First ever original NHK entertainment format to be adapted internationally, commissioned for 60 episodes

Independent international distribution company Lineup Industries has signed a pioneering deal with fast-growing Spanish company Mediacrest to produce 60 episodes of NHK’s co-viewing comedy format Chiko’s Challenge for Spanish public broadcaster TVE, where it will air daily. The sale marks the first time one of NHK’s entertainment formats has been adapted internationally.

Chiko’s Challenge (or Mapi as it will be called in Spain) challenges celebrities with child-like questions which are often surprisingly difficult to answer. The quizmaster is an “eternal 5-year-old” character named Chiko. She is half CGI, half live actor, voiced by a famous comedian.  Very curious and hard to please, Chiko challenges the celebrity panel with questions like “Why is ice slippery?” “Why do grandpas have long eyebrows?” But be careful! If you cobble together flimsy answers like you do with your kids, Chiko will have a tantrum before an expert reveals the true answer and a humorous demonstration or experiment ensues. Currently one of the biggest studio entertainment shows in Japan with 162 episodes aired since its launch in 2018. Are you up for a challenge by this cheeky know-it-all?

Ed Louwerse, Founder of Lineup Industries, said: “Chiko’s Challenge is a family quiz show but it’s totally unique. With the increasing demand for lighter entertainment and a continuing move towards co-viewing, this show provides fun and entertainment for the whole family.”

TVE Head of Originals Ana María Bordas added: “Chiko’s Challenge or Mapi, as we will call it in Spain, is a format that is aimed at a wide and varied audience.  RTVE has decided to bet on this humour contest for being visually and technologically innovative in which the protagonist is a girl whose image is created by CGI. RTVE is committed to introducing new formats and in this case, we are very pleased to share this experience created and tested by Japanese public TV NHK.”

Koji Matsumoto, President and CEO of NHK Enterprises, adds “We are tremendously excited to see Chiko, who is beloved by viewers of all ages in Japan, will be travelling outside her home country and be transformed into Mapi in Spain!  This is NHK’s first entertainment format to be localized overseas and we are very grateful to Lineup Industries, Media Crest and TVE for partnering with us to make this happen.  We look forward to developing the program with them, and sincerely hope that Mapi will become a household name in Spain just like Chiko at home.”

“Chiko’s Challenge, (Mapi in Spain), is a diamond that we are delighted to produce for TVE, it’s a fantastic program that fits perfectly with Mediacrest’s philosophy and that will delight Spanish public,” says Francisco Pou, CEO of Mediacrest.

The deal for Chiko’s Challenge with TVE follows a distribution agreement between Lineup Industries and NHK Enterprises (the distribution arm of Japanese broadcaster NHK) to drive the global expansion of NHK’s slate of creative, prize-winning formats. NHK/NHK Enterprises and Lineup Industries originally began collaborating with the hugely successful Japanese adaptation of Radio Gaga, a uniquely touching format which follows a hyper-local, intimate radio station and is now in its third season on NHK.

For further information, please contact:
Aimée Norman at The DDA Group on: +44 (0) 7957 564 050 or aimee.norman@ddapr.com

About Lineup Industries
With a global reach, Amsterdam-based Lineup Industries is an independent international distributor offering the highest level of sales expertise combined with a tailored, global service. The company consists of a senior team of executives with wide-ranging experience dealing with broadcasters, corporations, independent producers and individuals worldwide. Lineup Industries focuses on formats and derived IP and is competitive and streamlined in its approach, facilitating high quality materials and consultancy, ensuring consistency across every production through its lifespan. In 2016 Beta Film GmbH took a stake in Lineup Industries forging a complementary distribution partnership between the companies.  www.lineupindustries.com

About NHK Enterprises
NHK Enterprises, Inc. (NEP) is the international distribution/production arm of NHK, Japan’s sole public broadcaster. It handles high-quality programs aired by NHK including documentaries, children’s and educational programs, entertainment, culture, animation, drama and formats. As NHK actively produces programs in 4K and 8K, NEP’s 4K and 8K contents library is ever increasing.  NEP was established in 1985, and has expanded its business across a wide range of content-related activities to become one of the leading companies in the content industry.　 https://pf.nhk-ep.co.jp

About Mediacrest
Mediacrest is an audio-visual production company founded in Barcelona and also based in Madrid that produce fiction, entertainment and documentaries, counting on the experience and creative talent of long-standing professionals in the business. Founded in 2018 and bearing Barcelona’s creative stamp, it focuses mainly on international markets and partners, developing products with a global dimension while also producing content for local audiences.

About TVE
TVE was founded in 1956 and, like RNE and RTVE.es, belongs to the Corporación Radio Televisión Española (RTVE), a corporation held 100% by the Spanish State.  https://www.rtve.es/