Airing on April 10 this year on Dubai One will be a travel series called Peeta Planet. The show was conceptualised by two Emiratis, and will consist of 21-minute long episodes where they travel to various locations across the globe, and visit sites and restaurants as suggested through social media. Peyman and Mohamed Al Awadhi came up for the idea for this interactive travel experience when they were collaborating in Intaj, twofour54’s media production arm. They subsequently developed their own company, Qabeela New Media, and the show got commissioned by Dubai Media Incorporated.
This unique travel series is a success story for Abu Dhabi’s very own twofour54, who instigate many initiatives to promote Emirati and local talent in the media. CEO of twofour54, Noura Al Kaabi, said: ‘For twofour54 this represents a major milestone in our support of young Emirati talent with innovative ideas that push the content creation and new media boundaries. We are therefore very pleased we have supported the development of this new concept and are offering Qabeela New Media a home on our media and creative campus from which they will continue to grow their production business.’
We spoke to the two creative minds and hosts of Peeta Planet about the whole experience.
How did the idea for Peeta Planet come about?
Peyman: In 2009, we planned a trip to Sri Lanka purely based on our engagement with people we met on social media. As a result, we ended up having the most personal trip ever. We connected with locals, ate where they ate and visited places they frequented. It was our first #SocialTravel experience.
Can you tell us a bit about how the programme was launched?
Mohamed: When you have partners like twofour54, Dubai One and Google, anything is possible. Dubai One viewed a pilot episode that our production company, Qabeela New Media, produced at twofour54 Intaj studios. They liked it and asked for a full season; 12 episodes. That’s when Google got involved as a partner.
What obstacles did you face in the beginning?
Peyman: As with any innovation, it took time for our stakeholders to believe in what we wanted to create. When we had the idea in 2009, the concept of social TV was still in its infancy. TV shows and social media engagement were two separate things. Social networks were resources people used, not companies and certainly not brands.
What do you hope to achieve with this programme?
Mohamed: We would like to portray young Arabs in a positive context and show that we share common interests with the youth across the world. At the same time, we are documenting what we believe to be a new form of travel. We call it Social Travel. By watching Peeta Planet, people can learn to be social travellers themselves. We also believe that viewers are ready to consume content in a multidimensional way; through TV, social networks and in secondary handheld devices. Thanks to technological advances, this happened organically.
What can viewers and followers expect to see in the coming months on Peeta Planet?
Peyman: Expect to see real people with common passions connecting with each other across the world, sharing great stories and inspiring initiatives. These are people who’ve decided to follow their passion and haven’t looked back.
Where do you see the show in ten years?
Mohamed: Hopefully well into its tenth season!
So far, what has been the best and worst feedback you got?
Peyman: Engagement with our followers is critical to what we do. It keeps us focused, grounded and relevant. Whether compliments or criticism, we view it as ‘caring’. I would actually be more worried if we didn’t get any feedback at all.
Follow Peeta Planet on Instagram @peetaplanet. To find out more about the show, as well as airing times, visit www.gplus.to/peetaplanet, www.twitter.com/peetaplanet or www.facebook.com/peetaplanet.
