the autism spectrum; music shows ‘Fanbase’ and ‘Beter Assie Bure’ for SABC, cooking contest ‘Kokkedoor’ for KykNet, and Discovery’s ‘Know It All’, adapted in Sweden as ‘Genikampen’.
As an active Flying Producer, Justin has installed international versions of CHEF IN YOUR EAR, Spanish game show '20 Little Piggies' and Chinese kids talent format 'Little Masters' among others. Justin also writes production bibles, most recently for the Chinese mega-format 'StreetDance of China'.
Justin is a visiting lecturer at the UK's NFTS, and has trained in TV formats for KOCCA (Korean Creative Content Agency), SABC, MNET, Northern Ireland Screen, and Screen Ireland. He has been a keynote speaker at Copenhagen TV Festival, Kiev Media Week, C21 Content Academy, among many others, and judge at Banff Media Festival, Rose D'Or, ATF, International Emmys and MIPFormats. Justin helped organise C21's Formats 360 2019.
Justin co-devised and produced history game format ‘Codex’ at London’s British Museum, and reality shows ‘Shock Treatment’ (Sky) and the BAFTA-winning ‘Starfinder’ (ITV). Previous production credits include cult game-shows ‘Treasure Hunt’ and ‘Crystal Maze’.
He is the author of 11 books for children and adults.