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New peace for old rivals; Philippines’ GMA and ABS-CBN seal historic content deal, open door for broader collaboration
 
The Philippines’ top free-TV broadcaster, GMA Network, has picked up rights to a slate of feature films from one-time rival ABS-CBN in an unprecedented deal that strengthens GMA’s movie line up and – perhaps most importantly – opens the door for a broader partnership between two Asian behemoths that for decades waged some of the region’s most fierce ratings wars.
The deal comes on the eve of the second anniversary of ABS-CBN’s loss of its broadcast licence following a long-running struggle with the administration of current president Rodrigo Duterte.
“Today ushers in the possibility of a far broader set of conversations, potential partnerships and cooperation that will have the benefit not only mutually to GMA and ABS-CBN but as importantly, if not perhaps more importantly, to the benefit of the public we both serve – the Filipino viewer,” GMA Network president/COO, Gilberto Duavit, said today.
“We have as they say, broken the ice, there is great optimism that these conversations will start and continue, and we look forward to the possibility of this type of an opportunity again moving forward,” he added.
GMA’s first VP for programme management department, Jose Mari R. Abacan, called the signing a “momentous affair”, and said the new alliance rounds out long-held relationships with other majors.
The Star Cinema agreement boosts GMA’s existing movie titles from Regal Entertainment, Viva Films and OctoArts Films.
Neither company said exactly how many titles were involved in the new agreement.
Star Cinema movies headed to GMA-7 include “Alone/Together”, “How to Be Yours”, “Till My Heartaches End”, “It Takes a Man and a Woman” and “Just The Way You Are”.
A crowd of top executives from both companies, including ABS-CBN chairman Mark Lopez, attended the contract signing.
The deal speaks to the rebirth of ABS-CBN, which was forced off air in May 2020, as primarily a producer/distributor with a growing online broadcast business but no lucrative free-TV network of its own.
The company has since focused on its content creation strengths and online streaming, including participating in international coproductions such as prison drama “Sellblock”.
Related stories
▶ 16 February 2022: ABS-CBN joins "Sellblock" BlackOps co-pro
▶ 7 February 2022: ABS-CBN ties up with YouTube in first drama co-pro; rom-com charts new path for one-time Philippines broadcast giant
▶ 7 February 2022: Philippines’ ABS-CBN boards U.S. series, “Concepción”; international syndication push continues
Disney+ Hotstar greenlights BBC Studios’ “Dr Foster” adaptation for Indonesia; Screenplay Productions to produce 8-part premium drama
 
Indonesia’s Screenplay Productions is adapting BBC Studios’ scripted series “Doctor Foster” for streaming platform, Disney+ Hotstar, the three companies said this afternoon.
The eight-episode Indonesian version, “Mendua” (“Between Two Hearts”), is scheduled to stream on the platform later this year.
“Mendua” is directed by Pritagita Arianegara (“Surga yang Tak Dirindukan 3”).
Adinia Wirasti (“Critical Eleven”) stars in the lead role of Dr Sekar M Atmajaya, whose life implodes when she discovers her husband is having an affair.
Chicco Jerikho (“Foxtrox Six”) plays her husband and Tatjana Saphira (“Sweet Twenty”) stars as his mistress.
Production is already underway with Wicky V. Olindo (“Gundala”) producing, Anthony Buncio as executive producer/showrunner, and Thaleb Wahjudi as co-producer.
The Indonesian adaptation was developed by Keke Mayang, Sinar Ayu Massie, and Dono Indarto.
“Doctor Foster” is by now a familiar property in Asia, including Korea, where the local version, “The World of the Married”, was the country’s highest-rated drama in cable history.
Versions have also aired on Disney+ Hotstar in India and on ABS-CBN in the Philippines, with a Thai version in the works for BEC World’s free-TV terrestrial service, Channel 3.
Indonesia is a relative newbie when it comes to scripted adaptation, compared to its long-running appetite for non-scripted entertainment/reality shows such as Banijay Rights' “MasterChef Indonesia”, “I Can See Your Voice Indonesia” S5, acquired by MNCTV from Korea's CJ ENM; and ITV Studios' “The Voice Kids” season four by GTV.
Related articles
▶ 28 February 2022: Thailand’s BEC World greenlights local adaptation of BBC Studios’ “Doctor Foster”
▶ 13 April 2021: ABS-CBN licenses “Doctor Foster” remake for the Philippines; major move post 2020 franchise fiasco
Korean series hold firm on Netflix top 10 global non-English TV lists; three #1 titles hit combined 734 million+ viewing hours this year
 
Korean series have dominated Netflix’s global non-English series top 10 this year, winning 10 of the 13 weeks with a total of just over 734 million viewing hours for titles in the number one slot.
Only one show – Colombian telenovela “Cafe con aroma de mujer” (“The Scent of Passion”) S1 from RCN Television/Telemundo – prevented a total sweep for Korea of the #1 spot since the beginning of this year.
The Colombian series, a sprawling remake of 1994 classic telenovela about a love affair between an agricultural worker and the heir of a coffee empire, topped the chart for the first three weeks in January with total viewing hours of 278 million for the period.
From then on, it was Korean all the way.
For the third week running, Netflix’s latest non-English TV Top 10 features six titles from Korea.
Webtoon-based romcom, “Business Proposal”, claimed the top spot for the third consecutive week for the week of 28 March-3 April, with more than 32.5 million viewing hours. This brings the series to a total of almost 103 million viewing hours for the four weeks since it entered the list for the first time on 7 March 2022.
With more than 32 million watch hours, “Business Proposal” was the third most-watched of all Netflix series globally this week, behind only “Bridgerton” (seasons 1 & 2, which had combined viewing hours of 305 million ).
“Business Proposal” was #1 in nine countries in Asia for the week – Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
The other two Korean series that reached #1 on the non-English top 10 this year are: zombie thriller “All Of Us Are Dead”, which held the position for five consecutive weeks, and youth legal drama “Juvenile Justice”, which was at number one for two consecutive weeks.
Netflix said today that “All Of Us Are Dead”, which premiered in January this year, was the third most-watched non-English series of all time on Netflix.
The six Korean series in this week’s top 10 are “Business Proposal” (#1), “Twenty Five Twenty One” (#2), “Forecasting Love & Weather” (#4), “Juvenile Justice” (#6), “All Of Us Are Dead” (#7) and “Thirty-Nine” (#9).
Related stories:
▶ 31 March 2022: Korean drama retains hold on Netflix top 10 non-English TV charts; romcom “Business Proposal” at #1 for 2nd week running
▶ 24 March 2022: Korea strengthens position on Netflix global top 10; “Business Proposal” shoots to #1 as romcoms outshine zombie drama
▶ 16 March 2022: “Juvenile Justice” reign continues; legal drama one of five Korean series on Netflix’s global non-English top 10
1 May debut for Korea’s first “Lego Masters” adaptation
 
The Korean version of Banijay Rights’ “Lego Masters” debuts on free-TV broadcaster MBC on 1 May as “Blockbuster: Genius Brick Battle”.
The 10-episode competition series is hosted by comedian Noh Hong-chul, and will air on Sundays at 5pm (Korea).
MBC has teamed up with L.A .-and Seoul-based B&C Content to produce the show.
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▶ 12 October 2021: Korea’s MBC greenlights Banijay Rights’ “Lego Masters”
 
A wrap of ContentAsia’s articles from Mip TV is below...
5 April 2022:
▶ CJ ENM sets up new OTT production studio; eyes acquisition of “top-tier” production companies & talent in bid to upsize multi-studio structure
▶ Mubi adds 15 Film Foundation classics to Malaysia streaming slate; includes Thailand’s “Mysterious Object at Noon” from Apichatpong Weerasethakul
▶ Philippines’ Maria Ressa to deliver opening keynote at DW Global Media Forum in Germany in June
4 April 2022:
▶ First Astro Shaw, Skop Productions premium TV drama co-pro unveiled; new original adds story of power, greed & betrayal to local Malaysian line-up
▶ Banijay picks up two Korean formats; MBC’s “Bloody Game Deal” & CJ ENM’s “EXchange”
▶ India’s Zee ties up with Mexico’s TelevisaUnivision for travelogue co-pro
▶ Japan’s Nippon TV, Turkey’s Sera Film co-develop unscripted family studio game show
▶ CJ ENM strikes first-look deal with France’s WeMake
▶ Beach House Pictures/Curiosity doc opens Mip with seven deals in Europe, Australia
 
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