To many people in the world, American culture has been a source for music and television. However, many people are not aware that International television has helped inspire today’s top shows. Many of today’s top television shows have already had a run in many other countries. In some cases, some shows may only seem outlandish until they are proven to be a success. Here are a few examples of how not only television programming, but also television news coverage has impacted the American public.
Probably the most popular show that has been adapted from an overseas show is The Office. Originally, the British version was almost cancelled because of low ratings. However, it has become one of the most watched shows in British history. In its success, it has been nominated for such American awards as an Emmy and a Golden Globe. This made NBC very interested in recreating a version for the American market. Today, the show has helped boost Steve Carell’s acting career and has created conversations for many fans.
A hit as an American adaptation, Ugly Betty was originally a Colombian soap opera. America’s first taste of the show was through the episodes that were broadcast on Spanish language stations in the United States. The success of these re-ran episodes led to an American version of the show. Salma Hayek, who helped pitch the show to ABC, originally had it planned to air as a soap opera like its predecessor. However, after the success of the first episodes, ABC insisted that they keep it a weekly prime time series. Today, the show has been recreated nearly twenty times for different markets including a Mexican, Vietnamese,
Sometimes, television plays out real life tragedies. Possibly our generations first taste of overseas media tragedies was the death of Princess Diana. While she had no official title to America, it was tragic yet heartwarming to witness the world stop as we witnessed her untimely death and tearfully moving funeral. The world of media coverage was never the same after these events.
Sadly, America witnessed a similar event take place. Jade Goody, a celebrity from the UK Big Brother series (which is outrageously successful overseas), was diagnosed with cancer and told she only had a short time to live. While generally unknown in the US, she became an overnight success on the show because of her outlandish attitude and little regard for those around her. She was a celebrity that everyone loved to hate. Last August, she appeared on the Indian version of celebrity Big Brother. There, she received a call from her doctor that she had cancer. She immediately returned home and became the countries unofficial spokeswoman for cancer.
She suddenly had a change of heart and made mends with past enemies that she had on the television show. She allowed cameras to follow her every move and sold the rights to interviews and her sudden wedding with fellow Big Brother co-star Jack Tweed. She stated that she planned on saving the money for her children. Suddenly, her every move was followed until the first few weeks of March, when she suddenly became too ill to carry on with her usual days. She was admitted into a hospital and was christened along with her children. Later, she asked to leave so she could spend her final days at home. She passed away on March 22.
The population will continue to see the world through media sources. While there are times when we may not benefit from what is being broadcast, there are times when we really capture what is going on around the world.
