The Million Pound Drop was a huge success for us earlier this year, not only did the format work well on television but it was also a hit online with thousands of viewers playing along at home with virtual millions. We recently announced that the Million Pound Drop has been re-commissioned for a second series and with it a new improved version of the play-along game.I recently shared a panel with Channel 4’s head of Entertainment Justin Gorman where we discussed the Million Pound Drop and the different interactive elements that supported it. Justin explained that a strong interactive component was crucial for Channel 4 by ensuring the proposition as a whole was innovative enough for them and C4 viewers. We also discussed how Twitter and Facebook were important too, not only to build up hype around the show and recruit contestants, but also generating discussion and participation during the show – we regularly reached the top trending topic in the UK !

We’ve got some great new social features in development for the next version of the game (unfortunately I can’t talk about them just yet) and an upgraded contestant applications website that makes the process of the applying to be on the show quicker and easier than before. The auditions process has already begun with applications using the same ‘Drop Code’ system as before – if you want to be on the show then follow @millionpounddrop on twitter for the latest details.

The Million Pound Drop Live is coming back in October with 9 new episodes and Davina McCall back at the helm. Check out the official press release here.