Due to launch by the end of the year, The Neny, a co-production with Indonesian broadcaster Indosiar, boasts a larger production budget than previous local shows. While the storyline and characters will generally remain faithful to the original, it has been localised by Indonesian writers to ensure maximum relevance to the audience.
"What makes someone laugh in Boston doesn't necessarily make them laugh in Jakarta," said Todd Miller, senior vice-president and managing director of SPTI Asia. "The names are localised, the jokes are localised, and so are the foods and some of the activities."
Miller said Indonesia was the perfect market in Asia for the venture, because it had the high level of advertising expenditure required to sustain a show with equally high production costs, while at the same time having a demand for quality programming.
