THE ENDLESS WORLD OF TV SERIES | ANALYTICAL
“ The most interesting fact for us is that local TV channels don ’ t buy foreign series at all , since they have enough of their own content !” us is that local TV channels don ’ t buy foreign series at all , since they have enough of their own content !
At present , the most demanded TV products in Azerbaijan are family dramas and comedies , though the latter enjoy slightly less popularity . Why family dramas ? Because , for historical reasons , family ties are extremely important in this region . So , if a serious family problem occurs , every member of this family is concerned . That ’ s why family breakdowns and family relations problems have always been and will be interesting for local viewers . In 2016 Khazar TV is planning to film at least two series : a family drama and a comedy . So let ’ s speak about production process and especially about their two most popular series : My Family and Life – You ’ re Wonderful .
“ At present , the most demanded TV products in Azerbaijan are family dramas and comedies , though the latter enjoy slightly less popularity ”.
TARANA MURADOVA
Khazar TV Coordinator For Foreign Televisions
“ We ’ re shooting 20-25 episodes per month , with an average budget of 50,000 Azn ”.
“ We spend 6 months on preparation : we ’ re writing the script and calculating the budget . We spend another 3 months on selection of actors and locations . Then we ’ re shooting the show by ourselves , without any further assistance or co-production ”.
Interview .
SSTR : Which TV series for the last year did you make by yourself ? How did you determine what genre and what kind of idea would be successful ?
Khazar TV : Well , we keep shooting our TV series Life – You ’ re Wonderful ( 478 episodes ) and My Family ( 376 episodes ). Comedy and drama are the most popular genres of the Azerbaijan television . But our viewers also like romances and something connected with revenge . And , you know , all these : rich-poor , love , revenge , wrong decision of the head of a household , a foreign law , - we believe exactly these topics are interesting for our viewers .
SSTR : How much do you spend to produce one of the series ? How many TV series are you shooting per year ?
Khazar TV : We ’ re shooting 20-25 episodes per month , with an average budget of 50,000 Azn . As for the last year , we focused on two series : the series Life – You ’ re Wonderful and My Family .
SSTR : How much , approximately , does it take you to produce TV series ? Do you practice co-production ? If yes , can it be international ?
Khazar TV : We spend 6 months on preparation : we ’ re writing the script and calculating the budget . We spend another 3 months on selection of actors and locations . Then we ’ re shooting the show by ourselves , without any further assistance or co-production .
ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 2016 | SEASON SCREEN TV REVIEW | 15