TonBritish reality show Naked rides It was broadcast on French TV-but there was a turning point. In the competition program, contestants choose dates based on whether they like the appearance of their genitals, but they are subject to censorship. The breast is acceptable, but the lower part is not. In a move that contradicts the title of the show, they are hidden by the fruit emoji.
“France is afraid of being nude,” said Justine Soula, a 23-year-old fan from Toulouse. “We watch violent TV shows, but the body is still taboo. British shows are bolder.”
No matter where you are, British shows are close at hand. Naked Attraction is viewed in 22 countries.Recent hits, such as Michaela Coel’s I might ruin you And Russell T Davies’s AIDS crisis drama This is a sin It is moving steadily on a global scale. Cash Carraway and Wahala, two sensational commissions BBC announced in May, Selected by the company’s commercial department BBC Studios, taking into account international sales.
British television is now ubiquitous outside the UK, so much so that people are worried about its impact on the television industry in other countries.An EU internal document seen by the Guardian in June showed that some people believe that the number of British television broadcasts in Europe is Threat to EU “cultural diversity”The European Union has formulated regulations for the amount of European content broadcast in member states: the broadcast volume on streaming media platforms is not less than 30%, and the broadcast volume on terrestrial services is not less than 30%. The document argues that British TV broadcasts are “disproportionate”, hindering the success of programs in small countries or less popular languages. The EU is preparing to step in to solve this problem.
But how Has the UK performed so well in an extremely competitive TV ecosystem? Is it just a language problem? Is it because our show is very respected? The fact is a complex combination of the two, but it is also because we are getting smarter and smarter in sales.
A kind Research by the trading agency Pact Global sales of British programming last year increased by 6% to 1.5 billion pounds, including sales of programming and international co-productions. In January, ITV Studios sold 400 hours of drama – Including the steaming period numbers Victoria and Poldark, and Malorie Blackman’s adaptation of Noughts + Crosses – to Globoplay’s new streaming service in Brazil. With the increase in the number of platforms, local services such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix to Bilibili in China can find British content.
Louise Pedersen, chief executive of the international business of production and distribution company All3Media, said that moving from selling to a cautious national broadcaster to supporting local streaming services means that more avant-garde content can be spread farther. . Her team sold “Sin”, which was broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK, to companies in Russia, Poland, and South Korea, which would never be broadcast before. They are also able to export Fleabag to China, although the show includes swearing and sex, and usually does not pass strict censorship. (Broadchurch was not selected because it showed the death of a child.)
Cathy Payne, chief executive of distributor Banijay Rights, said that the acquisition team used to tend to use rustic, fluffy British works, but now they also like more quirky and challenging works. “The year everyone wants Happy Valley It’s a breakthrough,” she said. Before, she had been trying to promote Black Mirror (too much risk) and Peaky Blinders (too many accents).
The success of British exports depends on both the structure of the industry and the quality of performances. In fact, we have produced a lot of short dramas instead of missing long dramas, which means we have more TV shows. at the same time, Communications Act 2003 Let independent producers control the rights of their work instead of being controlled by broadcasters; this means they can sell their programs internationally by themselves.Export profits have It has been increasing every year since then.
The British television industry is now so dependent on exports and transactions that it would seem to collapse without them. Audiences have become accustomed to the quality of movies, and if there is no global income, neither British channels nor independent producers can afford it (for example, I might destroy you, it was produced in collaboration with HBO in the US). In order to keep up, the BBC The amount of third-party investment tripled It is used to make plays. ITV and BBC also use their commercial departments to produce and distribute programs for international buyers, reinvesting the money they earn into local services.
Linsey says this is an effective system-provided by the BBC For every £1 the taxpayer spends, the screen is worth £1.47 – But there are concerns that providing content to global streaming services will intensify competition. “BBC 3 gave Phoebe Waller-Bridge the opportunity to be a Fleabag,” he said. “But they can’t compete with Amazon to rank her first.” Her deal with streaming services is worthwhile 20 million US dollars (14.5 million pounds) per year.
At first glance, our reliance on this income may make the EU’s regulatory threats on British television seem to indicate that we are heading for choppy waters. But Max Rumney, Pact’s director of commercial affairs, disagreed. “People will see what they think is fascinating and interesting, and will find a way to do so,” he said. “We see, especially young viewers-legislation to exclude certain types of content and programs is not true [the way to] Deal with audience engagement. “
In fact, despite the lingering effects of these EU dialogues and the pandemic, the future of UK TV exports looks positive.Due to Covid, TV shooting around the world has been postponed, and broadcasters continue to stock up The old British show fills in the schedule gap. Escape to the Country performed well in Canada and MasterChef has won audiences from all over the world. Monty Tang, the gardener, is very famous in Russia. “His enthusiasm is infectious,” said 30-year-old Oksana Ivannikova from Stavropol Krai in southwestern Russia. Since the beginning of last year, she has watched his three series. Distributors also said that the most popular British films such as Silent Witness, Spooks and Hustle have found new audiences during the lock-up period. In the United States, The Weakest Link has revived due to its fast turnaround and social distancing friendly format. Pedersen said: “People are always looking for a warm contrast with the grim things we see.”
This is also clear when you talk to the audience. Don Hamel, 57, from Quebec, said that during the confinement period, he was “eager to escape” and fell into the rabbit hole of a British panel program. For example, would I lie to you? And the annual fat quiz. “I will watch Noel Fielding and Richard Ayoade pick up the dry cleaning,” he said. When Britain felt isolated from most of the world, our culture seemed to be deeply connected with people. “We all have the same common interests,” Ivannikova said. “Even politics does not interfere with cultural exchanges.” In other words, there is one thing that puzzles Hammer: “Is the major personal trauma required by British detectives? They all look very annoying on TV.”
