Networks clamor for foreign TV shows - Yahoo! News Annotated
tags: foreign, network, pickup, pilot, series, show
Of the five pilots ordered by the broadcast networks last week, four were based on international formats -- British drama "Ny-Lon" and Israeli drama "Mythological X" at CBS, and British comedies "Outnumbered" and "Spaced" at Fox.
A big reason is the three-month Hollywood writers strike, which ended three weeks ago, said Dana Walden, chairman of 20th Century Fox TV, which produces "Mythological X" as well as ABC's pilot "Life on Mars," based on the BBC series.
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"You get the great benefit of being able to see the great twists and turns the characters take (beyond the pilot)," she said. "The network also was excited to do a reasonably priced show that is still compelling and has a fantastic character at the center but doesn't have car chases and 85 scenes (per episode)."
Most foreign series rely more on storytelling than big production values, which also proves attractive to U.S. studios looking for to cut costs in the wake of the writers strike.
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