Series Formats - the Boom of Adaptation

While presenting at Format Show in the course of KYIV MEDIA WEEK 2014, Nicola Soderlund, managing partner at Eccho Rights, Sweden (Sparks Network) told about the boom on remakes of  TV series formats in the international TV market. Nicola provided the following figures proving the statement: in 2003 were created 21 local adaptations of series worldwide, however in 2010 the quantity of adaptations has increased to 67 and in 2013 there were 96 TV series remakes made. 

There are a  lot of reasons for such a phenomenon - a change in TV viewing is the key one that was mentioned by Nicola Soderlund. Whereas Video on Demand services are gaining in popularity, TV channels are therefore faced with problems in the effort to keep their audiences. While having a closer look at the VoD services one would not fail to notice that  their content does not basically account for features, shows, documentaries but for series, first and foremost. It is what the channels are launching into production or adapt thus trying to balance odds.

It is, however, worth noting that the number of remakes is not subject to equally proportional growth in all regions of the world since the original versions of foreign series are mostly produced in North and Latin Americas and also in Europe. As of 2013 the US was deemed an absolute leader in the business with 32 TV series adapted, Russia was ranking second with 9 local versions followed by Columbia with 8 versions produced.

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