BBC Studios & Nippon TV co-develop ‘Koso Koso’ gameshow format

Koso Koso

BBC Studios in the UK and Nippon TV in Japan have partnered to co-develop a new comedy gameshow format Koso Koso.

BBC Studios will act as distributor for the format globally, with Nippon TV leading distribution in Asia. The format launches to international customers at BBC Studios Showcase in February 2024.

The new format is the result of a co-development partnership between the two companies and Asia-based content incubator Empire of Arkadia (EOA).

Koso Koso sees celebrity secret agents prank unsuspecting contestants to win them a cash prize. The contestants think they are in a reality show, unaware of the secret squad of celebrity agents constantly observing their every move. These undercover agents must skilfully complete ridiculous missions without arousing suspicion to win cash for the clueless contestants.

Once the missions conclude, the biggest secret is revealed: contestants find out about the gameshow they never knew they were playing and face a final challenge to win the cash prize. With laugh-out-loud missions and big reveals, this unique family gameshow is defined by its surreal, shareable content.

The pilot aired in Japan in June 2023 on Nippon TV’s flagship commercial broadcast network and achieved a 24.9% viewership share (within the 13-49 demographic).

The agreement builds on the existing relationship between the BBC Studios International Production and Formats team and Nippon TV. Earlier this year BBC Studios licenced the Doctor Foster format to Nippon TV.

Suzy Lamb, MD of BBC Studios Entertainment productions said: “Bringing together the experience and ideas from us in BBC Studios and Nippon TV has been hugely beneficial. Together we have created a format which may not have happened in isolation – it’s a real coming together of UK and Japanese creativity to create a format that will have wide appeal.”

The project was brokered by EOA founder, Fotini Paraskakis, Daniel Thomas, head of format acquisitions on behalf of BBC Studios and Tom Miyauchi, head of formats, content business & distribution, global business, on behalf of Nippon TV.