GECs
Tresor TV to produce German adaptation of Nippon TV’s “Silent Library”
Mumbai: Having announced a deal with Rabbit Films of Finland for Silent Library last year, Nippon TV, Japan’s leading multiplatform entertainment powerhouse, has announced that Tresor TV, one of the largest production companies in Germany that creates entertainment programs for national and international markets, has finalised the production of the German-language version of Nippon TV’s global hit unscripted gameshow format Silent Library. The German version features popular reality personalities David Helmut, Lena Meckel and Co, Cosimo Citiolo, Christina Dimitriou, Kate Merlan as well as TikTok stars Maria Ziffy, Rick Azas and Clemens Brock among others, and is set to start streaming on RTL+ from 18 January 2024.
In the German adaptation, a team of five people competes in each of the eight 15-minute shows. Ready to face the merciless challenges of Silent Library, they tackle tasks that are fast, funny, nasty and vary from episode to episode. Some teams test their speed, strength, or dexterity, while others struggle with icky or painful tasks. Anyone who makes noises, laughs, or screams and exceeds the noise level, loses.
Since its launch as an international format in 2007, local versions of Silent Library have been created in more than 20 countries around the world. Most notable is the hit U.S. version that launched on MTV in 2009 and became a global phenomenon; other versions have been produced in the U.K., Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, France in 2022, and Finland in 2023, showing the long-term success of this format that works today when rebooted formats continue to prove themselves successful.
NIPPON TV – SILENT LIBRARY – GERMANY
Originally first airing in 2001 on Nippon TV, Silent Library has been a primetime, family-oriented television sensation in Japan and is one of the most influential comedy shows in Asia. Created by the legendary Japanese comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto from the famed duo DOWNTOWN, and produced by Nippon TV in association with Yoshimoto Kogyo, Silent Library has been a hugely successful segment on Nippon TV’s long-running Sunday night entertainment show where contestants must always keep silent no matter what happens.
Nippon TV format sales and licensing, global business Sayako Aoki: “Axel Kuehn and the fantastic team at Tresor TV have created another hysterically hilarious version of Silent Library. The new adaptation will definitely bring the biggest laughter of the new year in 2024, with RTL+ audiences witnessing dynamics they’ve never seen before, featuring familiar celebrities and reality show stars while enjoying the craziest pranks that have entertained global audiences for decades.”
Tresor TV MD Axel Kuehn: “Silent Library is one of the global hit formats, that everybody in the industry knows. Being able to bring a ‘classic hit’ like this on the screen, is making us proud and happy and we are very thankful that RTL+ and Nippon TV gave us this opportunity. We are sure the German viewers will laugh a lot and ask for more”.
MUMBAI: Lights, camera… connection because this time, the game isn’t just about winning, it’s about who’s with you. Sony Pictures Networks India is gearing up to launch a new reality game show, Tum Ho Naa, expanding its unscripted slate with a format that promises both emotion and engagement.
The show will premiere soon on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony LIV, with Rajeev Khandelwal stepping in as host. Known for his measured screen presence and selective choices, Khandelwal’s return to television adds a layer of familiarity and credibility to the upcoming format.
While specific details of the gameplay remain under wraps, the positioning suggests a reality format that leans as much on emotional resonance as it does on competition, an increasingly popular blend in Indian television, where audiences are gravitating towards content that offers both stakes and storytelling.
Khandelwal, reflecting on his return, noted that his choices have often been guided by instinct rather than convention, describing Tum Ho Naa as a project that feels “close to the heart”. His association also signals Sony’s continued focus on anchoring new formats with recognisable faces who bring both relatability and depth.
The launch comes at a time when broadcasters are doubling down on original non-fiction formats to drive appointment viewing, even as digital platforms expand parallel reach. By placing the show across both linear television and OTT, Sony appears to be aiming for a dual-audience strategy capturing traditional viewers while engaging digital-first consumers.
As the countdown to premiere begins, Tum Ho Naa positions itself not just as another game show, but as a reminder that sometimes, the biggest prize on screen isn’t the jackpot, it’s the journey shared along the way.
