Pair of NHK Formats Optioned in Europe

Lineup Industries and NHK Enterprises have secured the first producer options from three countries for the formats The Late Night Show with Nitty & Gritty and Chiko’s Challenge.

The Late Night Show with Nitty & Gritty has been optioned by Hihhihhii in Finland and for the Netherlands by SkyhighTV. Chiko’s Challenge has also been optioned by Hihhihhii Oy and for Spain by Mediacrest.

The original version of The Late Night Show with Nitty & Gritty recently wrapped its fifth season on NHK. The format celebrates the little-known-but-rumored ways of life of people who are not normally heard from, through a deeply candid talk show…using puppets.

Chiko’s Challenge is a co-viewing comedy show that challenges celebrities with child-like questions which are often surprisingly difficult to answer. The quizmaster is an “eternal 5-year-old” character named Chiko.

NHK/NHK Enterprises and Lineup Industries originally began collaborating with the Japanese adaptation of Radio Gaga. Their partnership is meant to drive the global exploitation of NHK’s slate of formats.

Ed Louwerse, co-founder of Lineup Industries, said: “Although very different, these NHK series are both truly original, defining shows that engage debate and conversation on social media. The use of puppetry in Nitty & Gritty allows for a much deeper reveal than would otherwise be the case and feeds into our desire to understand more of human nature, while Chiko’s Challenge is a comedy panel show like no other, and pure fun for the whole family.”

Junko Ogawa, executive controller-general in the content distribution department of NHK Enterprises, said: “We are tremendously excited about these four options and are grateful to Lineup Industries for finding the perfect partners to work with. NHK created Nitty & Gritty to reach the younger generation who are spending more time on the internet than television, by going more niche and underground than we usually do, and with Chiko’s Challenge we wanted a create a never-seen-before character for the whole family. Both were challenging projects but with a clear notion of celebrating the fun and colorful world we live in. We appreciate that Mediacrest, Hihhihhii and SkyhighTV all recognized the beauty of these programs and look forward to sharing our experience and success, as well as receiving insights about the overseas markets through these options.”