BBC Studios and Nippon TV have partnered to co-develop a new comedy gameshow format called ‘Koso Koso’. BBC Studios will act as distributor for the format globally, with Nippon TV leading distribution in Asia. The format is available to international customers from February 2024.
A pilot for the format 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. The developers say there are laugh-out-loud missions and big reveals. “This unique family gameshow is defined by its surreal, shareable content.”
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 celebrity agents constantly observing their every move. The undercover agents must complete ridiculous missions without arousing suspicion.
Nippon TV is Japan’s leading media and entertainment company, and the new format is the result of a co-development partnership between the company, BBC Studios and the content incubator Empire of Arkadia (EOA), which operates in Asia.
The collaboration brings together core expertise from:
- BBC Studios Global Entertainment teams – the producers of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ and ‘The Weakest Link’.
- Nippon TV, creators of ‘Dragons’ Den/Shark Tank’, ‘Old Enough!’, and ‘Silent Library’.
- 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.
Suzy Lamb, MD of BBC Studios Entertainment productions said: “This has been an exciting creative process and 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.”
Paraskakis, Founder of EOA adds: “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 thrilled with this achievement. It’s been amazing 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.”
The project was brokered by:
- Paraskakis at EOA.
- Daniel Thomas, Head of Format Acquisitions, on behalf of BBC Studios.
- Tom Miyauchi, Head of Formats, Content Business & Distribution, Global Business, on behalf of Nippon TV.
Photo: The new Koso Koso comedy game show format was piloted by Nippon TV in June.
