MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR SERIES, THE: TELEVISION AND GERMANY AFTER THE WALL {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in this series of seminars conducted by the Museum of Television & Radio, known at that time as the Museum of Broadcasting. This seminar honors the work of ZDF German Television and the forthcoming exhibition of eleven ZDF films at the Museum -- films that reflect the changes in German life following the demolition of the Berlin Wall.
Museum television curator Ron Simon welcomes the audience and introduces four clips from the exhibition, representing the films "Marleneken"; "My Father, the Terrorist"; "Violence Is the Last Resort"; and "Aborted." After the screening, Simon introduces the panel: Dr. Dieter Stolte, director general of ZDF; Hans Janke, vice president of television movies and drama series at ZDF; Katharina Trebitsch, president of Trebitsch Production Holding Company; Matthias Matussek, New York bureau chief of Der Spiegel; Gerald Abrams, co-chairman of Hearst Entertainment Productions; and Allen Sabinson, senior vice president of original programming at Turner Network Television (TNT). First, each panelist makes opening remarks. Stolte describes ZDF's history and the work the company has done over the past thirty years. He expresses his hope of extending partnerships in the United States. Janke further elaborates on ZDF, detailing some of its goals and aspirations for the future. Trebitsch describes the effects of the fall of the Berlin Wall on the kind of stories that get told on German television. Matussek then shares his perception, from a consumer standpoint, of the ZDF clips screened. He wonders aloud about the kind of reception these films will find in the United States. Next, the panelists respond to various questions from Simon. Abrams and Sabinson discuss the evolution of the American television movie. Sabinson describes the changes in the content of the television movie in the United States, adding that he sees these changes as unfortunate. Abrams continues by quoting H. L. Mencken's famous dictum that no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public. He goes on to describe what he sees as the disappointing content of programming on the American networks. Next, Stolte details some of the topics dealt with in ZDF productions, and Janke elaborates. Both touch on the difficulty of appealing to a mainstream American audience. Sabinson goes on to discuss the challenges of co-production, which he presents as an enormous amount of work. He castigates the trend towards "mindless entertainment" in the United States and Europe. Simon then opens the seminar to questions from the audience. While responding, the panelists cover the following topics, among others: the availability of ZDF programming in Germany; the question of whether it is still possible to create programming that will appeal to a mass audience; the possibility that the television series could be a successful form in Germany (as it is in the United States); the notion of the fiftieth anniversary of the bombing of Dresden as an opportunity to produce a series or television movie on the topic; and the idea of an international television network.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: March 24, 1994 6:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:28:10
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:31819
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Host, Moderator
- Gerald Abrams … Guest
- Hans Janke … Guest
- Matthias Matussek … Guest
- Allen Sabinson … Guest
- Dieter Stolte … Guest
- Katharina Trebitsch … Guest
- H. L. Mencken