Today at its annual showcase event, BBC Studios and Nippon TV, Japan's leading media and entertainment company, announced a new scripted format agreement that will see gripping psychological drama Doctor Foster remade for the Japanese audience. The Japanese adaptation will broadcast from 7 April on Nippon TV.

Originally written by Mike Bartlett and produced by Drama Republic, the BAFTA award-winning series centres around a trusted doctor whose life implodes when she suspects her husband of having an affair. In the Japanese adaptation the lead character, Yoko Makabe, is played by acclaimed actress Izumi Inamori, her husband, Makabe Kota, is played by actor Hisashi Yoshizawa and Kota's adulterous partner, Rio Sakura, is played by actress Mio Yuki.

Doctor Foster has already been successfully adapted in markets such as South Korea, France, Turkey, the Philippines and Indonesia. In South Korea the format (known locally as The World of the Married) was the country's highest-rated drama in cable TV history when it was broadcast in 2020.

André Renaud, SVP Format Sales for BBC Studios said: "It truly is an honour to know that Doctor Foster will be coming to life in Japan under the extraordinary team at Nippon TV. I know that they will not only craft a unique story for Japanese audiences, but that they will capture the complex struggle of modern relationships from the perspective of the strong female character that sits at the heart of this series."

Kiyoko Fujisawa, Programming, Content Strategy, at Nippon TV said: "The production of Nippon TV's version of Doctor Foster will make its grand debut on our brand-new Friday night slot targeting female young adults, and we are very pleased to adapt this great drama for the Japanese audience. We can't wait for our viewers to witness this intensely addictive story and hope that one day the global audience will have the chance to do so, too."

Yoko Makabe・・・Starring Izumi Inamori
Deputy director and internist at the Yofudai Clinic.
Intelligent and popular as a doctor, Yoko became deputy director at a young age. She lost her parents in a car accident when she wasyoung, and as she hates being pitied for this by people around her, she puts her all into everything she does. Her self-esteem grows as she goes on to medical school and succeeds as a doctor.She believed she had the perfect job, the perfect family and the perfect life, but things will change…

Kota Makabe・・・Starring Hisashi Yoshizawa
Yoko's husband.
President and director of a film production company set up with Yoko's investment. Kota has no management skills and the company is in financial difficulties. Grew up in Yofudai, he has many local friends. He is kind to everyone and popular with the ladies. Though he loves his wife, he cannot help but seriously attracted to the young Rio…

Rio Sakura・・・Starring Mio Yuki
The only daughter of a family of investors and local notables.
Kota's lover and apprentice cooking instructor. She met Kota when she helped him supervise the cooking on a film shoot, and they eventually became attracted to each other.

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BBC Studios, a global content company with British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen, it spans content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries from both its own productions and programmes and formats made by high-quality UK independents. Award-winning British programmes made by the business are internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, including factual, drama, entertainment and comedy. The company, which makes around 2,500 hours of content a year, is a champion for British creativity around the world and a committed partner for the UK's independent sector. BBC Studios has offices in 20 countries globally, 10 production offices in the UK and a further seven production bases and partnerships in countries outside of the UK.
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Nippon TV is Japan's leading multiplatform entertainment powerhouse and ratings champion broadcaster, as well as owner of streaming giant Hulu in Japan. Over 90% of its content IP is fully owned by Nippon TV and the company has been active in bringing its content to the international market in the form of anime, ready-made programs, formats, and through co-production partnerships.
https://www.ntv.co.jp/english/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/2676849/