At its annual showcase event, BBC Studios and Nippon TV, Japan’s leading media and entertainment company, announced a new scripted format agreement that will see gripping psychological drama Doctor Foster remade for the Japanese audience. The Japanese adaptation will broadcast from 7 April on NTV.

Originally written by Mike Bartlett and produced by Drama Republic, the BAFTA award-winning series centres around a trusted doctor whose life implodes when she suspects her husband of having an affair. In the Japanese adaptation the lead character, Yoko Makabe, is played by acclaimed actress Izumi Inamori, her husband, Makabe Kota, is played by actor Hisashi Yoshizawa and Kota’s adulterous partner, Rio Sakura, is played by actress Mio Yuki.

Doctor Foster has already been successfully adapted in markets such as South Korea, France, Turkey, the Philippines and Indonesia. In South Korea the format (known locally as The World of the Married) was the country’s highest-rated drama in cable TV history when it was broadcast in 2020.

André Renaud, SVP Format Sales for BBC Studios said: “It truly is an honour to know that Doctor Foster will be coming to life in Japan under the extraordinary team at Nippon TV. I know that they will not only craft a unique story for Japanese audiences, but that they will capture the complex struggle of modern relationships from the perspective of the strong female character that sits at the heart of this series.”

Kiyoko Fujisawa, Programming, Content Strategy, at Nippon TV said: “The production of Nippon TV’s version of Doctor Foster will make its grand debut on our brand-new Friday night slot targeting female young adults, and we are very pleased to adapt this great drama for the Japanese audience.  We can’t wait for our viewers to witness this intensely addictive story and hope that one day the global audience will have the chance to do so, too.”

The agreement with Nippon TV was brokered on behalf of BBC Studios by Gayatri Singh, Senior Sales Manager for formats in Asia.