Award winning drama Mother

Nippon TV, the leading commercial broadcast network and production powerhouse in Japan and ratings champion for four consecutive years announced today that STB TV Channel in Ukraine has acquired the scripted format rights to their award-winning drama series Mother (11 x 60') and will be remaking the series in Russian. The scripted format Mother has already been sold to South Korea (produced by CJ E&M and currently airing in Asia on tvN and selected for Cannes Series at MIPTV), and Turkey (produced by MF Yapim and Medyapim and a mega hit on Star TV).

The deal marks the first time that a Japanese drama will be offered as a format in Ukraine. The announcement was made jointly today by Mr. Atsushi Hatayama, President of International Business Development for Nippon TV, and Ms. Ekaterina Shevelyuk, Head of Programming for STB.

"We are extremely honored to have Mother created yet again by another prominent drama producing country such as Ukraine. STB has produced countless format adaptations that have been highly appreciated not only in Ukraine but also CEE countries", commented Hatayama.

"The TV series Mother has original ideas with unique hooks that resonate across society unconditionally of mentality or language. Mother is a proven success concept by Nippon TV which has had a huge impact on viewers within Japan. STB is happy to build its adaptation upon the original concepts with a fresh and creative approach yet still maintaining all of the elements that would make audiences of Ukraine fall in love with the series," commented Shevelyuk.

ABOUT MOTHER
Child abuse is arguably one of the cruelest of crimes. Just as horrendous is the all-too common tendency of society to turn a blind eye to this abuse. Mother is the story of a woman who responds to an abused girl's silent cries of help. The drama follows an aloof 30+-year-old woman who works reluctantly as an elementary school teacher and notices bruises on her first grade student. Initially, like everyone else, she looks the other way. But the student's wretched desperation soon awakens a passion and determination in this caring teacher. Together they skip town and embark on a risky journey pretending to be mother and child. Mother chronicles the transformation of a once disenchanted woman who suddenly takes on the role of a parent to a child who is starved for maternal love. The drama probes into the meaning of motherhood in modern society.

ABOUT STB
STB TV channel for many years holds a leading position among Ukrainian channels. The most popular shows here are self-produced ones: Ukraina Maie Talant!/Ukraine's Got Talent!, Tansiuiut Vsi!/Everybody's Dancing!, X-Faktor/X-Factor, Kholostiak/The Bachelor, Zvazheni ta Shchaslyvi/Weighted and Happy, MasterShef/MasterChef, Bytva Ekstrasensiv/Clash of Psychics, Khata na Tata/Daddy's House and others.
This national television channel was aired for the first time on June 2nd, 1997.
In 2015, STB, with a share of 10.01% for the target audience 14-49, and 9.56% for the target audience 18-54 (here and further figures are given for 50K+, Nielsen's television audience research data belongs to TIC, provided by StarLightMedia) has proved its position as a leader of Ukrainian television.
During the time that the channel has been a part of StarLightMedia Group, STB's self-produced projects have gained the most popularity.