Format first for China’s Zhejiang

Chinese broadcaster Zhejiang TV will air a local version of Small World IFT’s medical gameshow format Dr What: Diagnosis Unknown, to be coproduced with Japan’s NHK Enterprises.

The 12×70’ medical detective show is a co-development between Zhejiang TV, Legend Media in China and Japan’s NHK Enterprises, marking the first time Zhejiang has partnered with Japan on any format.

The format, which challenges medical interns to diagnose real-life conditions, will start airing this week in China as Health 007 in a 22.00 slot.

The deal was brokered by Tim Crescenti, president at UK- and LA-based Small World IFT, Aegena Tay, director of programme development at Singapore-based Bomanbridge Media, and Patrick Peng, research and development director at Legend Media.

Dr What: Diagnosis Unknown is distributed internationally by Small World IFT, with five seasons totalling more than 55 episodes airing on Japan’s NHK as Dr G’s Case File.

Crescenti told C21: “There is some history being made here because one, this is the first format from Japan’s NHK sold into China and two, this is the first Japanese format Zhejiang TV has bought. In my 26 years of producing TV all over the world never have I seen a production come together so quickly. This was China and Japan working together with us in the US and UK, and our agent BomanBridge in Singapore.”