Attack of the Global TV series! 3 Ways for U.S. Content Creators to Cash In

American shows (i.e. Western TV) have long been broadcast to England, Germany, and many other foreign countries.

But now they are shipping their shows to us. Two international shows, El Gran Hotel (Spain) and Babylon Berlin (Germany), were first binge-worthy in their countries. But the explosive global success of Downton Abbey suddenly ripped down the last international barrier between "our" shows and "theirs." Downton inadvertently cleared the risky minefield of imported foreign dramas.

In the past, PBS was the main purveyor of primarily British dramas, with a few Scottish, French and Irish offerings. But now, Netflix and traditional networks are going global, snapping up foreign series and adapting them to American tastes.

Expect a slew of international dramas in 2018 from Japan, Ireland, Norway and the UK to be adapted to all U.S. media outlets including streaming, cable, and traditional networks.

So what does this foreign market translate into for U.S. content creators?

1. More foreign actors. Michael Douglas was famously quoted for complaining about American actors a couple of years back. British and Aussie actors were the first wave, so expect actors from well...everywhere. Network with more foreign actors and cast them in your work. American actors should develop convincing foreign accents and add "foreign tongue" monologues to their reels.

2. Location, location, foreign location. Remember when every movie was set in NYC or L.A.? Now Film Investors may warm up to your idea to film abroad. Go through your scripts and see if you can adapt a local location to a foreign location. *Make sure to take into account costs of filming in different countries.

3. Genre-bending. Sometimes when everyone is going right, you have to go left. The tide is turning towards international drama, so maybe you could try international comedy or international variety show (think The Voice, American Idol). Incorporating a global flavor in your content may extend the reach (and buy-ability) of your series.

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