TOKYO, JAPAN – February 15, 2019 – Nippon TV is proud to announce that it has acquired the rights for the Japan broadcast of the South Korean drama series “Mother”, a remake of its very own drama series “Mother.”
It will air on Nittele Plus, a channel operated by Nippon TV group company CS Nippon Corporation. Nittele Plus will air the original Japanese version in its entirety as well as all episodes of the South Korean remake. Binge watching to compare the original with the remake is extremely popular on pay-tv platforms. This is the first time the South Korean version of “Mother” will be broadcast on Nittele Plus.
The Nippon TV original drama series “Mother,” written by Yuji Sakamoto, directed by Nobuo Mizuta and produced by Hisashi Tsugiya, depicts modern women who, as their lives unfold, take the time to reflect on themselves to find a new way of living. The powerful performance, along with the heart-wrenching story, brought viewers to tears. The drama series went on to win numerous awards and touch people the world over with its universal theme. Immediately after the original version finished airing in Japan, Nippon TV secured a remake deal with CJ ENM, a major broadcasting, production, and distribution company in South Korea. The remake was produced by CJ ENM subsidiary Studio Dragon and broadcast on the tvN channel in January 2018, reaching fans all over Asia and achieving massive success.
Moreover, in 2016, “Mother” was remade as “Anne” in Turkey where it became an enormous hit, so much so that the Turkish version went on to air in over 32 countries. The success of the “Mother” franchise continues with another remake deal sealed, this time for Ukraine, as well as ongoing negotiations in several other countries.
The South Korean “Mother” was produced in 2018 and stars Lee Bo-young as the lead character. While fundamentally aligned to the plot of the Japanese version, it offers its own original touches such as romantic elements written in ways that only South Korea can, as well as a different ending.
At the 54 Baeksang Arts Awards held on May 3, 2018 (the South Korean equivalent of the Golden Globes), “Mother” won Best Drama and Heo Yool won Best New Actress (Television). At the 13 Seoul International Drama Awards, it bagged the Top Excellence Award for Miniseries. At the 1 Cannes International Series Festival (CANNESERIES 2018), it was selected as one of ten new drama series from around the world to participate in the competition and the only one from Asia.
Hisashi Tsugiya, Producer, Production Division at Nippon TV says, “I was absolutely surprised when I heard that CJ ENM wanted to buy the scripted format rights to ‘Mother’ immediately after it was broadcast in Japan. They went on to work meticulously on the story of the remake so when I found out that it would air in 2018, I was really excited to see how it turned out. I had the honor of attending the 1 Cannes International Series Festival (CANNESERIES 2018) where over 2,000 people attended the screening, and I saw firsthand how the viewers were captivated by the drama. I myself was quite moved. It ended with a standing ovation and the guests held nothing back when they cheered loudly for the Studio Dragon production team and the two main characters. I was clapping so hard for them too. There was a woman crying behind me and our eyes happened to meet. She said, ‘I have the same past as the lead character. I really empathize with the story. It’s great.’ I am very happy it will be shown in full in Japan and I would be honored if many people would tune in to see it.”
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 more than 32 territories around the world, and Woman –My Life for My Children- which became an even bigger hit in Turkey and currently sold to over 22 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.
