CCTV gripped by Japanese drama

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV’s dedicated drama channel is strengthening its ties with Japan after picking up three new series from the country.

CCTV8 has secured rights to Angel’s Share (5x43′), Divorced Under One Roof (5x43′) and Cat Street (6x43′), which all tell stories about contemporary Japanese families.

Angel’s Share is about a 35-year-old Tokyo woman who loses her job, her lover and her money before fighting to turn her life around.

Divorced Under One Roof focuses on a woman who divorces her unfaithful husband before returning to their shared home with new rules he must obey.

Cat Street tells the story of an emotionally scarred child actor who finds new experiences when she joins a new school.

The deal was completed by NHK Enterprises (NEP), the distribution arm of Japanese public broadcaster NHK, which has described the partnership with CCTV8 as the first of its kind.

Han Jianqun, CCTV8′s deputy controller, said: “We usually acquire series that have more than 30 episodes for programming reasons, but we know NHK’s dramas are of exceptionally high quality. We are thinking of airing the series together to maximise our audience’s enjoyment.

“We hope to see more NHK dramas in the near future. We also hope to strengthen our ties with NHK and communicate about the possibility of initiatives that go beyond importing and exporting programmes.”

Tetsuo Hiraga, senior MD of NEP, said that the deal comes two years after the distributor turned its focus to China, adding: “We began enjoying rapid growth in sales of documentaries in China last year. I hope the deal with CCTV8 marks the beginning of a resurgence in the popularity and presence of Japanese drama in China.”

CCTV8 launched in 1996 as an arts and culture channel before it became an all-drama network in 2010.

The acquisitions come despite the Chinese government earlier this year handing down rules about the amount of foreign drama allowed to air.