NBCUniversal Formats is taking its interactive game show “Don’t Ask Me” to Mongolia through a new partnership with local broadcaster Central TV.
The Chalkboard TV-created format will air as “Don’t Ask Me, Ask the Mongolians” starting Sept. 28 in a weekly primetime slot. Central TV will produce 13 hour-long episodes of the format, which relies heavily on real-time audience participation.
The game pits contestant teams against each other as they attempt to guess how the viewing public will respond to polling questions. Success depends on accurately predicting majority opinion rather than providing correct answers, with scoring tied directly to viewer response percentages.
“‘Don’t Ask Me’ is a brilliant example of interactive entertainment that lets the audience shape the show as it happens. No two episodes are the same,” said Linfield Ng, VP of format sales and production at NBCUniversal Formats. “We are delighted to be partnering with Central TV to bring this format to Mongolia and turn the series into a true celebration of Mongolian opinions and humour.”
The format grants viewers unprecedented control over programming elements, from influencing contestant challenges involving current events and social issues to deciding elimination outcomes and performance selections.
Central TV chief exec Ankhbayar Ganbold sees the acquisition as a watershed moment for Mongolian broadcasting. “This show is a game-changer for Mongolian television. It’s not just entertainment – it’s a national conversation, a place where laughter, debate, and real voices collide,” Ganbold said. “At Central TV, we’re proud to bring a format that hands the power back to viewers and proves that television in Mongolia can be bold, innovative, and truly made by its people, for its people.”
Central TV has established itself as a major player in Mongolia’s broadcasting landscape, ranking among the country’s three largest terrestrial networks. The company has successfully adapted numerous international properties, including recent versions of “The Masked Singer” and “That’s My Jam,” while also producing original content like breakout dating series “Love by the Sea 24/7.”
