Amazon is producing a Japanese version of popular romantic reality series The Bachelor, which will stream exclusively on its Japanese platform from spring 2017.
Co-produced by Amazon, Warner Bros International Television Production and YD Creation, the series marks the first official local production of a US reality format in Japan and the first ever produced for a video streaming service. YD Creation is a joint venture between talent agency Yoshimoto Kogyo and Dentsu.
The bachelor for the first series is Hirotake Kubo, the former CEO of a successful IT company, whom we are told “enjoys camping, kickboxing and attending music festivals”.
The US version of The Bachelor, which sees 25 women compete for a marriage proposal from an eligible bachelor, is produced by Next Entertainment and Warner Horizon Television for the ABC network. It has spawned more than 30 local territory productions with 125 series and over 2,500 episodes.
“No dating reality series of this scale with such extraordinary, far-reaching locations has ever been broadcast in Japan, and we can’t wait to see how our Prime members respond,” said James Farrell, head of content, Asia Pacific Prime Video.