Singapore, 5 December 2018 –Singaporean fans can look forward to a local adaption of Old Enough!,the popular long-running series from Japan early next year, with the conclusion of the first format deal between Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV), the leading commercial broadcaster network in Japan, and Mediacorp, Singapore’s leading media company.
Atsushi Sogo, President of International Business Development for Nippon TV said, “A cultural phenomenon in Japan, Old Enough!has been a primetime hit for 27 years and counting. It's a proven ratings powerhouse across all demographics in Japan and is sure to draw a huge audience in Singapore, thanks to this new deal with Mediacorp,” said Mr. Sogo. “Old Enough!continues in the tradition of family programming. It's unpredictable, original, can't-miss entertainment. We are heartened that the unscripted format has been successfully localized in the UK, China, Italy and Vietnam.”
Tan Lek Hwa, Chief Editor, Current Affairs for Mediacorp said, “One admirable attribute of Japanese culture is its emphasis on fostering independence in their children from a very young age. We hope the heartwarming series will amuse our audiences, as well as prompt debate within Singaporean families about parenthood and the need to imbue their kids with the life skills they need to navigate the world.”
Added Ms. Tan, "We were pleasantly surprised to discover that so many of our pre-pubescent participants were able to step up to the challenge at hand. Some even took the initiative to seek help from strangers, many of whom were actually part of our show's safety team disguised as pedestrians or passersby."
Old Enough!’s charming conceit centres on an incognito camera crew capturing preschoolers as they venture out to run errands on their own for the very first time. Local viewers can look forward to an adorable roll-call of real-life youngsters making real-life decisions of their own volition, including Ninja, a tenacious three-year-old tasked with tending to the croaking creatures frolicking in his family’s frog farm; and Chloe, a chipper five-year-old assigned to buy and bedeck a fish tank at the behest of her mother.
In Singapore, the family-friendly franchise will be adapted as a four-part special for On The Red Dot, a current affairs programme investigating issues close to home. The half-hourly special is slated for telecast every Friday at 9.30pm from 4 January 2019 on Mediacorp Channel 5 and will also be available for over-the-top streaming on Toggle.
For more information on Old Enough! by Nippon TV, please visit www.ntv.co.jp/english/pc/2011/02/old-enough.html.
Launch trailers and screen-grabs from Mediacorp Channel 5’s Old Enough!special can be downloaded via this link: mediacorp-sg.sharefile.com/d-sc28b9f0eda248be8.
About Nippon TV
Nippon TV is recognized as Japan’s viewer ratings champion having topped all timeslot categories for four consecutive years. One of the biggest successes for the nation’s finest producer of all genres of programming is Dragons’ Den, a globally successful business show format that has more than 35 versions in territories across all continents of the world. The Emmy award-winning version, Shark Tank, airs in the US. Following closely is the success of Mother, a scripted format that has become a mega-hit in Turkey and has sold into 31 territories around the world, and Woman –My Life for My Children- which became an even bigger hit in Turkey and currently sold to 17 territories. With well-established businesses that range from eSports, android creation, digital mixed reality, animation, movies, events, to fitness clubs, Nippon TV is leveraging its coveted platform to revolutionize digital media in an ever-changing industry. Launching a channel in Southeast Asia named GEM through a joint venture with Sony Pictures Television Networks and leading the digital content market through Hulu Japan---a subsidiary that boasts the largest SVOD subscriber base in the country, Nippon TV is steadily solidifying its presence and brand as a global media powerhouse.
About Mediacorp
Mediacorp is Singapore’s largest content creator and transmedia platform, operating seven TV channels, 11 radio stations and multiple digital platforms including Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Singapore's most used news app, and Toggle, its digital video platform. Its mission is to engage, entertain and enrich audiences by harnessing the power of creativity.
Mediacorp pioneered the development of Singapore's broadcasting industry, with radio broadcast in 1936 and television broadcast in 1963. Today, it reaches 99% of Singaporeans in all four languages and has a growing Asian audience base through CNA and its entertainment content that is distributed across markets in the region.
Mediacorp’s investments include stakes in Reebonz, one of the region’s fastest growing luxury online retailers, and Vietnam television’s International Media Corporation. The Mediacorp Partner Network brings Mediacorp together with industry-leading brands like ESPN and 99.co to deliver rich content for consumers and effective solutions for advertisers.
