Jenny Chan 陳詠欣
Aug 6, 2012

China’s ban on remakes of foreign shows: A decision made by 'old-school minds'

BEIJING - SARFT, China’s film and TV censorship board, has issued six more thou-shalt-nots in a list of new regulations for Chinese television, one of which is a ban on remakes or clones of foreign TV shows.

Chinese version of
Chinese version of "Gossip Girl" titled "Runaway Sweetheart"

The guidelines from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), which were already implemented nationwide, may be negative for production companies set up to remake popular American series such as Glee, Gossip Girl, and How I Met Your Mother.

The other five in the decree are: "to draw clear lines between ourselves and the enemy in dramas incorporating revolutionary history"; "must not amplify or emphasise family conflicts"; "must not engage in flights of fancy in historical dramas"; "to be conscientious in guiding public values in dramas about business competition"; and "to discourage adaptations of online novels or online games".

"The ban on remaking foreign dramas will seriously impact these production companies, but this means the content produced will be pushed towards online webisodes. This is a natural progression in China's current media environment," Andrew Collins, CEO of Mailman Group, told Campaign Asia-Pacific.

"Chinese consumers will always find alternative media channels to consume the content they want. The answer is usually just a forum discussion away for the 18- to 21-year-old Weibo Generation," he added.

While saying SARFT's restrictions are based on good intentions—to fuel the development of local television industry—the newly minted director of entertainment marketing at Ogilvy Entertainment, Janie Ma, noted that the government is being overly sensitive to the supposed bad influences from foreign dramas.

When Japanese, Korean or American dramas are remade for China's viewers, their producers already tailor them to cater to Chinese values and preferences, she said. 

"SARFT doesn't sense this is not for the greater good of the overall televison industry," added Collins, whose digital agency is behind fanstang.com, a social network linking celebrities like Chace Crawford of Gossip Girl fame and Matthew Morisson of the hit show Glee with Chinese fans. When asked if the ban on foreign dramas will cause these celebrities to become foreign in the minds of the Chinese, Collins insisted the opposite, citing the trend of branded content moving online anyway as reason.

In Ma's opinion, SARFT should act more like a guide that leads the industry to develop, and treat the Chinese locals as a smarter, more discerning audience. Thankfully, according to her, the ban will not impact her work in branded entertainment, as "we have a lot of entertainment resources to draw from".

More significantly, Collins pointed out the viewers that SARFT wants to control are watching banned content on other screens via the web. "By imposing this ban, it just reflects old-school minds making old-school decisions affecting old-school viewers".

Previous SARFT bans include prohibition of commercials during TV dramas and supervision of vulgar and low-class themes in online videos and micro-movies.

 

Source:
Campaign China

Related Articles

Just Published

1 day ago

40 Under 40 2024: Hajar Yusof, Naga DDB Tribal

Hajar’s initiatives reflect her commitment to innovation, diversity, and leaving a lasting legacy in the industry.

1 day ago

Moo Deng says hands off unless you’ve washed up

Lifebuoy’s new campaign introduces a fresh face in hand hygiene, pairing AI with playful reminders to help keep those paws—er, hands—clean.

1 day ago

The CMO's MO: Hyatt's APAC marketer on the power of ...

"Focus means saying no to 100 good ideas and saying yes to the great ones." Hyatt’s Tammy Ng shares how lessons from Steve Jobs and James Dyson are guiding her approach to personalising guest experiences.

1 day ago

Trump’s victory isn’t just America’s crisis—it’s a ...

Make no mistake—2024’s US election was a calculated exercise in marketing from beginning to end, revealing a striking alignment with the very principles that drive our industry.