Does subtitled television drama brand the nation? Danish television drama and its language(s) in Japan

Abstract

This article explores the relationships between nation branding, authenticity, language and their ideologies by considering two themes. First, how language ideologies and language practices texture the transnational production, distribution and viewing of subtitled television drama. Second, the extent and ways by which subtitled television dramas, in languages other than English, brand the nation to which they are associated. Using the context of increasing exports of Danish television drama to other nations, the article draws its empirical material from fieldwork interactions with industry professionals and viewers in Japan to consider both themes. The article proposes that there are different intensities by which Danish television dramas brand Denmark and the Nordic region; it discusses the implications of the use of English, and how branding the nation involves processes that are intrinsically fragile and require symbiotic relations with other languages and other nations to be successful. This article forms part of the Theorizing Media in Nation Branding Special Issue.