Monday Media Netherlands & Nippon TV strike format deal for Dutch version of ‘Old Enough!’

Old Enough!

Amsterdam-based Monday Media Netherlands has optioned the rights to produce a Dutch version of Japanese entertainment format Old Enough! from Nippon TV.

Old Enough! currently airs bi-annually on Nippon TV and follows the real-life adventures of children running errands on their own for the very first time – such as a two-year-old boy going to the supermarket a kilometer away all by himself – all while being shadowed by an incognito camera crew.

In all cases, the producers meticulously gather research from parents and parental organizations, and parents decide the appropriate challenge for each child. When the children hit the streets, it is always under the watchful eye of hidden cameras and the show’s safety team, who are disguised as joggers, passers-by, or gardeners.

The unscripted format has previously been adapted in Italy, the UK, Vietnam, China and most recently in Singapore, with the format rights for international adaptations held by Nippon TV. Netflix picked up the original show for streaming earlier this year. 

Sayako Aoki, format sales & licensing, international business development, Nippon TV, commented: “Once the original Japanese series of Old Enough! created a huge buzz on Netflix, we received numerous inquiries from around the world for this heartwarming factual entertainment format.

“Monday Media was one of the first to reach out to us and we are delighted to be making this announcement today. I have no doubt that Old Enough! will resonate with Dutch audiences when they witness the adventure of their adorable, young children running errands on their own for the very first time, filmed while following their local cultural standards – sometimes the power of these strongly determined children can exceed to a level that grown-ups could never imagine.”

Jan Hendrik Smeenge, MD of Monday Media Netherlands added: “Small adventures become big stories with huge emotions in this wonderful format and we cannot wait to bring it to The Netherlands. The Japanese version struck a chord around the world – including with me as my family and I binged all available episodes in a day – and we are convinced the Dutch version will do the same.”