The Rise of Foreign Language

Independent: British viewers can't get enough of foreign-language dramas

Read this Independent feature on foreign-language dramas. It features an in-depth interview with Walter Iuzzolino who curates Channel 4's Walter Presents programming. Answer the questions below:

1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media?
Traditional audiences were seen as pretentious and dull, it was very niche compared to today. There were only a few broadcasters like BBC and Channel 4.

2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows?
He says that "it's simply down to material', they select popular shows in their countries so they are not targeted at a niche audience, its something everyone can enjoy.

3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest?
Subtitles makes the audience glued to the screen, if they look away they are at risk of missing something important in the narrative and therefore subtitles enforce focus.

4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article?
“We’re frequently distracted from our TV viewing by Twitter feeds and a pinging WhatsApp, subtitles are a welcome enforcement for us to focus. "When you read subtitles, you have to be glued to the screen," says Deeks. "That concentration gives a particular intensity to the viewing experience. You just can't multitask when you're watching a foreign-language drama."'

Now look at the bonus article - on Sherlock and how viewers are steering their favourite shows.

5) What examples are provided of how TV companies are increasingly using audiences to inform the production process?
“China's 98 million online fans of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman's Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, or "Curly Fu" and "Peanut" as they are affectionately known in the enormous, unofficial Asian market (the Chinese Central Television network bans the show), are in for a special treat tonight. When the new special episode, "The Abominable Bride", is finally aired, one clue will only be decipherable to Chinese speakers.”

Film School Rejects: The foreign TV dramas you're missing out on

Now read this Film School Rejects feature on the foreign TV dramas you're missing out on. This contains some particularly useful background on Deutschland 83's reception internationally. If the website is blocked, you can access the article text here. Answer the following questions:

1) What does the article tell us about Deutschland 83's release schedule?
It was released 5 months in the US after its premiere in Germany, it was shown on the AMC's network Sundance TV in June 2015.

2) The article contains important statistics on viewing figures in different countries. What were the German viewing figures for the first and last episode? What were Channel's 4's viewing figures for Deutschland 83?
German pilot figures: 3.19 million
German finale figures: 1.63 million
Channel 4 peak: 2.13 million

3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October?
Sundance TV and FreemantleMedia are the two production and distribution companies and they announced that their will be a second series called Deutschland 86

4) What does the article suggest was the driving force behind the series being renewed for a new season (and possibly two new seasons)?
'The critical reception the UK and US audience had to the show.

5) How does Walter Iuzzolino use social media to engage audiences in new international TV dramas? How does he suggest this has changed the reception of foreign productions in the UK?
He puts up a 'weekend pick' on Facebook and replies to viewers on Twitter about TV dramas. He suggests that this had made these dramas more readily available.


IndieWire: The rise of international television

Now look at this IndieWire feature on the rise of international television. If the website is blocked, you can access the text from the article here. Answer the questions below:

1) What does the article suggest regarding the difference between TV and film?
TV tends to feel culturally specific, tailored to domestic tastes whereas Hollywood studios are increasingly in the business of making films that have as much (if not more) appeal abroad than in the US market, the small screen still frequently serves as a reflection of its viewers.

2) What cultural differences are highlighted in the article - for example in turning 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' when remade in the US?
"The original series focused on the experiences of and the idea of POWs, which he called an "Open wound in Israeli society," but that for the U.S the emphasis was on the agent investigating the returned soldier, on a more American issues of distrusting the government and of a fears of agents among us."

3) Why do you think Deutschland 83 was able to rise above these cultural differences to be successful in the US and UK? Did this inadvertently make the drama fail in Germany?
The show showed the audience a narrative from someone who was completely oblivious to the life beyond the wall and on the West side of Germany. However the drama failed in Germany as the audience stated it featured inaccuracies and wasn't the accurate representation that they had hoped for during life in the Cold War on both sides of the wall.

4) What does the article suggest about subtitling?
Subtitling helps the audience focus on the story as if they look away they risk losing information about the narrative if easily distracted.

5) What does Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt suggest is the appeal in foreign television drama?
The focus should be in the detail that interests the local people, and these things will attract the global audience. Surveillance is the main audience pleasure in a foreign drama. "People love to learn about how other people live. The fact that the guy speaks English brings the American audience into the show, and you start to live the show and Norway the way the character does, and after a few minutes you forget about the subtitles."

The Guardian: How tech is changing television

Finally, read this Guardian feature on how tech is changing television. This has some particularly useful aspects from an industry perspective - how TV is made, the different formats of TV drama and more. Answer the following questions:

1) What are the traditional lengths for TV drama and what dictated these programme formats?

The lengths are 60, 30 and 15 minutes, and are designed around hours and half-hours as they make programmed easier find in scheduling. A license fee advert offers an uninterrupted 59 minute episode but a commercial network has a script of 46 minutes broken into 3/4 parts with ads. The BBC needs a big cliffhanger to lure the audience back next week, while an ITV counterpart must conjure successive shocks to maintain suspense through the adverts.

2) How have streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed?

"With streaming networks releasing all of the episodes in one block – and many viewers of mainstream TV shows now waiting until all the episodes can be watched as a box set...the hooks at the end of every episode are very important. But you also have to think about how you give information. With a thriller for terrestrial TV, you tend to have a recap at the start of each episode. But, with SVOD [streaming video on demand], you can get straight on with the story."

3) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers?

4) How have the "economics of production" kept TV drama largely sticking to the 45- or 60-minute episode format?

"Shindler explains to me that dramas – regardless of how they will ultimately be screened – are usually shot in blocks. In order to maximise the use of time, and minimise the cost of actors and crew, while part of a drama is filming, another team is prepping the next section. So, while a streamed drama theoretically need not be divided at all, it still makes logistical and financial sense to hire on episode basis."

5) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama?

For viewers the benefit of self-scheduling and repeat viewing affects consumption. Production companies face more criticism from the minority that are then broadened out to the public by the press to spread something false about a TV Drama. "They just punch certain key search terms into Twitter, such as ‘mumbling’, and get a viewer who thought the dialogue was inaudible. They take an isolated opinion and use it to make the case that something is failing, when it’s not."