There has long been intense interest in what sort of influence "the West" would produce on China ever since their open door policy was enacted back in the eighties. And what an influence it's been! From cuisine to fashion to technology, there are very few places left in China where you can go and not see the effects of over three decades of globalization. One defining aspect of the West's reach comes in a form pretty much everyone here can recognize: television.
In years past, the lone CCTV English channel was virtually the only way Chinese citizens could get exposure to TV shows, all of which, of course, were squeaky-clean and government approved. But with the advent of DVD shops selling TV series before the season is even over, as well as the Internet's seemingly infinite stock of shows available for download remaining strong, it seems that practically any TV show is fair game these days. So what kinds of shows are resonating with the Chinese youth? What is it about these shows that they love so much? To get some answers to these burning questions, I surveyed several local friends. Their answers are a veritable hot pot of different tastes.
Categorizing Chinese tastes in Western TV shows
By and large, the types of Western TV shows that currently prove popular with Chinese people fall into one of three broad categories: domestic, action, and supernatural.
1) Domestic
The "Domestic" tag can apply to any show where the viewer watches a "prototypical" Western family. I, for one, cringe when I hear my Chinese friends talking about how Gossip Girl provides great insight into the American school system or how Desperate Housewives really does a good job showing what excitement there can be in becoming an American housewife. But these shows do, in a way, portray some (perhaps skewed) aspects of Western society that are deemed "ordinary"—in the above-mentioned cases, school and home life. Other popular shows that fall into this category are Friends (yes, it's still insanely popular), Big Bang Theory, and Modern Family. Mark Wu, a twenty-something office worker who enjoys watching "domestic" shows told me that he likes watching Desperate Housewives with his friends, saying that the appeal comes from learning about new places. "I like watching them to improve my English. More daily conversations and terms you wouldn't really learn in school. I also like seeing how the Western family dynamics work—how they talk to each other and what a typical day is like in their lives."
2) Action
The "action" genre is pretty self-explanatory. These are your classic action-packed shows that focus on an individual or group of people having to jump through a lot of physical hoops to achieve some sort of goal (usually this goal just so happens to be "don't die"). These shows usually employ a mix of wits and muscles to overcome obstacles, such as getting out of jail (Prison Break), saving the entire human race (Battlestar Galactica), or something as simple as winning some prize money (the reality show Survivor). Probably the most popular show in this category, as determined by my entirely unscientific survey of Chinese young adults, would be that ultimate head scratcher: Lost. John Zhu told me that he likes to watch action shows because of "the quality of the special effects and sound." He believes, "the overall production quality on American TV shows is much higher than here in China. I don't always understand the content of the show but even if I don't, it's not a problem because everything is so nice to look at."
3) Supernatural
The last category that proves popular today is the "supernatural" genre. Supernatural television shows refer to those that involve any sort of other worldly factors, like ghosts, zombies, or (thanks, Twilight) vampires. The appeal of this type of show seems to be very similar to the reason for its appeal in the West—namely, escapism. Apparently, watching vampires alternately have sex in a swamp and kill each other strikes a chord with young adults around the world; hence the popularity of shows such as True Blood, Supernatural, and The Vampire Diaries. Interestingly enough, of the people interviewed and surveyed for this article, it was largely the women who enjoyed these supernatural TV shows over the men. One exception, however, would be The Walking Dead, a popular show currently airing in the US that depicts life during a zombie invasion. "I tried watching that one [The Walking Dead], but it was too gross" says Apple Zhang, a Suzhou born secretary in her late twenties. "I like the ones where there's more romance. There can be blood, that's OK, but I want to see how things like being a vampire can affect these people's relationships." When asked why this type of TV show appeals to her in particular, she shrugs. "It's just fun to watch. I don't have to think about work when I watch it, and my friends and I can laugh and scream during it."
As information becomes easier and easier to pass amongst people all over the world, it is only a matter of time before more Western TV shows make their way over the Great Firewall. As this happens, it will be interesting to see if Chinese television shows continue to adapt to the audience's changing tastes, or if government taste will prevail.
