TV Formatting of the Chinese Ugly Betty: An Ethnographic Observation of the Production Community

摘要

Using ethnographic observation, this study explores the television (TV) formatting of Ugly Wudi, the Chinese version of Ugly Betty. The article explicates how Chinese producers followed the "bible" of format production, differentiated ideological points of contestation, and modified narratives contradictory to Chinese ideology in the localization process. Ugly Betty's localization reflects the political, cultural, and commercial imperatives in China. The producers recreated a televised drama with its own unique Chinese modernity, which invited a large spectatorship within the boundary of the current politico-social landscape. It also initiated an innovative marketing model that could maximize profits through format localization. As a new industry development strategy, TV formatting brings western values into China and is changing the landscape of Chinese TV.