RT&É programme sales today announced that it has licensed the format of Play It By Year, a family quiz, to German broadcaster, Das Erste. The initial order, which was brokered by RTÉ Programme sales executive Laura Stearn will see 10 pilot episodes of the family quiz be produced by Constantin Entertainment. The German version, to be named So War’s! Das Quiz Der Jahrzehnte, is scheduled to air this summer on Das Erste which is part of the the ARD network of public channels.

Play It By Year was devised by award-winning Irish producer Adare Productions in conjunction with RTÉ. It was originally commissioned by Eddie Doyle, Head of comedy, talent development and music at the Irish public broadcaster, which it premiered in December 2015 hosted by veteran presenter Mike Murphy.

A family-focused entertainment quiz, Play It By Year sees three teams go head to head in a time-travelling test of memory, teamwork and general knowledge, answering questions based on entertaining archive footage. A mix of funny and nostalgic clips keeps the kids amused while taking the grown-ups on a trip down memory lane, revisiting everything from ridiculous fashions moments to big news items. Battling through the decades, only one team reaches the endgame. The final round is against the clock to win a grand prize.

Eddie Doyle said: "We couldn't have hoped for a better start to Play It By Year's international career than a format deal with a major broadcaster in Germany, Europe's biggest and most competitive TV market. I hope German viewers derive as much pleasure from this classic family show as did our audiences in Ireland. It's the perfect format in that everybody, everywhere has memories that make them laugh, cry and cheer."