The rise of foreign-language TV: Blog tasks

 The rise of foreign-language TV: Blog tasks

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

The article suggests that traditional audiences that indulged in subtitled dramas were considered as dull and odd

Walter luzzolino suggests that the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows is the fact that they are so culturally diverse, views get to experience and embrace different cultures. 

The popularity of having subtitles comes from the fact that the viewer has to be more focused on the screen. In a multi-screen age, it is easy for people to focus on their phones rather than the show. Subtitles help combat that. 

information & Surveillance, personal identity and diversion are some audience pleasures that are given to viewers when watching foreign TV drama.

Television companies are increasingly using audiences to inform the production process. They do this through social media and websites dedicated to the TV drama 


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


The article informs us about Deutschland 83's release schedule. It was, in fact, released in the United States 5 months before it was released in Germany.

The German viewing figures for the first episode was 3.19 million viewers and the last episode was 1.63 million. Channel 4's viewing figures for Deutschland 83 was 2.13 million viewers in prime TV slot.

SundanceTV and FremantleMedia announced that there will be a second series of Deutschland 83, that will be named Deutschland 86. 

The article suggests that the driving force behind the series being renewed for a new season was the UK's and America's viewing figures.

Water Iuzzolino uses social media to engage the audience in new international TV dramas. He does this by interacting with his viewers on twitter and frequently posting 'weekend picks'

IndieWire: The rise of international television

The article suggests that TV tends to be culturally specific and tailored to domestic tastes.

 'Prisoners of War' turning into 'Homeland' is aa example of cultural differences. The original was called an open wound in Israeli society but for the US it was more of American agents and governments which would appeal to US audiences 

Deutschland 83 was very successful in the UK and the US however it wasn't as successful in its home country, Germany. This is because German viewers felt as if Germany was too westernised in an attempt to appeal to the UK and the US.

The article suggests that most foreign  audiences are used to subtitling as American shows are subtitled for them, whereas American audiences may not be as used to subtitling,

Steven Van Zandt suggests that the appeal in foreign television drama is that you learn how others live and feel as if you are there and experiencing it in a whole other country.

The Guardian: How tech is changing television

The traditional length for TV drama is 46 minutes which is broken 4 or 5 times for adverts.

Netflix and Amazon Prime have changed the way TV drama narratives are constructed as they allow audiences to watch the whole series at once rather than making the audiences wait a time period to watch the next episode.

The rise in streaming has led to more complex storylines and cliffhangers. This is strategically implemented to make series more 'binge-worthy'

The economics of production kept TV drama largely sticking to the 46 or 60-minute episode format by shooting the dramas in blocks and not in order of appearance. This is to maximise the use of time and minimise the cost of actors and crew.

The permanent 24/7 connectivity changed both the production and consumption of TV drama as it has now allowed viewers opinions to be shared