Australia’s Seven to launch local Iron Chef

Australian broadcaster Seven Network is launching a local version of Japanese cooking format Iron Chef after striking a deal with distributor RDF Rights.

This move will intensify the battle between the commercial broadcasters, particularly between Seven and rival Network Ten, which produced the hugely successful local version of Masterchef that attracted 3.7 million viewers for its finale.

Shine Australia will produce 6x1hour local version of the show, which pits everyday cooks against a number of Iron Chefs.

The original format aired on Japanese broadcaster Fuji TV. Earlier this year, UK distributor RDF Rights joined forces with the producers of Iron Chef America, Keller Productions and Triage Entertainment, to represent the Fuji Creative Corporation-owned format and subsequently sold it to British broadcaster Channel 4.