What the World Are Tuning Into, From Brazilian Telenovelas to Heroic Characters Made of Sweet Bean Filling
Recently, our coverage examined the surge of international post-apocalyptic dramas arriving to audiences worldwide. These shows delivered stories of climate catastrophe, harsh dictatorships, and alien invasions from diverse locations such as Argentina, Africa, and Asia. Beyond revealing global anxieties about societal breakdown, it also underscored how interconnected the television industry has become in the current year. Online services, broadcast networks, video platforms, and unofficial streams can quickly provide regional shows from across the world—excluding Antarctica, although one might wonder if any penguin-themed dramas exist there.
Still, even with the extent of international exchange in TV today, numerous programs remain mostly unseen beyond domestic borders even though massive popularity locally. This week, we set out to spotlight these programs by asking correspondents covering different nations about what people are viewing in their areas. Continue for stories of morning shows in Jamaica, Brazilian telenovelas, and Japan's sweet bean-filled superheroes.
Brazil | Vale Tudo
Even if Brazil's longstanding love affair for telenovelas has been somewhat affected by online platforms and rivalry from K-dramas and shows from Turkey, the most discussed and most watched television program in Latin America's largest country is, expectedly, a soap opera. Vale Tudo is a reboot of a production considered as one of the key in its category and a huge hit in 1988 and 1989, when Brazil was recovering from a harsh two-decade military dictatorship. The first version revolved around the theme: "Does it pay to be ethical in Brazil?"
The new version—released during a period of profound political polarisation—has moved away from the original's political focus, but has achieved strong ratings and ignited intense discussions on the internet. Although numerous fans enjoy the reboot, with scenes spreading widely on social media, there has also been criticism over changes to the original plot and the portrayal of cliches often associated with Black women in relation to one of the protagonists.
Nigeria | Big Brother Naija
One could conduct an in-depth study on Nigeria's interest with social dynamics and the country's continued interest in watching more than two dozen unknown individuals confined to a shared home. The latest season of BBNaija is currently airing, and it continues to generate more discussion, particularly on online networks, than virtually every entertainment happening except for soccer matches.
Big Brother Naija enjoys a degree of mainstream penetration that makes the show hard to ignore whether or not you don't watch it. Participants can typically leverage their time on the show into a career of fame and endorsements, even if short-lived. This will endure for as long as the producers maintain their skill to select the ideal combination of participants who all seem destined for the constant spotlight.
Japan | Anpan
According to the latest figures released, Japan's highest rated consistently aired show is the series Anpan. It's the latest in a long series of 15-minute dramas, called asadora, broadcast in the morning Monday through Saturday by public broadcaster NHK. The show is based on the story of a woman named Nobu Komatsu, whose husband, Takashi Yanase, created the Anpanman (literally Bean Paste Man) picture books and animated series that have amused and enthralled multiple age groups of Japanese kids.
The series tells the grit-through-to-glory story of a young woman who lives through the horrors of the second world war and, with her husband, establishes a kind-hearted book collection in the seventies. Its main character Anpanman—a red-bean-filled pastry wearing a cape—selflessly helps those in peril and need, even giving pieces of his soft, sweet head to feed the hungry. Like most asadora, the show is visual comfort food, with a touching, inspiring plot that soothes the anxious atmosphere of the moment.
In Jamaica | The Morning Show
Typically, most people in Jamaica access their television shows from the United States, but even so the local channel Television Jamaica's the show Smile Jamaica morning show remains a critical part of the country's routine.
Broadcast from 6-8.30am, with a Saturday edition on Saturdays, it features an diverse range of light entertainment and sections on serious current topics. Viewers can see popular dance and exercise guides, intriguing interviews with a Jamaican Michael Jackson impersonator and the producers of a recent food product, but also debates on Jamaica's firearms laws and the difficult topic of mental health awareness after the nation was rocked by the passing of a beauty pageant alumna at just 26. The program is a prime illustration of significant funding in its film and TV industry, with multiple local film festivals and the government just pledging substantial funds for domestic movie projects.
Poland | Chopin Piano Contest
It may not fit the standard idea of a mass-audience show, able to draw huge audiences. Still, much of Poland will be tuned in for the coming weeks due to the excitement of the latest edition of a renowned music contest honoring Poland's composer and virtuoso the composer Chopin.
The nineteenth iteration of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition started this week. It will feature 84 pianists from twenty nations—selected from over six hundred applicants—contending for the top prize, widely considered a golden ticket to perform in the world's greatest concert halls.
The competition, like the Olympic Games for pianists, is held every five years and draws many of music enthusiasts to the Polish capital, with admissions being reserved a year in advance. This edition, the host nation has thirteen contestants, but pianists from the US, Canada, and Asia are seen as leading contenders.
The event is televised by Poland's national TV and streamed online, with the champion's performances beginning in late October.
