Japanese scripted format Mother heads to Saudi Arabia for Arabic adaptation

MBC will premiere the Arabic adaptation of hit Japanese scripted format Mother

Saudi Arabia-based Middle Eastern broadcaster MBC is to premiere the Arabic adaptation of hit Japanese scripted format Mother on May 4.

Produced by Turkish prodco Medyapim, it will be known locally as Oumi and will also stream on MBC’s global VoD platform Shahid.

The series first aired on Nippon TV in Japan in 2010, telling the story of a childless schoolteacher who decides to care for an abused pupil. The format has since been licensed to numerous international markets for local language adaptations, including South Korea, Ukraine, Thailand, France, Spain and Greece.

Medyapim has previously produced the Turkish version, titled Anne. The prodco has worked with MBC before, adapting BBC drama Doctor Foster and the Arabic version of its own original Turkish drama War of the Roses.

Keisuke Miyata, scripted format licensing, Nippon TV, said: “We’re very excited about this new adaptation and can’t wait for the broadcast start on MBC. Anne was a huge global success, and we have no doubt that the Arabic adaptation will achieve the same success.”

Tarek Ibrahim, general manager of content, MBC1 and Shahid MBC, said: “Oumi comes to add a new flavour to Arab drama in general, leveraging the wide experience and brilliance of Saudi actors and actresses, therefore we believe that it will extensively resonate among Arab audiences everywhere.”