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UKTV Makes Fresh Venture into Korean Formats with Jimmy Carr Show

The game show “Battle in the Box” marks the BBC subsidiary’s first foray into Korean Formats. By: Theng Min Yee

UKTV has greenlit Battle in the Box, a new comedic reality game show for its entertainment channel Dave and the free streaming service UKTV Play. The show is adapted from a successful Korean format and will feature pairs of comedians and popular celebrities spending 24 hours confined in a box with only each other and cameras for company. During this time, they will participate in a series of physical and mental challenges to earn their necessities. The show will be hosted by Jimmy Carr, who will also add an element of orchestrated chaos to the proceedings.

Commenting on the concept, Jimmy Carr quipped, “We all know comedians are at their best when they’re tired, hungry, and lacking the most basic of human comforts. So, I can’t wait to see how they’ll fare in the box, with space at a premium and cameras watching their every move. What could possibly go right?”

The adaptation is based on a format created by Something Special, a Seoul-based format agency. Production is set to commence next month, and the names of the contestants will be disclosed closer to the broadcast on Dave and UKTV Play. Interstellar will produce the series.

Executive Producers Jamie Ormerod and David Williams of Interstellar expressed enthusiasm for the unique combination of comedy and reality in Battle in the Box. They were pleased to partner with Jimmy Carr and the Dave team to bring this innovative format to UK screens.

The creators of the original Korean format, Jin Woo Hwang and Praise Chan Mi Shin of Something Special, expressed their excitement to collaborate with UKTV and Interstellar to bring Battle in the Box to life. They believe that audiences will enjoy watching celebrities face challenging trials and strategize to secure their limited space within the box.

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