Talking Entertainment: British TV Turns China On
In China, British TV fans snub U.S. TV fans, U.S. TV fans snub Korean soap fans, and Korean soap fans snub local dramas. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is what Chinese TV critics refer to as the “disdain chain.”
In support of this theory, a study just released by Entgroup, a Beijing-based entertainment research firm, reveals that British dramas are buzzing on social media sites geared towards white collar workers and users with a college education. Shows like Downton Abbey and Sherlock are getting 13 percent of the online discussion in these communities, whereas Korean soap operas barely get one percent of mentions.
According to the content director at Youku Tudou, Zhu Xiangyang, this upper crust of the China TV audience knows how to appreciate the high-quality of acting and story-telling in British dramas and are demanding it.
What does this mean for us? More British TV. This slice of the television viewership is exactly what advertisers are after and online streaming sites are more than happy to accommodate. Following in Sohu.com’s lead, Youku Tudou and Tencent launched British TV feeds this spring. Stream and enjoy.
Online British TV Channels:
When you get to season two of Downton Abbey (everybody dies, not worth watching), de-glue your eyes from the screen and check out these A&C events around town:
