Japan’s Nippon TV is producing new Netflix comedy series, "Ariyoshi Assists", shaking up its approach to original production in relinquishing all rights to its productions to any global streamer for the first time.

The 10-episode Japanese-language "Ariyoshi Assists" premieres exclusively on Netflix worldwide on 14 March and will not air or stream on any of Nippon TV’s platforms. The series will be subtitled for viewers around the world. 

The new arrangement follows Nippon TV’s establishment of its content strategy division in June 2022. 

The aim of the new unit is “to accelerate large-scale co-development and co-productions projects with streamers, broadcasters, and producers around the world,” Nippon TV says. 

“Our goal, at that time, was to build new strategic creative collaborations with international partners to create original content for viewers worldwide,” Mikiko Nishiyama, Nippon TV’s EVP, international business development, said in the announcement of the deal with Netflix. 

The series, which Nippon TV describes as “the epitome of... crazy Japanese comedy show genre”, is hosted by Japanese celebrity, Hiroiki Ariyoshi, with 10 guest hosts. The guest hosts include artists and professional athletes, who will each host their own episode. 

"Ariyoshi Assists’" creators and show runners are Kazuaki Hashimoto and Toshiyuki Yokozawa, who are behind prime-time Japanese entertainment/variety shows, Ariyoshi no Kabe and Ariyoshi Zemi. Both airing weekly on Nippon TV and its network stations.