SBS “My Little Old Boy” makes their official statement regarding a Chinese variety show with a similar format.

On July 13, several reports accused a new Chinese show “My Little One” of plagiarizing the original format of SBS “My Little Old Boy.” In response, SBS commented, “we have never officially exported our format to China.”

Image Source – SBS “My Little Old Boy”

Recently, China’s Hunan Television Network launched a new Chinese variety show called “My Little One.” The show invites mothers of celebrities to the studio to observe their children’s lifestyle patterns and behaviors. While it is wrong to assume anything, many netizens argued that the show had plagiarized the format of SBS variety show, “My Little Old Boy.”

Image Source – Hunan Network’s “My Little One”

In response, a representative from SBS commented, “we have never officially exported our format. After receiving the reports about a possible plagiarism, we are currently in the process of checking the facts.”

The company continued, “we will have to check with the entertainment department as well as the Chinese network before we make our final statement.”

Producer Kwak Seung-Young, who is in charge of “My Little Old Boy” production, couldn’t check into details due to a busy schedule. However, Kwak later discussed the matters with OSEN and said, “we haven’t confirmed anything. I know that our company is currently figuring out ways to prevent further damage. As soon as I’m done with filming, I will check the facts myself and provide an appropriate answer.”

This is not the first time China has plagiarized variety show formats of Korea.

From tvN’s “Youn’s Kitchen” to JTBC’s “Hyori’s Bed and Breakfast,” there were many occasions where Chinese shows had almost identical formats to Korean shows. Every time, Korean networks always stated they would take legal action, but have never taken strong measures.

Meanwhile, the first episode of “My Little Old Boy” aired in 2016. Ever since then, the program has become a huge success, recently reaching its highest viewership rating of 24.8%. With its leading rating, the show continues to reign in the number 1 spot among all entertainment programs on Sundays.

Original Article (1), (2)
Translated by Dasol Kim

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