Lost in Translation? Adaptations Across Borders

When it comes to game shows and reality TV formats, taking a popular series from one country and making a new version is fairly easy. But remaking scripted formats has always been a harder nut to crack. 

From homegrown hits Doctor Foster and Liar to global phenomena like Call My Agent! and Skam, scripted formats are traveling further than ever. With streaming services battling for more localised content, they're also a multi-billion dollar business.

Yet for every successful remake, whether The Office or Shameless, there are countless dramas that haven’t cut through the cultural divide. Add in the accepted position that “comedy doesn’t translate,” and this begs the question, what makes a good or bad adaptation, and who gets to decide? 

In this session, RTS London brings together a panel of leading experts to answer this, alongside what formats sell, how scriptwriters can address the challenge of creating cultural relevancy while keeping the values of the original, and why in the age of global media consumption, do broadcasters still need to adapt when they can just dub or use subtitles.

They’ll also explore the reaction towards remakes in fan communities, whether having the original creator be involved impacts success, and what role the choice of platform/channel has on the form and style of the adaptation. 

Chair:
Dr. Andrea Esser, Professor of Media and Globalisation, King’s College London 

Panel:
Sumi Connock, Creative Director for TV Formats, BBC Studios
Marianne Furevold-Boland, Head of Drama, NRK, and Producer, Skam
Sabrina Duguet, EVP Asia-Pacific, All3Media International
Matt Baker, Writer, Professor T, Before We Die, and Suspect

Producer: Damien Ashton-Wellman