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| (Image Source: Nippon TV) |
BBC Studios and leading Japanese media and entertainment company Nippon TV recently forged a partnership to co-develop a new comedy gameshow format entitled Koso Koso set to launch at the BBC Studios Showcase on February 2024, with the former acting as worldwide distributor for the format and the ladder leading its distribution across Asia. The new format is the result of a co-development partnership between the two companies and Asia-based content incubator Empire of Arkadia (EOA).
The collaboration brings together core expertise from BBC Studios Global Entertainment teams (Strictly Come Dancing, Eurovision Song Contest and The Weakest Link), Nippon TV (Dragons’ Den/Shark Tank, Old Enough!, and Silent Library) and EOA, led by Fotini Paraskakis, who has been responsible for local format adaptations of global brands such as Got Talent, Big Brother and Masterchef across the Asia region over the past 25 years. The comedy gameshow format Koso Koso sees celebrity secret agents prank unsuspecting contestants to win them a cash prize. The contestants think they are in a reality show, unaware of the secret squad of celebrity agents constantly observing their every move. These undercover agents must skilfully complete ridiculous missions without arousing suspicion to win cash for the clueless contestants. Once the missions conclude, the biggest secret is revealed: contestants find out about the gameshow they never knew they were playing and face a final challenge to win the cash prize. With laugh-out-loud missions and big reveals, this unique family gameshow is defined by its surreal, shareable content. The show aired in Japan in June 2023 on Nippon TV’s flagship commercial broadcast network and achieved a strong 24.9% viewership share (within the 13-49 demographic).
BBC Studios Entertainment Productions Managing Director Suzy Lamb said, “We’ve really enjoyed working with the development team at Nippon TV on what has been an exciting creative process. Bringing together the experience and ideas from us in BBC Studios and Nippon TV has been hugely beneficial. Together we have created a format which may not have happened in isolation – it’s a real coming together of UK and Japanese creativity to create a format that will have wide appeal.” Nippon TV Global Business Head of Formats, Content Business & Distribution Tom Miyauchi said, “Our partnership with BBC Studios and Empire of Arkadia will spearhead both creatives and distribution across vast territories in both east and west, as reputably covered by each party. Koso Koso celebrates both hilarious comedic elements with strong reality aspects as garnered by producers from both ends of the world for a global audience.” Paraskakis, on the other hand, said, “Our aim is to leverage creative gaps in the highly competitive unscripted market by creating a format based on known international structures with the addition of fresh Japanese creative twists. We are truly thrilled with this achievement. It’s been an amazing plus incredible journey to see how two powerful and very culturally different platforms have come together, with our support, to create something unique that really addresses content demands today.” BBC Studios Commercial Director of International Production and Formats Emma Hardle said, “We are delighted to collaborate with partners from around the world to share expertise and co-develop new, exciting and original ideas to bring to a global audience.”
The project was brokered and signed by Paraskakis, BBC Studios Head of Format Acquisition Daniel Thomas and Miyauchi. The agreement builds on the established relationship between the BBC Studios International Production and Formats team and Nippon TV. Earlier this year BBC Studios licenced the Doctor Foster format to Nippon TV. The local version premiered on Nippon TV’s new Friday night drama slot targeted at young female audiences, as well as streamed on SVOD and AVOD platforms across the country.
