Brave new worldview

A scene from Empresses in the Palace, a historical drama that was introduced in Japan.

His center is one of the country's major institutions promoting Chinese productions abroad. Its first attempt in taking A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era, a family drama, to Tanzania in 2010 was a trial.

"There were only a few scattered organizations in China making translated TV series for export then," he recalls. "We didn't charge for that project. We can only do business after foreign audiences know what Chinese TV series are like."

Luo was surprised that the show proved popular in that country. The Chinese public, meanwhile, did not know that a Chinese TV series was broadcast in an African country until President Xi mentioned it during his visit to Tanzania last year.

CRI also took the family drama series Jin Tailang's Happy Life to Myanmar last year. The more recent Marriage Battle, which depicts a husband-wife relationship, has been one of the most-watched programs on Myanmar's national MNTV since it premiered in April.

"African and Southeast Asian societies share similar big family structures with China," he says, "and their audiences can relate to the dramas."

Imagine a scenario in which a middle-aged housewife in Dar es Salaam or Yangon talks to her friends about their fictional Chinese counterparts' quarrels with husbands or mothers-in-law. It's just like young Chinese people complaining about an unreasonable roommate, will likely cite The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper, probably the best-known figure from an American TV series in China today.

Luo admits that the family theme is not enough to win a diverse overseas audience, and additional topics will be needed to grow a wider market.