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”.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
