Chinese Sale for The Marriage Ref

LONDON: Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation of China and Endemol Asia have signed a deal for the production of 52 episodes of a local treatment of The Marriage Ref, marking the first partnership between the two companies.

The series will feature 90-minute episodes airing in Mandarin on JiangSu Satellite Channel from late September. In addition to this latest commission in China, broadcasters in Australia and the Middle East picked up both the format and the U.S. version of The Marriage Ref, while local versions will be produced in Argentina, Israel and Spain. Further agreements are expected to be announced soon.

Arjen van Mierlo, the CEO of Endemol Asia, commented: “The Marriage Ref has universal appeal and I have no doubt that the themes of marriage and relationships will resonate strongly with audiences in Asia. This is a funny and entertaining show and I believe that Jiangsu Satellite Channel is the perfect home for it in China. We are very excited about working with them for the first time.”
 
Wang Pei Jie, the vice chief supervisor of Jiangsu Satellite Channel, added: “The Marriage Ref will be one of the highlights of our forthcoming schedule and I’m sure our viewers will love the show. Endemol are renowned for delivering hit entertainment programs, many of which have become enormously popular across Asia and we are very much looking forward to working them.”