The global age of television
Traditionally, television was known for having a repetitive structure, a main feature of television series in particular. In recent years, this format has been altered by transnational adaptations. In the past, people would watch daily or weekly television series at home in front of their television, waiting for the next episode to air. Nowadays, with digital recording and the availability of television on the internet, viewers have various additional options. The EU-funded REPEAT (Repetition and seriality in the age of television studies 3.0) looked at current global transformation of television with a focus on television series exemplifying this transformation. Three aspects in particular constituted the study's main areas: industry, audience and media technology. The three are intertwined since, for example, television series of different countries are now available worldwide. This means that television production and reception is more diverse and thus has more of an impact on European media. Research focused on two series in particular. One was the United States' HBO series 'In Treatment' and how it compares with the original version 'BeTipul' from Israel, which has been adapted in more than 10 countries. The other was the American Showtime series 'Homeland' and its relation with the Israeli version 'Hatufim'. The second season of this series started simultaneously in each country. Beyond that, the Israeli version was imported in France, Germany, Scandinavia and the United States via various online internet companies. What the project focused was the reasons a series with such a specific topic can be more compatible globally than one with a more general topic. Understanding how television series are compatible with a global audience not only gives insight into innovation strategies, it also has socioeconomic implications.
Keywords
Television series, transnational adaptations, European media, REPEAT
