Valley-Based Distributors Know International Habits

The idea for “The Singing Bee” came to its co-creator Bob Horowitz as he walked down Broadway one day and saw a theater marquee for “Spelling Bee: The Musical.” It didn’t take much for Horowitz to jump from spelling to singing and so was born a karaoke game show in which contestants hear a portion of a song and then must sing the next line. Originally airing in the U.S. on NBC, “The Singing Bee” is now included in the lineup of CMT, which just ordered 20 episodes for the fall. More importantly to Horowitz and production partner Phil Gurin the show is broadcast in 40 overseas markets with the pair controlling those lucrative foreign rights. While an actor or director may have the goal of having a program on an American broadcast or cable channel, distributors look beyond the U.S. shores to what foreign broadcasters want in their programming. The San Fernando Valley has its share of these distributors, be they divisions of the large studios or independents like Horowitz’s JUMA Entertainment in Burbank or the Gurin Co. in Studio City. Finding the right shows to take from the U.S. market to overseas markets can seem like a delicate act of not wanting to come off as “too American” and not wanting to offend any cultural sensibilities. Shows shouldn’t be too topical either so that they are stale after one season. Tatiana Kober, of Bejuba Entertainment, finds there is always a foreign market for animated comedies geared toward the 8 years to 14 years old range. All the better if the show comes with an inexpensive online component. Richard Propper, who distributes non-scripted programming under his Solid Entertainment banner, favors shows on big subjects with big characters. One example he gives of a reality show that found success overseas is American Chopper, now in its sixth season and produced by Pilgrim Films & Television in Sherman Oaks. “Why would anyone in Korea or Germany care?” Propper asked of the show about making customized motorcycles. “They are big characters; they are men running around in a garage.” Making the translation During a panel discussion on international distribution at the WESTDOC Conference in Santa Monica, Endemol North America Chairman David Goldberg said that “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” could not translate well into foreign markets because of the cost involved with refurbishing homes. The U.S. version, however, did very well, Goldberg said. Just a few years ago, bringing American programming overseas was an easy sell. It was an environment Propper described as one in which product couldn’t be fed fast enough to the foreign networks. With the global recession came a tightening of purse strings. The foreign networks now are waiting before making decisions to purchase U.S. programming. Purchases in Britain are expected to resume until October, said Kober, whose Burbank-based company distributes the animated “The Hive” and “Ricky Sprocket – Showbiz Boy” and the live action “The Fairies.” The recession is also lengthening the decision making process because networks cannot afford to make a mistake, added Horowitz. GRB Entertainment in Sherman Oaks, however, finds that its reality programming is very much in demand. “Because the programming we offer is not expensive our stuff is more economically flexible,” said company founder Gary R. Benz. But what Benz and other independent producers and distributors cannot escape is the tightening of the market as the major studios insist on having international rights for a show that they also distribute domestically. How to get around that takes a number of forms. Self-financing A producer can refuse to take network money and self-finance their show and hang on to all the rights. GRB has long been known for international distribution and has pre-existing contracts protecting those rights. “It still can be a battle on any particular show,” Benz admitted. Then there is the route taken by Horowitz and Gurin, which is to take the shows overseas first to secure the rights and then make an offer to the U.S. networks. That is what the pair did with “The Singing Bee” first selling it in England before making a pitch at NBC. If U.S. shows can make it big overseas then the transverse is also true of adapting foreign shows for American viewers. Some of the most popular reality and non-scripted series started out in foreign markets. These shows fall under the category of formats – typically game shows or one that have some kind of competition and be easily customized for each market. There are similarities in sets, lighting, musical cues and other production aspects contained in a document known as the show’s bible. Whereas it had been foreign format shows were Americanized, now the U.S. is looked to as the originator of these programs, Endemol places a heavy reliance on U.S. programming for its foreign markets and if those programs can show a ratings history they will likely score with international viewers, Goldberg said. “If you have a story, and it doesn’t have to be a compelling story, there’s a chance you will sell it,” Goldberg said.