Tv shows and language. When we talk about cultural mapping, the definition of culture that comes first to our minds is the Great European Culture: classical music, lengthy novels, fine artworks, and unique buildings. However, how can we talk about culture in the 21st century without television? Loved and hated. But still, it is here with us. In this post, we want to map the translations of famous international television series. Not only North American. The point is to reflect on why and how a cultural product is transferred to another. Is it really necessary to use a translated name? Or is it better just an exotic foreign label? Why did they come up with such a different title? What can we learn something about the history and the language of that country? How a language can shape this process? Answer them in the comment section.
La casa de papel
The original Spanish tv-show was titled Los Desahuciados (The Evicted), but eventually was named La casa de papel (The House of Paper), and many foreign languages translated this name into the local language. When Netflix acquired the show, it was renamed Money Heist in English. Renaming happens sometimes, in this case, maybe, to avoid confusion with “House of cards”.
The plot of the TV show is about a robbery, therefore the Hungarian, Azerbaijani, and Greek titles reference this topic. In other languages the key idea of the title is the place of the robbery takes place, the Royal Mint of Spain, thus in some languages was translated as “House / Factory of money” or “Mint”. Arabic stands alone with an alternative title named after one of the most iconic characters, “The professor”.
House of Cards
The Big Band Theory
Friends
Northern Exposure
The Sopranos
The X-Files
Six Feet Under
The Office
Squid game
The wire
Game of Thrones
Wednesday
Breaking bad
Orange is the new black
The big band theory is not a literal translation in polish – the map is wrong.
Teoria wielkiego podrywu means Theory of great pickup
Thanks! We fixed it
Let me ask the author: why being this a map of Europe you feel the urge to inform how do they call it in Brazil? Does that make any sense? I don’t think so.
If you think that makes any sense, why don’t you inform us about how they call it in the USA, Australia or Canada or South Africa? How they call it in Quebec? How they call it in Angola or Mozambique?
Are the Brazillians some kind of special breed? I don’t think so. In fact the gramatic atocities that they jave done to their language, they shouldn’t be allowed to call it Portuguese 🙂
It is a language map. It does show how is it called in other countries that you mentioned as well.
In English, in this context, you say: “What it’s called?”, not “How it’s called?”. The latter is probably a calque originating from your native language.