World gets a kick out of twisted U.S. family

International auds gradually accepting Bart and co.

© Variety, April 23, 1998.

LONDON - The international rollout for �The Simpsons� got off to a slow start, but after 9 seasons and diplomatic negotiations, the animated series has hit TV screens in upwards of 60 countries.

Initially, the genre-bending toon with acerbic wit proved to be an acquired taste. �In the beginning there was zero interest from overseas,� says Marion Edwards, exec vp, Twentieth Century Fox International Television. �It was seen as a weird American show. But it is now our most successful half-hour (international seller) next to �MASH.� �

Naturally, the series is a bigger hit in English-language territories than others. Edwards cites Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom as the standout markets for the show. Britain�s Sky Television, a Fox sister company, has run with the show since it first floated overseas and had it exclusively in the U.K. for some time.

�It took a while for audiences to realize it�s incredibly good stuff,� says James Baker, Sky�s head of programming. �Right now it is our most consistent show. It gets astonishing ratings week after week and hasn�t been out of the top five for four years.�

Due to popular demand, Sky now strips �Simpsons� on weekday evenings and double-bills a new and a classic episode on Sunday evenings. As with several other U.S. series, Sky shares the show with pubcaster BBC, which has second-run rights.

�Sky audiences are identifying with Homer,� adds Baker with a laugh. �We have a deeply dysfunctional group of viewers.�

Oz is another steady territory for the �The Simpsons,� where Ten Network has first-run, free-to-air rights and rerun rights to the show.

�The cheekiness of the show appeals in the Australian market,� says Edwards, adding that Simpson merchandise was a hit Down Under. Additionally, synergy with Fox affiliated companies in Australia proved the show is a valuable brand with which to built pay-TV subscribership. Studio execs say �The Simpsons� was an integral part of the launch of Foxtel, the Fox pay-TV venture in Australia.

There are also some foreign markets where �The Simpsons� plays above expectation. For instance, in Mex-ico on TV Azteca, the taxicab yellow family has found many a compadre.

But on the whole, however, foreign-language markets have been tougher nuts to crack for �The Simpsons.�

In Japan, where the show now runs on pay-channel Wowow, there was the �four finger problem,� notes Edwards. Apparently, the unique physical attributes of Simpsonian folk were a difficult local challenge. Having fewer than five digits in Japanese culture could signal a lower-class status (as in butcher�s occupational hazard), and thus a tough-sell to glamour-loving Japanese auds.

The Asians generally also had a problem with Bart Simpson�s insolence and disrespectfulness towards his elders. But after several more sales attempts from Fox, the region�s buyers eyed Bart�s adorable little sis, Lisa, and suddenly changed their tune. �It then became: �We love Lisa,� � jokes Edwards.

In the Czech Republic, audiences complained about �ugly� animation styles and offensive writing, reports Czech TV�s acquisition chief Jan Rubes. �We have people who love �The Simpsons� and people who hate the show,� he says. �No one is in the middle.�

The show is dubbed with leading Czech celebs subbing for the original voices. Marge�s hoarse utterances, for instance, are read by popular local comedian Jiri Labus.

Rubes adds that Czech TV programs the show as �an extreme series� on their more arty second channel. It caters to students and the intellectual set, who have elevated �The Simpsons� to cult status.

Similarly, in Finland, local broadcaster MTV3 airs �The Simpsons� during a special Sunday afternoon niche block aimed at trendy youngsters. �We program �The Simpsons� with �Beverly Hills 90210,� �Friends,� �Suddenly Susan� and a music program,� says Mervi Rouvinen, MTV3�s series acquisition executive, who notes that the show is subtitled rather than dubbed, as is the norm in Scandinavia. �It�s the most-watched time period for 15-30 year olds.� While MTV3 has programmed the show in early primetime, it wasn�t deemed wide enough to lure Finnish auds in later primetime hours.

As is the trend domestically, multiple viewings doesn�t seem to hurt the appeal of show in the international marketplace. Unlike most TV fare, says Edwards, �The Simpsons� plays in original primetime, stripped and on basic cable.

In fact, due to potential over-saturation and the adult bent of the show, Fox recently had to turn down an overseas deal for a morning TV timeslot.