Tokai’s Orphan marks BBCWW first in Asia

ATF: BBC America drama Orphan Black is to be remade for the first time, marking distributor BBC Worldwide (BBCWW)’s first scripted format deal in Asia.

The original Orphan Black was made by Temple Street Productions

The adaptation is being produced by Telepack for free-to-air broadcaster Tokai TV, with the show slated to air on the Fuji TV Nationwide Network.

The series will star South Korean actress and singer Kang Ji-Young and has been slated to air from December 2.

It will be known locally as Orphan Black – 7 Genes and will tell the story of how a broke and desperate single mother witnesses the shocking suicide of a woman who looks just like her.

The original Orphan Black was produced by Temple Street Productions, a division of Boat Rocker Studios. BBC America and Canadian network Space ordered a fifth and final season last year.

It was co-created by Graeme Manson and John Fawcett, with Manson also serving as writer and Fawcett as director, and has been sold into more than 170 territories.

Soojin Chung, general manager of BBCWW in North-East Asia, said casting Ji-Young would ensure the series resonates with viewers in the region.