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The Inflow of American Television Fiction on European Broadcasting 45

TABLE 4.6 ORIGIN OF SERIES ON EUROPEAN TELEVISION IN 1988, 1991 AND 1997
(IN PERCENTAGES)
1988 a 1991 a 1997
National 37 17 20
USA 36 56 64
Europe 14 16 8.5
France 2 1 2
Great Britain 7 10 2
Germany 3 3 2
Rest of Europe 3 2 1.5
Co-productions – – 1
Other 13 11 7.5
a
Source: 1988 and 1991: De Bens et al. (1992: 94).

As with films, series come for the most part from the USA (64.2 percent). The
commercial channels programme more American series (70.6 percent) than their
public counterparts (42.1 percent). It is striking, however, that American series
are programmed mainly outside prime-time, among public as well as among
private broadcasters. Among the German channels the distinction between
public (10.6 percent) and commercial (78.5 percent) channels is extraordinary.
Obviously, the low share of American series on the public channels is directly
connected to the high share of national series. The British channels programme
relatively few American series. This not only benefits their own fiction, but also
Australian fiction. About a quarter of all series shown on British channels is of
Australian origin. Great Britain is the only European country where direct
imports from Australia are important to such a degree (see Mohr and O’Donnell,
1996: 40), although we also registered a considerable percentage of Australian
soaps on the Walloon public broadcasting station.
The import of non-national European series amounts to only 7.5 percent but
up to 14.4 percent in prime-time. There are major differences per country:
ranging from the total absence on the British channels to a third of all series on
the Walloon public channels. In Wallonia this percentage is for the most part due
to France again. French, German and British series have a similar but small share
of European distribution (2 percent each) (see Table 4.6). They serve different
markets: French series are shown in Wallonia and Italy. British series are shown
in Flanders, the Netherlands and France and to a lesser degree in Germany. They
also do relatively well in prime time. German series are successful in Wallonia,
France and Italy (public channels) and to a lesser degree in Flanders and the
Netherlands. France broadcasts 10.5 percent British and 11.5 percent German
series, but neither Britain nor Germany broadcast French series. Great Britain
limits itself with respect to series to national, Australian and American series,
which means English-spoken series.
There are fewer co-productions for series than for films. Only 0.8 percent of the
series are the result of a cooperation between European countries. Also, in this
respect, the public channels (especially Dutch and German) score significantly
better than the commercial ones.