Snook took a spin in Aussie
sudsers ("All Saints," "Packed to the Rafters") before scoring a small part in controversial 2011 pic "Sleeping Beauty" and a recurring role in edgy pubcaster series "Spirited." "You really have to work very hard to get a foot in the door here," she says.
Since all three shows depict Muslims engaging in varying degrees of scandalous behavior, conservative Pakistani pols have proposed a ban on the Turkish
sudsers, and so has Pakistan's United Producers Assn., claiming soaps' dominance in the ratings undermines local TV producers.
With its handheld camerawork, stylish production values and sense of humor, the series is a far cry from the melodramatic
sudsers that dominate pan-Arab satellite TV.
South Korean
sudsers, such as "The Jewel in the Palace," are very popular in China, although sometimes they have to be doctored to avoid stepping on toes about historical facts--memories are long in the region, stretching back thousands of years.
Many shows, like traditional Egyptian
sudsers, offer light entertainment and serialized dramas featuring some of the country's biggest stars.
Primetime laves are split between telenovela-like
sudsers or nonscripted fare like "Big Boss" ("Big Brother") or "Indian Idol." While most networks prefer inhouse programming, a source says they are looking for shows featuring known names, whether among talent or rebranded Indian faves such as "American Idol" or "Big Brother."
Rather than settling for a lampoon of TV
sudsers a la "Tootsie" or "Soapdish," Lopez wittily stresses tensions between form and content.
Chinese President Hu Jintao may be an avid viewer of Korean
sudsers, but different interpretations of Chinese history and Korea's founding myths may see South Korea's top skein banned from Chinese screens.
CCTV will also be looking for fashion shows from Japan while keeping an eye open for Korean
sudsers, even if their popularity seems to have waned slightly in recent years.
He produced and directed some 40 primetime
sudsers and left his imprint on proteges like producers Salvador Mejia and Carla Estrada.
On the selling front, the team led by Globo international sales head Ricardo Scalamandre will premiere telenovelas "Pages of Life" and "Little Missy." Absent from international markets since 2001, SBT will be back on the Croisette through indie seller Sato, which will offer a catalog of six Latin
sudsers.
In 1987, he made a return to
sudsers with a role in "A Country Practice" and followed it with a turn in "Home and Away."