Korean Format Concepts – ‘Smashed Hits’, ‘Inseparables’ and ‘The Quizzy Horror Show’ – Come from KOCCA-Funded Project
Something Special, the Seoul-based international Format agency founded by Format specialists Jin Woo Hwang, President & Executive Director, and InSoon Kim, EVP and Head of Content, announced a co-development partnership with Michael Yudin’s MY Entertainment Productions. The deal sees both companies initially co-developing three new unscripted formats Smashed Hits, Inseparables and The Quizzy Horror Show for major U.S. networks and streaming platforms as well as the international marketplace.
A KOCCA-funded (Korean Creative Content Agency) project in May of this year brought together several top Korean producers to spark creativity. Three of those producers—all of them entertainment veterans with 20+ years of experience—and their ideas were selected by MY Entertainment as the best formats for U.S. and international success.
Here is a look at the initial three shows that are part of the partnership between Something Special and MY Entertainment, followed by mini-bios for the Korean producers who have nurtured them:
Smashed Hits (WT) – Contestants on this fast-paced primetime game show compete to identify popular songs what have been mixed together and creatively reinvented so that they are barely recognizable. Each episode will feature guest appearances by the biggest names in the music industry who join the fun by performing other artists’ hits in very surprising ways.
Eunseol MO: Producer of 12+ number one-rated primetime programs that have entertained and influenced Korean viewers for decades. Her major works have included Fantastic Duo (SBS, licensed to 2 territories), Qualification of Men (KBS, #1 show for four years).
Inseparables (WT) – Couples are spending more time together than ever at home due to world-wide lockdowns and increases in remote work. This can present unique challenges for those living in small dwellings. This competition show will test not only the patience of participating couples, but also the strength of their relationship as they attempt to overcome the issues presented by smaller and smaller quarters to win the ultimate dream house.
Sehwa KIM: A well-known producer in the Korean TV industry, and creative director of the longest-running quiz shows in Korea, Scholarship Quiz (EBS), and also involved in the Korean production of 1 vs 100 (KBS).
The Quizzy Horror Show (WT) – Friends call you a chicken heart, yellow belly, or scaredy cat? Whatever our winner-take-all society calls you, it’s time to turn your fear into money. Contestants who don’t blink their eyes at any heart-beating moment and can say what they saw will be winners in this spooky competition show.
Jiyoon KIM: One of the most experimental producers in Korea, demonstrated by programs such as My Little Television (the original version of TBS’s Celebrity Show Off) and Cashback (CJ E&M, co-developed with Bunim/Murray)…..
Remarked Something Special’s Jin Woo Hwang and InSoon Kim, “We are thrilled to bring Something Special together with MY Entertainment. Our talented Korean producers -Enseol MO, Sehwa KIM, and Jiyoon KIM – look forward to collaborating with Michael and his extraordinary team at MY Entertainment. They have long been a prominent industry player with their eyes on the Korean market and it is the perfect time for us to finally walk down the aisle especially when Korean creativity is being recognized more than ever.”
MY Entertainment President and Founder Michael Yudin exclaimed, “We’re equally excited to begin working with Jin Woo and InSoon and Something Special’s great team of highly-creative producers while leveraging our personal industry relationships in the U.S. and across the globe to find homes for these shows. Coming on the heels of our successful international market collaboration with Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) and MTV for the ultimate reality competition show, The Power, our new partnership with Something Special marks another benchmark for MY Entertainment’s strategy of expanding its activities with leaders in the Korean creative production community.”