As the World Turns the Dial, It Finds the U.S. Label

In Australia there’s a “Friends” frenzy, in Russia “Dynasty” rules and in Japan “The X-Files” marks the ratings spot. Such is the global consumption of American programming, where both new and used U.S. shows are finding wider audiences.

More than 10,000 U.S. and international buyers and sellers are at the Palais Des Festivals here this week for MIPCOM, the world’s largest international television programming bazaar. This is the show’s 12th year and its biggest, attracting 2,183 companies from 87 countries--from Malaysia to Bosnia to Iran.

“I couldn’t tell you why in one country a show is a big hit and it’s not in another,” says Tom Keeter, director of advertising and publicity for Columbia TriStar International Television.

For example, “The Nanny” is a huge hit in Australia. “It’s a boon to ratings--Fran Drescher’s voice is a big seller,” Keeter says. But, he points out, the United Kingdom doesn’t quite appreciate the appeal of Drescher. “Nobody in the United Kingdom will pick it up,” he laments.

While everyone loves “Oprah”--she airs in 132 countries--in Britain, they love “The Ricki Lake Show” just a little bit more.

“ ‘Ricki’ is the No. 1 U.S. talk show in the United Kingdom,” Keeter says. The show is also quickly gaining viewers throughout Scandinavia.

“Babylon 5” may have meager ratings in the United States, but in Britain the sci-fi series has garnered a massive cult following.

“It has real momentum going in Great Britain,” says Lisa Gregorian, vice president of marketing and research for Warner Bros. International Television Distribution. “It’s a huge phenomenon.”

She also cites “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” as another winning export and attributes its international success to “high-recognizability. It has the Superman costume, plus action, romance and Teri Hatcher. The show travels well. Both kids and adults watch it.”

“ER” is also making hearts race throughout Europe. “ ‘ER’ is the first American show in Italy and France played in prime time in the last five to seven years,” says Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, president of Warner Bros. International Television. He attributes the show’s appeal to “its universal themes and issues.” And George Clooney doesn’t hurt either.

And then there’s “Friends.” Once countries are acquainted with this show, the fads follow. It’s gaining steam throughout Europe and Australia, as is Jennifer Aniston’s shaggy hairstyle, the clothes that the cast wears and the sets for their apartments.

“Journalists from other countries call us to arrange interviews, not with the actors but with Jennifer Aniston’s hairstylist or with the ‘Friends’ set designer or costume designer,” Gregorian says. “It’s American hip.”

Even shows that by American standards are passe can find fresh fame abroad. In Spain, they just can’t seem to get enough of Urkel from “Family Matters” or “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”; both air seven nights a week. And then there’s the cat-chasing, furry alien “ALF,” a crowd-pleaser throughout Europe.

The world is fast becoming populated by “X”-philes. According to Suzanne Krajewski, vice president of marketing, promotion and publicity for Twentieth Century Fox International Television, “ ‘The X-Files’ is No. 1 in its time period in every country it’s sold in.”

It’s a huge hit in Japan, a rarity for a country that seldom airs American programs during prime time. Some attribute its stellar success to the fact that culturally, the Japanese enjoy watching two hard-working individuals who, through perseverance, overcome obstacles and reach the truth--sometimes. Krajewski credits part of its success to the solid writing, the attention to small details and the complex plots that require keen attention to follow.

Another show that is just as complex at times is “Dynasty.” A mega-hit in the United States during the decadent ‘80s, it’s found a new and ardent audience in Russia. Viewers are glued to their televisions watching the sexy exploits of the Carrington clan. So transfixed are they that recently, the government would not interrupt the show to announce election results.

Game shows are also a draw overseas, where the formats are sold and then tailored to the individual market. For example, in Estonia, “The Dating Game”--known as “Reisile Sinuga”--is a ratings grabber, as is “$25,000 Pyramid” in Indonesia, where it is called “Piramida.” But the hottest game show internationally remains “The Price Is Right.”

“Most game shows are simple to understand,” says Tony Lamattina, president of All American Fremantle Television Group. “People can play along at home and they like to see people who could be their neighbors win big prizes.”

And in some countries people just want to laugh, which explains the popularity of American comedies such as “Cheers” in Romania.

“We had very hard times before the revolution,” explains Mioara Dumitrescu of Televiziunea Romania. “We didn’t laugh a lot at television. We had no American series before the revolution.”

But since the revolution, American television has become a favorite of Romanians. Among the most watched include “MASH.” “It’s very popular. It’s full of humor. It’s strange to laugh at people in war, but it’s very amusing,” Dumitrescu says. “And ‘Taxi’--it’s brilliant. Danny DeVito is brilliant. The show is very spirited. We are so fond of American comedies.”

American humor isn’t appreciated by all countries. Generally, action-adventure shows and dramas do much better overseas because comedy doesn’t always translate well.

In Sweden, popular American shows include “Jeopardy!,” “ER,” “NYPD Blue” and, for the young, “Beverly Hills, 90210.”

“Swedes enjoy the American lifestyle,” says Lars Erik Sellmark of Sveriges Television. “Young people want to emulate it.”

“Moesha” is also melting the hearts of Icelandic and Scandinavian viewers, who enjoy seeing life through the eyes of an African American teenage girl.

But there are still places where U.S. shows have yet to catch on. In war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovina, they watch little--if any--American programming. “We’ve been at war for 4 1/2 years,” says a spokeswoman from Television of Bosnia-Herzegovina. “We watch the local news.”