1) What does the article suggest regarding the traditional audience for foreign-language subtitled media?
It suggests that fifteen years ago if you'd mentioned to a colleague that you were highly interested in a subtitled European drama you would been declared as pretentious, dull and a little bit odd
2) What does Walter Iuzzolino suggest is the key appeal of his 'Walter Presents' shows?
Iuzzolino states 'You develop a love for the distant world because while you're watching, you're in Sweden,'. He also says 'If you see something amazing set in Argentina, then Argentina itself, the houses, the people, what they wear, what their voices sound like, the language, is one of the biggest appeals. There is a huge pleasure in that.
3) The article makes an interesting claim for the popularity of subtitles in the multi-screen age. What does it suggest?
There may be something else in foreign TV's new popularity, too. It may sound prosaic but when 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'.
4) What are the other audiences pleasures of foreign TV drama suggested by the article?
It suggests foreign dramas offer an insight into the lives of those who are from different ethnicities allowing audiences to become more diverse as they become more educated on different cultures.
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?
The team at Sherlock Holmes recognise their huge Asian fanbase and therefore include a clue in a special episode that only Chinese speakers will be able to decipher. Amazon now responds directly to potential fans with its 'pilots season', in which online viewers watch and rate six new shows, the most positively experienced dramas going to full series. This process led to the Golden Globe and Emmy-winning Transparent.
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 premiered on AMC Network's Sundance TV in June 2015, the show was the first German-language TV series to premiere on a US network. The fact that Germany's commercial RTL channel received Deutschland 83 five months after the US both signifies the series global appeal as well as foreshadows where the German crime thriller was to find its audience.
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?
Whilst Deutschland 83 received significantly fewer viewers in the US than Germany with its US premiere garnering 0.066 million viewers compared to Germany's 3.19 million, the series proved more successful in the US than its homeland. Most German audiences didn't like the show at all. The German premiere did have 3.19 million viewers but each new episode saw that figure drop and by the series conclusion the figures had fallen down to 1.63 million- it's lowest figure.
3) Who are the two production and distribution companies behind Deutschland 83 and what did they announce in October?
After a period of uncertainty surrounding its renewal, SundanceTV and FremantleMedia finally announced in October that there 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)?
What its lackluster response in Germany, its apparent the US critical reception and UK's record-breaking viewership have a role to play in renewing 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?
Walter frequently posts on his Facebook page and engages with his viewers over on Twitter as it's impossible not to become engrossed in the experience.
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?
The article suggests, TV tends to feel more culturally specific and tailored to domestic tastes as it gets piped into your home and for many people serves as audiovisual wallpaper in the background while their attention is mainly focused elsewhere, something that is impossible when you have to rely on subtitles just to understand and enjoy the action.
2) What cultural differences are highlighted in the article - for example in turning 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' when remade in the US?
On making 'Prisoners of War' into 'Homeland' for instance, creator Gideon Raff noted that the original series focused on the experiences of and the idea of POWs, which he called an 'open wound in Israeli society. 'The Returned' which had attracted significant critical praise in its run here feels unmistakably Gallic in its rhythms and its characters in addition to its language.
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?
I believe Deutschland 83 was able to rise above these cultural differences because the differences were not as drastic in comparison to other dramas cultural differences. Also, Deutschland 83 was quite Americanised making it easier for US audiences to understand a German drama a lot better.
4) What does the article suggest about subtitling?
People's perception of subtitles films, let alone subtitled TV shows is that they're really hard work-somewhat obscure,agreed Sundance Channel President Sarah Barnett. 'What we loved about this piece was that the genre nature of it to us outweighed the signification of the subtitled TV show. The quality of the work and the ability for it to really engage would be there regardless of the subtitles'. Finally, while there was resistance expressed on Twitter regarding the format, it wasn't a major backlash and there was initially a surprise.
5) What does Sopranos actor Steven Van Zandt suggest is the appeal in foreign television drama?
Van Sandt explains that people love to learn about how other people live as it is what people gravitated toward. 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 three most frequent lengths of TV and radio programming - referred to on commissioning forms as 60, 30, 15 - arose from a grid schedule designed around hours and half-hours in order to make programmes easy to find. And within that schedule, BBC and ITV crime dramas - say, Line of Duty and Broadchurch have distinctly different rhythms because licence fee funding permits a 59 minute uninterrupted episode, while advertising on a commercial network mandates a script of 46 minutes that is broken three or four times for ads.
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 producers of TV fiction have had to rethink, especially as streaming services such as Netflix have created a platform that allow people to binge watch the entire series whenever they want to.
3) Why has the rise in streaming led to more complex storylines and an increase in cliffhangers?
More complex storylines keep the audience hooked in as they are engaged every episode wanting to know what will happen and the audiences also pay a lot more attention to the show. With a thriller for terrestrial TV you tend to have a recap at the start of each episode but with streaming video on demand you can get straight on with the story.
4) How have the "economics of production" kept TV drama largely sticking to the 45- or 60-minute episode format?
TV dramas largely stick to these 45 or 60 minute episode format so they can maximise the use of the time given and minimise all costs associated with the production of each episode.
5) How has "permanent 24/7 connectivity" changed both the production and consumption of TV drama?
Permanent 24/7 connectivity has radically altered viewer responses. Live-tweeting by audiences has usefully demonstrated criticism but the downside of this new media interaction has been in giving the old media a stick with which to beat broadcasters. Live tweeting allows audiences to connect and interact better.
There is a fair amount of work here - the questions are not too challenging but there is plenty to read. However, this will prepare you brilliantly for the extended essay question in Media Paper 2 - particularly if the question focuses on industry or audience.
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