China's media landscape shifts as domestic, original TV show formats become increasingly popular

Changing landscape

Over the past decade, huge changes have taken place in the Chinese media landscape which has brought more opportunities to international producers. The Western desire to get money out of China rather than see the country as a creative hub "has been a big mistake," McCarthy-Simpson said.

In a newly released British TV Export Report by PACT, a recently-signed Britain-China TV co-production treaty between the two countries offers the opportunity for them to further build great content together. Both factual and entertainment were the two genres in which the highest growth was expected, according to the report.

Apparently, a shift occurred when foreign TV studios saw that most of their revenue originated from overseas markets, predominantly from China. The market is just too big to ignore. Yet licensing programs and formats will become more difficult with the introduction of stiffer quotas, as well as a higher standard -- it is difficult to excite Chinese producers since they've seen almost all formats.

She suggested that Britain treat China differently and think of more creative ways to work with Chinese counterparts, look more at co-production and co-creation deals, and create a cultural blend of East and West.

Previously, ITV and Chinese media company Huace co-developed a celebrity sports reality show, Stars on Ice, showcasing the charm of figure skating for Chinese audiences as part of the early lead-up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The localized version was broadcast on Chinese screens since 2016 and well received by Chinese audiences.

Wilson WorldWide Productions, an Indie production company in London, has been producing a thriller TV series based on a bestseller.

Joshua Wilson, CEO of the company, told Xinhua that the story is full of Chinese elements. The heroine is a Chinese lady and the story will be filmed in Shanghai, Hong Kong and other Chinese cities.

October Films Executive Chairman Denman Rooke put his Chinese name and Wechat ID on his business card. The renowned director and producer has been in the TV industry for decades and decided to make China his priority in the future.

He showed a detailed documentary pitch named Chinese Cuisine Goes Global in Chinese, and said everything was ready except partners from China to make it come true.

A theme that resonates with global viewers, along with top co-producing personnel from China and Britain, would make a really good story, he said.

For producers like Yao and Wang, the roadmap of China's TV industry over the past decade has changed dramatically.

Actually, the secret behind this innovation wave appears to be aspiration -- China strives to be a new creative hub in TV production, to create shows that both educate and entertain, to tell a China story that is both fascinating and enlightening to the world.