Wang Yuanyuan cheekywang@hotmail.com CHINESE audiences always have plenty of choices for different types of TV dramas. For many years, due to similar cultural backgrounds and effective marketing promotions, South Korean and Japanese dramas have won the hearts of most Chinese audiences. However, no matter how popular Jang Keun-suk or “The Heirs” is in China, English-language TV shows still play an important role in many Chinese fans’ lives. Over the recent years, there have been a growing number of Western TV shows which have become more and more popular among younger Chinese audiences. It seems to be very difficult to find someone who has never heard of Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory” nowadays, while there are also special “lessons” at Sina Weibo which teaches young girls how to be as cool as Max from “2 Broke Girls.” Just recently, Chinese female audiences’ passion about gay rumors in the popular BBC drama “Sherlock Holmes” even made international headlines. So why do Chinese people like English-language shows? “It’s similar to foreigners liking our Chinese operas or cuisines. Because we have complete different backgrounds, we will be attracted to an exotic culture easily. It is interesting to see different thoughts and values from these shows, helping us know about the Western world,” said Zhong Shumei, an English drama fan in Shenzhen. Some also think that many Western shows are well produced with interesting and intense stories, which many domestic dramas lack. “They are so well written and produced and can be watched over and over again. I have watched ‘Friends’ for no less than 10 times, and can remember most of the lines. Whenever I get bored and don’t know what to watch, I will turn it on,” another fan surnamed Feng said. The different process of production in Western countries such as the United States has also made their shows different than domestic ones. In China, a drama is mainly based on the script. Firstly, the writers have to make sure the story is interesting and reasonable with several leading characters. As long as it can meet the requirements of policies and market expectations, it is ready to be shot. The production companies will then cast actors and actresses and finish the whole show before going on air. However, this process may restrict the innovation of the television industry, and as a result, most of them have a lot of similarities. Many overseas TV shows follow a different process. For example, in the United States, a show normally has several (sometimes more than 10) writers to write a story from different aspects, and the stories will be integrated together by a chief writer. The series will be shot while it is broadcasted so that writers can adjust the stories according to audiences reactions. The interaction between the shows and audiences helps increase audiences’ satisfaction as well as company profit. “This is an interesting and innovative process of making shows and bringing the script writers much closer to audiences. For the audience, it is also interesting because there will be so many possibilities,” said Feng. Major domestic online video websites such as tudou.com, youku.com, sohu.com and qq.com also see the growing market and have started cooperating with overseas distributors to introduce updated shows to boost their viewerships. According to Chinese media, there are about 200 new TV shows in the United States every year, and more than 30 percent were distributed by Chinese video websites in 2013. “Chinese online platforms have tapped into the distribution market of Western shows for several years and have already built long-term relationships with producers such as Warner, Disney, CBS, Universal and Fox. Some U.S. production companies also directly work with Chiense websites and helped them introduce shows such as ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Walking Dead,’” an unidentified “U.S. show buyer” from youku.com told the Global Times. “Unlike the complicated distribution chain for domestic shows, it is much easier to buy copyrights for overseas shows.” | 