Funny U.K. exports

Press, 23 October 1984, Page 11

Funny U.K. exports

From I

MARTIN HESP

in London

Turn on a television set anywhere in the world, and the chances are you wi|l be tuning into one of Britain’s most successful and fastestgrowing exports — laughter. It could be Benny Hill chasing the girls, “Fawlty Towers,” or “The Two Ronnies.” For audiences around the world are settling down to the great British television show — and earning television companies a total of about $5O million a year. No wonder television network chiefs are rubbing their hands, as overseas sales rocket. For instance, Benny Hill’s saucy show is now watched in more than 60 countries, and has become the’biggest overseas money-spinner. It helped Britain’s Thames Television International win the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement. In just 10 years, Thames’s international sales network has earned $213 million from sales abroad. So successful has the operation been that the company’s programmes are now shown in 127 countries. “What we have done is help sell Britain through television to many hundreds of millions of people all over the world,” says the chairman, Bryan Cowgill. “The other channel,” is doing well too. 8.8. C. Enterprises, the corporation’s commercial arm, has a turnover of $BO million which, in the last financial year, brought in a pre-tax profit of a useful $l4 million. 8.8. C. Enterprises has found that documentary series are among the most popular programmes with viewers worldwide. “Great Little Railways” topped the international sales ratings arid “The Makings of Mankind” came a close second. The 8.8.C.’s drama de-

partment is always high in the sales lists, and in third place after the two documentaries came “Great Expectations.” A 8.8. C. spokesman says: “Selling British is always that much easier when you attach the name Shakespeare to the product. The 8.8. C. Television Shakespeare series was the fourth best-seller for the period between July, 1983, and July, 1984. Basil Fawlty, the irascible hotelier at “Fawlty Towers,” was the 8.8.C.’s top-selling comedy figure — much to the surprise of some experts, who thought the humour “too British” to sell abroad. All these programmes have contributed more than $5ll million in 8.8. C. overseas television programme sales during the las.t year, and sales in both the United States and Europe have jumped 50 per crint. /“These figures are enormously encouraging,” says Bjll Cotton, chairman of BiB.C. Enterprises. “They demonstrate the widening impact and popularity of 8.8. C. programmes throughout the world. “More important, it means extra money becoming available for re-invest-ment in new programmes for our viewers in Britain.” - Bryon Parkin, managing director of 8.8. C. Enterprises, says he is expecting spectacular results from the 8.8.C.’s new cable partnership with - the Arts and Entertainments Network in the United States. “This service began in February, and is already reaching 10.5 million homes. It guarantees an outlet for :at least 200 hours of 8.8. C. programmes every year,” he says. ; “We are also developing the home-video market overseas — particularly in Australia and the Far East and negotiating further

extensions of the 8.8. C.-1 and 8.8. C.-2 networks into Europe by cable.” 8.8. C. Enterprises has. also won a contract to provide up to 70 hours per week of television programmmes to British servicemeh and their families stationed in Germany. “Programmes from the 8.8. C. and ITV will be recorded, or sent live from London to Rheindahlen by microwave .link,” says, Mr Parkin. The United States, of course, has no language difficulties with British programmes, and among the current favourites are “Doctor Who,” “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” “To the Manor Born” and “The Good Life.” “Training Dogs the Woodhouse Way” has got the great American public crying “walkies” ; every titne they take Fido jogging around the parking lot, while “All Creatures Great and Small” has captured the imagination of animal-lov-ing Anglophiles..A - Currently heading the list of the top 10 8.8. C. bestsellers are “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” and "Elizabeth R,” with the documentary “Civilisation,” in third place. “War and Peace,” “The Ascent of Man,” "The Onedin Line,” “The Explorers,” “David Copperfield,” “Doctor Who” and “Animal Olympians” go to make up the corporation’s top 10. British . networks are keeping a sharp eye on the latest communication technology, but the timeless humour of Benny Hill will continue to rely on saucy jokes, with a liberal lacing of suspender belts, to keep the world laughing — and buying British. Features International