On January 22nd, TV Asahi announced that it will team up with a creator based in the US to produce a new variety show, "SONG VS DANCE," as a Japan-US co-production project. This is the first time that TV Asahi will co-produce a variety show with an overseas creator.
The partnership is between Craig Plestis, an Emmy Award-winning producer, and Clara Plestis, a production company run by the pair, Smart Dog Media. Craig and Clara will serve as executive producers for the new show.
In addition, Takaaki Kitano, a producer at the same station who has worked on popular variety shows such as "Failure Teacher: Don't Be Like Me!!" and "Cream Nantara", will also participate as executive producer. The aim is to create a new hit show with hit makers from both Japan and the US.
The new show "SONG VS DANCE" is a variety show themed on singing and dancing, gathering outstanding performers from various fields to engage in thrilling one-on-one battles across genre boundaries. The winner will be determined by the judging criteria of "which performance touched the heart more," leading to the answer as to which is better, singing or dancing.
Craig and Clara commented, "We are incredibly excited to team up with TV Asahi on this groundbreaking and unique series. This is the first variety show to pit two of the most popular forms of entertainment against each other in an epic battle. The show format boldly incorporates Japanese pop culture and video game aesthetics and game mechanics, bringing a unique style and feel to a performance competition show. We believe this series will be loved internationally for generations to come."
Producer Kitano said, "Since June of last year, Craig and I have discussed various ideas on numerous occasions, and we have arrived at an innovative format that has never been seen before. The proposal from the Smart Dog Media team led by Craig and Clara was fresh and innovative, and I am excited to be working with them on this new format as a co-producer. I hope you will look forward to a heated battle between Japan's most talented performers, who are active around the world."
Details such as broadcast schedule and performers will be announced soon.
