Television for a Global Market

It's no wonder Europeans have a poor opinion of Americans, given the amount of television we export there. Gems like Baywatch, Jersey Shore, and American Idol are among the most popular to go global. Dramas such as House, Desperate Housewives, and 24 are also extremely popular overseas. It's intriguing to wonder whether the production studios that make these shows ever consider the possibility of a record-breaking marathon in Japan in which seven seasons of 24 were aired consecutively over the course of one week. The final season was pulled from the schedule because the storyline features nuclear radiation, which could be viewed as insensitive or offensive to a Japanese audience.

It used to be that Europeans watched more American television than anything made on their own continent. Numerous laws and directives were passed in the early 1990s to ensure European culture was not negatively impacted by the permeation of American values through their TVs. But recently, by popular demand, American TV shows are back on the airwaves overseas in record numbers.

Nowadays, global television goes both ways. I personally have seen several foreign television programs that I never would have had access to without the internet. Global media exchange raises the bar for quality content and production value; networks all over the world are raring to compete in the global market that has been US dominant since the advent of television. PBS and BBC America currently broadcast British television shows on American cable. Will we see this trend continue? The audience loves it: Sherlock, Downton Abbey, Doctor Who and more are growing more and more popular every year with American audiences. Maybe it's about time we gave Europeans some of the market share. Exporting culture should be a two-way street.