HBO plans to bring international shows to the U.S.

[MonnoM]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mipcom-hbo-bring-international-series-us-1049065

"HBO will bring two shows each from HBO Europe, HBO Latin America and HBO Asia to HBO Go, HBO Now and HBO On Demand in the U.S., says CEO Richard Plepler.

The premium TV giant, owned by Time Warner, has been an active producer of high-end international television for more than a decade — producing local-language series for its regional operations in Europe, Asia and Latin America. But these shows, some of which were ratings hits and award-winners in their home countries, were rarely available in the United States, and when they were, they were typically only on smaller streaming platforms.

But on Monday, HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler said that the company would be bringing the best of its global series to American viewers. Plepler told the MIPCOM market in Cannes that local shows from HBO's European unit have long outperformed imported U.S. shows. So HBO is ready to make the best of its indigenous shows from its international networks available to American subscribers.

Starting in December, HBO will introduce two of its original international series from each of its global operations, namely HBO Europe, HBO Latin America and HBO Asia, to its U.S. streaming services. The series include HBO Europe's Czech drama Wasteland and Polish police thriller The Pack; HBO Asia's Taiwanese series The Teenage Psychic and Indonesian/Thai drama Halfworlds; and from HBO Latin America El Hipnotizador and the Brazilian drama La Vida Secreta de Las Parejas.

You can check out the trailer for HBO's new international offerings below."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV3UFp_7HwM

[Stirchley]

Presumably all these shows will be subtitled? Can’t imagine that will be a success as Americans are not known for enjoying subtitled television shows.

[matt72582]

It would be nice if they showed some serious foreign movies.

[Stirchley]

It would be nice if they showed some serious foreign movies.

True, but, as one wit once remarked, Americans don’t like to read when they watch a movie. Caustic, but there’s some truth to it.

[matt72582]

True, but, as one wit once remarked, Americans don’t like to read when they watch a movie. Caustic, but there’s some truth to it.

But isn't everything like that already? Movies where you don't have to think... You can never find out if there's an audience if the big-heads think the audience is stupid, and if we keep watching the effete trash, they might be right.... but there's still an audience for something great that we haven't witnessed yet.

[Stirchley]

But isn't everything like that already? Movies where you don't have to think... You can never find out if there's an audience if the big-heads think the audience is stupid, and if we keep watching the effete trash, they might be right.... but there's still an audience for something great that we haven't witnessed yet.

Definitely. Bring it on, say I.

[Velvet]

I will never understand the whole subtitle deal, I love subtitles !

[Stirchley]

I will never understand the whole subtitle deal, I love subtitles !

I do too. I will not watch anything without subtitles. Started when I was watching The Wire several years ago. Couldn’t follow some of the mumbling dialog. Finally had a brainwave & turned on the subtitles. Never looked back.

[doubledenim]

There are a lot of merrycans' that are hard-of-hearing and subtitles are huge over ere.

[Dani8]

I will never understand the whole subtitle deal, I love subtitles !

Either will I, other than when I want to lie on the lounge - cant wear my glasses on my side. We've had a multicultural network here for decades; Everything has subtitles.
Each to their own. Maybe people who dont like them have had too many bad experiences with poorly coloured backgrounds where you cant read the text. That's extremely annoying.

[Siddon]

I do too. I will not watch anything without subtitles. Started when I was watching The Wire several years ago. Couldn’t follow some of the mumbling dialog. Finally had a brainwave & turned on the subtitles. Never looked back.

I used to make fun of my mom for having to put subtitles on for Doctor Who...then came Peter Capaldi

[doubledenim]

I actually watch a lot of stuff with captions on. They provide context clues for stuff you would never hear, names of songs and names of dragons.

💀🐉❄🔥

[Dani8]

[names of dragons.

💀🐉❄🔥[/font]

LMAO. I was wondering how non book fans knew those names.

[Stirchley]

I used to make fun of my mom for having to put subtitles on for Doctor Who...then came Peter Capaldi

I’ve lived in America so long that British movies which have a lot of dialect are impossible to understand without subtitles. Can’t think of its name right now, but I watched a a British film about a guy in a Borstal situation. My dvd had no subs & I literally could not understand a single word. Was later able to stream it with closed captions & enjoyed it.

[MonnoM]

It would be nice if they showed some serious foreign movies.

Baby steps.

[Stirchley]

then came Peter Capaldi

Gosh, yes, I needed them when he was in the very funny British show that inspired House of Cards. Too lazy to look up its name.

[doubledenim]

An unintended by-product is the appreciation of a well developed caption.

Captions for live t.v. , no chance. Captions with the big black box, shoot me.

[matt72582]

When I talk to people from outside the US, they seem to like the garbage, and I'd ask "Did you see this (or that)" and it seems we only export trash... The only sitcom from the UK I saw was "Peep Show" and it's one of my favorites ever.

I guess word of mouth is best -- especially in a forum after learning what people like.

[Stirchley]

When I talk to people from outside the US, they seem to like the garbage, and I'd ask "Did you see this (or that)" and it seems we only export trash... The only sitcom from the UK I saw was "Peep Show" and it's one of my favorites ever.

I’ve always thought that America imports too much British stuff. Just because it has a British accent doesn’t mean it’s good. I’ve seen some really ancient British stuff on American TV that we used to watch in England when we were kids & it was no good then.