Fremantle Picks Up Korean Game-Show Format

Fremantle has added to its catalog the music-based game-show format DNA Singer from Korea.

The series was created by FormatEast and creator Kyung Hwangbo for SBS. It follows as family members who share DNA with celebrities such as singers and actors become “DNA Singers” and perform, while the judges have to guess which celebrities they are genetically related to.

IlJoong-Kim, executive director of FormatEast, said, “It is by no means easy to sell a paper format before the initial proposal has aired. But recently, the preference for Korean content has amplified interest in our shows. We are seeing a trend for major players in the global entertainment industry to acquire our formats in advance to stay ahead of the game. We believe Fremantle is the perfect partner to be working with on DNA Singer.”

Vasha Wallace, executive VP of global acquisitions and development at Fremantle, said, “DNA Singer is just the kind of family guessing game show that we know audiences are responding really well to around the world. The guessing element has proved to be hugely compelling with the all-important play-along factor—only now it has a really unique twist like never seen before. Who are these singers related to? We already have extensive interest from our producers around the world. This innovative show from FormatEast and Kyung Hwangbo will be a welcome addition to the Fremantle lineup, and we look forward to launching it around the world.”