BRITS PRODUCING SHOWS FOR U.S. NETS
British TV companies, including Granada, Hat Trick and Pearson, are completing deals to provide programming for American TV networks, marking their biggest push ever into mainstream broadcasting in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reported. In some cases, scripts of successful British series are being reedited and reshot in the U.S. For example, the U.S. version of Cracker retains 80 percent of the original dialogue, but the locale has been switched from Britain to Los Angeles, with Murphy Brown's Robert Pastorelli replacing Robbie Coltrane in the title role.
ABC exec Rob Dwek told the WSJ that such shows are likely to produce additional revenue for the British producers when they are sold overseas. "It should have happened a couple of years ago, quite frankly," Dwek added.
I wonder why we aren’t doing the same thing. We have the talent and the experience to provide the world’s leading television supplier (the US) with quality productions in the drama.
If our local television executives were smart they would also start to produce some quality sitcoms with the US market in mind when developing these shows. Since Australia is still in favour in the US, a sitcom with dual themes would stand a very good chance of success.
Just imagine the “bragging rights” for the first Australian network to get a show on mainstream US television. How about it, fellas, are you up to it?
