April 2012
From a Panel Discussion on Locally-Produced Dramas
Kunio Yoshikawa
Recently a number of TV dramas produced by local stations of NHK and commercial broadcasters have been highly acclaimed in both at home and abroad. The author explores the background of the emergence of quality dramas from local stations, which are not necessarily blessed with favorable production conditions, through a discussion inviting drama producers.
It is difficult for local stations to produce dramas continuously mainly due to cost problems. The Hokkaido Television Broadcasting (HTB) is the only local commercial station in Japan that keeps producing dramas by themselves almost annually since the begging of the 21 century. Meanwhile at NHK the number of local stations that focuse on dramas has increased in recent years; more than 20 titles have been planned and produced by NHK’s local stations across Japan over the five years since 2007; for sure drama productions grow in frequency.
NHK Hiroshima Station’s Hi no Sakana (2009) that won the National Arts Festival Grand Prix was produced by Hiroshima Station staff who usually do not involved in dramas, which actually made the whole production team address the proposition that “why this story should be made in Hiroshima” more seriously. HTB’s Hikari no machi (2000) was the very first drama produced entirely by the station, which utilized the know-how they had accumulated through commissioning dramas for five years. From then on HTB kept producing dramas year after year until 2009, the year they made Mieryhi: Coming Home that won an Excellence Award at the National Arts Festival. Behind their achievement of such fast-paced productions, which is with no peer in local broadcasting, lied a belief that dramas will provide impetus for the local community to send out messages to the rest of the world if they keep producing their own dramas and an adventurous spirit that sensed an moment of opportunity when other local TV stayed away from dramas and network broadcasters’ dramas were losing their individuality. NHK Fukuoka Station, meanwhile, has been producing a drama set in various areas in the region, such as Kaka-san e (2009), almost annually, focusing on communicating with the local people through dramas.
Different histories, cultures, and natures of different regions give the local people unique lifestyles and provide diversity to the dramas depicting them. Producers of these dramas not only make contents but also pursue their identities as “local citizens” through telling local stories. That is why we can see individual faces of each producer, beyond their positions as reporters and creators. Listening to the discussion by the producers, the author felt that these elements were combined to give local dramas individuality and charm.