Desperate Housewives Receives Chilly Reception In China
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Desperate Housewives,
Oh dear. Looks like not everyone loves those crazy ladies on Wisteria Lane after all. Desperate Housewives recently began airing in China—in censored form—to great speculation. Would it succeed in a culture so different than what the show portrays? Would editing hurt the show? Would Susan get on everyone’s nerves?
Looks like the Chinese audience is less than receptive:
Ultimately, it’s the show that matters. To put it bluntly, “Housewives” does not have a demographic fit in the Chinese market. True, it is high in quality and has suspense, thrill and murder as plot hooks to entice a wider audience. But a typical television viewer in China is not someone well-versed in Western arts and literature, mesmerized by parallel narratives and ingenious tracking shots. It is usually someone with no advanced education but simply wants to kick off her shoes and relax after a hard day’s work.
For one thing, American serials like “Desperate Housewives”, with their witty innuendoes and multiple twists, are too fast-paced for Chinese taste. Some viewers complained they would get lost with the plot after a bathroom break. But with South Korean soaps, even if you skip three episodes, you can still follow the story lines.
On a deeper level, life on Wisteria Lane, the fictional California community in Housewives, is too far removed from ordinary Chinese, even the burgeoning middle class. A Chinese teenager would never, in her right mind, advise her single mother on the etiquette of dating. When Chinese housewives get into an adulterous mood, they would not turn to teenaged gardeners, who are usually migrant workers in rags, but to people with deeper pockets and higher ranks. A Chinese woman may act as fastidious as Bree Van De Kamp, but she would not take on the arch-conservative stance of an American Republican. A Chinese super-mom, in a country with family planning policy encouraging for one child, faces challenges very different from tending four unruly kids.
Simply put, the show fails to connect with the vast number of television viewers here because it implicitly requires prior knowledge of the US middle-class lifestyle, exaggerated for dramatic effect of course. That shouldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those who crave for quality programming, but its target audience shrinks from the culturally curious to the culturally adventurous.
The fabulous Leora from the fabulous Desperate Blog has the full story.
Read More 
| Desperate Blog
Gallery: Desperate Housewives Receives Chilly Reception In China
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Eva Longoria: One Hot Comedienne
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, Drama, ABC, Desperate Housewives, Talent,
TMZ is offering a peek at a video of Eva Longoria in her earlier days, “when she couldn’t even afford to put gas in her car.” In an apparent ploy against poverty, Eva and a friend began a female comedy act entitled “Hot Tamales Live.” Follow the link below to view the video.
Read More | TMZ
Gallery: Eva Longoria: One Hot Comedienne
Wow. This online game is truly amazing. The designer must be the ultimate TV fan of all time. You think of a television character, then answer a series of ‘yes and no’ questions. Then the computer guesses which character you are! I know; I was skeptical, too, but it worked every time, and didn’t take very long for the computer to guess. I chose obscure/outdated characters—Blair Warner, Punky Brewster, and Laura Ingalls—and it guessed each time! It would be creepy if it weren’t so fun. Follow the link to play.
Read More | Smalltime
Gallery: Guess The TV Character Game
Dish Network Drops Lifetime Channels
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, Cable/Satellite, News,
Dish Network customers received a blow on New Year’s Eve - the company suddenly pulled two channels from its lineup. Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network were axed reportedly due to cost, though Lifetime counters that argument. Now where are viewers supposed to get their fix of woman-in-peril movies? Where will Dish Network-subscribing stalkers pick up ideas? It’s certainly a sad day for many people.
Read More | Yahoo!
Gallery: Dish Network Drops Lifetime Channels
Desperate Housewives Reveals A Juicy Storyline
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Desperate Housewives,
Poor Bree. A philandering, then murdered, husband. An evil, revenge-driven son. A distant daughter. An insane stalker. And then, taking part in a murder (sort of) herself. Her life sure hasn’t been easy. But of course, it’s much more fun for the viewers that way! And it’s not over yet - it was recently announced that Bree, once the ‘perfect’ housewife and mother, will begin another battle…with the bottle.
The ABC show’s creator, Marc Cherry, says Marcia Cross’ character — who became a widow following her husband’s poisoning and then watched her flipped-out fiance die of an overdose — isn’t reacting well to changes.
“We’re starting her descent into alcoholism,” Cherry tells TV Guide in its Jan. 2 issue, on newsstands Thursday. He says there are some alcohol-fueled moments with her fellow housewives where “it gets pretty ugly.”
Read More | TMZ
Gallery: Desperate Housewives Reveals A Juicy Storyline
Nip/Tuck Reveals Identity Of The Carver To Disgruntled Fans
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, Prime Time, Cable, Nip/Tuck,
Groans were heard all over TV land when the Carver was unmasked on Tuesday’s episode of Nip/Tuck. For the most part, fans appeared disappointed with the all-too-predictable choice of villain. Turns out, just about anyone would have been more interesting. A much bigger shocker was the psychotic behavior of Ariel’s father, who seemed just as vicious as The Carver ever did. Some things most fans seemed to like were the return of Cherry Peck, the reconciliation of Julia and Sean, Christian’s show of loyalty to his partner and best friend, and Matt’s stepping away from the dark side. Although The Carver was revealed, Nip/Tuck couldn’t leave the viewers with looming questions. Alas, we have to wait until next season to find out: Will Kimber change her mind? What is wrong with Julia’s baby? Did Matt and Cherry really commit murder? Disappointments aside, this is one show viewers will be tuning in to next season.
Gallery: Nip/Tuck Reveals Identity Of The Carver To Disgruntled Fans
Desperate Housewives Debuts In China
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Desperate Housewives,
Desperate Housewives premiered this week in China. The show will be dubbed in Mandarin and will air three episodes in a row each night, with the entire first season complete in a week. No waiting a week between episodes translates into lucky viewers. Reportedly, the show has been “cleaned up” to better fit in with the new viewers’ expectations. Will the show be a mega-hit in its new country? Only time will tell. Hmm…I wonder how you say ‘oversexed neurotic’ in Mandarin?
Read More | ABC News
Gallery: Desperate Housewives Debuts In China
The halcyon days of sweeps may be over, but that doesn’t mean fans don’t want more spoilers, especially at this time of the year, with so many shows on hiatus or airing repeats. As always, we’re here for you at TV Envy. Our first spoiler fest: Gilmore Girls. The recent unveiling of Luke’s mystery daughter, April, left fans incensed. Will the show make it up to the viewers, or get itself deeper into trouble? You can decide. Spoilers after the jump, in case you’d rather be surprised.
Click to continue reading Gilmore Girls Spoilers
Gallery: Gilmore Girls Spoilers
NBC’s The Book Of Daniel Draws Protests
Posted by Rhys Alexander Categories: Drama, Prime Time, NBC,
A priest addicted to painkillers, an alcoholic wife, a gay son, and a daughter who peddles drugs…The Book of Daniel is definitely not in the same vein of the soon to be departed 7th Heaven. The NBC drama, which follows the trials of an Episcopal priest and his (apparently) dysfunctional family, has not surprisingly garnered protests from those more conservative-minded, namely, The American Family Association. The group is calling for boycotts of the new show. It was bound to happen, though I think a more relevant topic to protest would be the convoluted plot lines.
Read More | Zap2it
Gallery: NBC’s The Book Of Daniel Draws Protests
Surprise, surprise! ABC has finally announced the long-overdue series finale of Alias. After five-long years, the producers have exhausted all the reasons for Sydney (and now Rachel) to do recon in a bikini. While it distresses me greatly to know that my time with Sark will end soon, I’m hoping and praying that the show’s conclusion will finally bring an end to all those unanswered questions. Mainly—who is Rimbaldi again, and why do I care?
Gallery: The End of Alias
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