As part of Mipcom Online+, consulting firm 7K Media offered a Top 5 of new entertainment formats from South Korea, the country that has launched some of the most successful formats of the past two years.
The Masked Singer (MBC), which continues to position itself as the most adapted title globally, paved the road for entertainment formats made in Korea to travel the world. I Can See Your Voice (CJ ENM) is already following in its footsteps, and more and more Korean formats are achieving extramural versions.
With the international appetite on the rise, Mipcom Online+ is offering several panels focused on South Korea, Country of Honor of this peculiar edition of the market.
Clare Thompson from British consultancy firm, K7 Media, presented the session “K-Format: The Big 5 Unscripted Formats”, sponsored by KOCCA, the Korean government agency dedicated to promoting the local content industry.
The presentation highlighted five new entertainment formats that are having great success in Korea and that promise to make people talk in the international market.
Top 5: New Unscripted Formats
1. Cash Back
Release: April 2020
Episodes: 6 x 110 min / 2 pilots
Distribution: CJ EMN
A physical game show, where participants must run a race with all kinds of obstacles and tests and accumulate as many “moneymojis” (big money-filled emoticons) as possible, which they must deposit in a vault before time runs out.
2. The Giving Quiz, Deliver Today!
Premiere: August 2020
Episodes: 2 x 60 min / pilot
Distribution: SBS
A fun quiz show in which the contestants must answer questions with two answer options and try to guess the most chosen answer in a poll with ordinary people. The more correct answers, the more boxes of treats they can donate. But among the participants is The X, who knows all the answers ahead of time.
3. Oh! My Partner
Premiere: January 2020
Episodes: 12 x 120 min
Distribution: MBC
A twist on the now famous Korean musical talent show with a dose of mystery. Two established musicians are on a mission to find their ideal singing partner, among five aspirants who have their name, occupation and even their musical abilities hidden behind a veil.
4. Star’s Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant
Premiere: October 2019
Episodes: weekly x 70 min
Distribution: KBS Media
Reality cooking show where five famous gourmet celebrities compete by cooking their own dishes, which are evaluated by a jury of renowned chefs. The best dish from each program will be available the next day in grocery stores.
5. Heart Signal
Premiere: March 2020
Episodes: 16 x 90 min
Distribution: Channel A
A suspenseful romantic reality show in which eight people, men and women, live together in a house for a month. In the study, a group of “predictors” spy on them through cameras, and try to guess the incipient romances through their looks, interactions and non-verbal communication.
