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Sometimes as television watchers, we can become slightly myopic to the entertainment choices right outside our own respective back yards. A lot of what audiences enjoy in Germany or Japan or Spain is pretty translatable to other parts of the world as well. Don’t believe our assertion, Dear and Constant Reader? Many huge hit shows in North America (where I hang my own dusty fedora) were at one point or another originated out of other countries: The Office was a huge hit in the U.K. before crossing the waters and getting revamped as the hit Steve Carell-led ensemble. Likewise, Showtime’s popular and long-running show originally began life as an Israeli series called Prisoners of War. Did you enjoy Ugly Betty? Then you should tip your hat to the Colombian telenovela Yo soy Betty, la fea which served as the jumping off point for the American show starring America Ferrera. Yep, it’s safe to say that Globalization is alive and well within the confines of our television sets and, as if to prove that salient point, our As The World Turns admirers over at The Hollywood Reporter shared some intriguing news today about a whole slew of new international shows which are poised to make their Paramount+ debut this September and October.
Six new international television series will be premiering from Paramount+ this autumn, representing the countries of South Korea, Spain and England. All six will be available globally, leaving no potential fans out in the proverbial cold.
So what are the shows about and – most importantly, irregardless of nationality – will they be good? While the verdict is still out on that latter question (though we’d be willing to wager from earplay we’ve picked up that all six of these television choices are stone cold winners), we do have some handy-dandy plot synopsis for all of these new Paramount+ international original productions.
The Gold hails from the U.K. and is based on actual happenings that occurred back in late 1983 when a half-a-dozen thieves armed to the teeth broke into the fortified security depot just a stone’s throw away from Heathrow Airport in London. How they ultimately disposed of their record-breaking haul gave birth to our modern form of money laundering.
Look for this one to premiere on September 14.
Next up to bat is an offering from South Korea entitled Bargain. The premise finds a small passel of complete strangers in an out of the way motel, all with their own hidden agendas and a desire to (wait for it…) bargain. ‘Course this being entertainment, a fly in the ointment arrives in the form of an earthquake which traps this unlikely group, forcing them to find ways in which to survive. The series is based off of a film.
Bargain premieres on October 5.
Rolling in from Latin America at number three is Los Enviados, which translates to The Envoys. This series, according to the show logline, follows Pedro Salinas, Simón Antequera and Sister Emilia’s quest ‘round the world to prove or disprove miracles reported around the globe. Sounds a little enough like The X-Files in our opinion; sign us up!
The U.K. strikes again with the prequel series to the movie Sexy Beast which goes by the same title (why mess with a winner, right?) as its big screen brethren. The series proper showcases a duo of best buddies – Gal and Don living the high life in the East London of the 1990s. According to the official logline, “The prequel series will explore Gal and Don’s complicated relationship as Gal finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s, while falling in love with DeeDee.”
Rounding out this eclectic mix of shows are two more South Korean shows Queen Woo and A Bloody Lucky Day.
Queen Woo tracks the story of Queen Woo Hee, the very first woman to have the distinction of becoming queen not just once, but twice.
A Bloody Lucky Day is set in the world of thrillers and action. A taxi driver having a very bad day discovers that it’s about to get a whole lot worse as one of his fares turns out to be a serial killer. Don’t you just hate it when that happens?
“At Paramount+, we believe in the power of internationally originated content to drive engagement,” explained Paramount Big Wheel Tom Ryan in a press release announcing the six new international shows.“We know there is a huge appetite for premium high-quality programming from around the world, and we are thrilled to leverage Paramount’s global scale and expertise to build a slate of new hits and franchises with worldwide appeal.”
