Format

Having previously announced a deal with Netflix for 20 episodes, Nippon TV, Japan’s leading multiplatform entertainment company, today announced that the company has now finalized another deal with Netflix for the second season (10 episodes) of its global phenomenon Old Enough!. The heartwarming episodes are set to stream globally to over 190 countries on Netflix beginning on New Year’s Day, 2023. Thanks to demand from the viewers, some episodes of Season Two will showcase a feature entitled “After Years” which will tell about the child who went on the errand and where they are today. Old Enough! has been sold as a very popular finished program to many Asian countries and is also achieving global success as an unscripted format with previous adaptations in Italy, UK, Vietnam, China and most recently a third season in Singapore and an ongoing option agreement in the Netherlands. The format rights for international adaptations throughout the world are currently available by Nippon TV.

Old Enough! became a global phenomenon when it premiered on Netflix earlier this year, bringing these beloved stories to new audiences around the world. It trended globally on social media immediately after it started streaming in March 2022, especially in English speaking countries including the US, UK, Australia, and more. On Netflix, Season One ranked number one in the Top10 in the Kids Profiles in territories like Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and was loved by audiences especially in Asian countries such as The Philippines and Thailand.

The “After Years” segments have been a popular feature for many years each time an episode airs on Nippon TV in Japan. In these segments, Nippon TV’s crew will revisit the child who went on the errand many years ago and talk about how they recall that special day and how their lives have been since then. It was one of the many requests that the companies received from international viewers immediately after it started streaming globally and will be included for the first time on some episodes of the Second Season on Netflix.

Keisuke Miyata, Head of Finished Sales, International Business Development, Nippon TV commented, “Nippon TV has been airing Old Enough! for over 30 years and we have always received tremendously positive feedback and great ratings. Each episode is unique, and viewers are attracted and hooked to see how a child’s first errand turns out. While always ensuring the child’s safety and working closely with the family, Old Enough! records a precious child who goes on an errand for the family for the first time, alone.”
Added Miyata, “When Netflix first streamed Old Enough! in March of this year, we were certain that this best kept secret of ours would be widely appreciated by the global audience, and we are so happy that it did; furthermore, it has led to international format sales of the beloved show as well. This season, we will be showcasing a special feature that was not included in Season One. It is the ‘After Years’ of the child. Viewers have always reached out to us asking about how the child was doing after the episode aired. I am happy that Netflix viewers can now enjoy this wonderful segment as well.”

Naomi Satoh, Content Acquisition, Manager, Netflix commented, “We are thrilled that audiences around the world discovered Old Enough! on Netflix earlier this year. So many great stories travel beyond their home countries on Netflix and this charming Japanese show dating back thirty years is an incredible standout. This New Year, we hope the Old Enough! kids bring even more joy to our members and continue breaking down cultural and language barriers.”