Fremantle & Simon Cowell’s Syco Are Adapting ‘The Greatest Dancer’ For China’s Dragon TV

Jake Kanter
·2 min read

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Fremantle and Syco Entertainment’s BBC One dance format The Greatest Dancer is being remade in China after the production companies inked a deal to adapt the format at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fremantle and Simon Cowell’s Syco have teamed with Shanghai Media Group to develop The Magnificent Dancer for China’s Dragon TV. The show will launch locally later this spring.

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The agreement marks Fremantle’s first licensing deal in China after last year it pulled back from production in the country, where it made China’s Got Talent for Dragon TV. The deal was also negotiated as China was engulfed in the COVID-19 crisis.

Ganesh Rajaram, Fremantle’s general manager and EVP sales ion Asia, said: “China is an extremely accomplished and sophisticated market when it comes to international formats. We are proud to be partnering again with SMG, who we work with on China’s Got Talent, to bring The Magnificent Dancer (伟大的舞者) to China. This deal is testament to their determination and commitment to an inspirational new dance show in the region.”

Yu Song, who works in the international department of Dragon TV, added: “We look forward to sharing expertise and deepening our strong relationship throughout the development process, and we also hope to have more cooperation with Fremantle and SYCO in the future to create more successful shows.”

The Magnificent Dancer deal was brokered by Haryaty Rahman, Fremantle’s SVP of distribution in Asia. The show has aired for two seasons on BBC One, although there have been reports it could be axed after disappointing ratings.

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