Professional franchise: The image of a doctor in an adapted series

Luzyanin Sergey postgraduate student, Art History, Specialization in Cinema,- TV and other screen arts , Humanitarian Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting 123007, Russia, g. Moscow, ul. Khoroshevskoe Sh., 32a luzyanin199422@gmail.com

There are a large number of TV series in which the characters have a certain profession, and the plot assumes a professional narrative. "Franchise – types of scenarios that create recognizable dramatic situations, for example, the work of doctors, lawyers or detectives. Successful series can create their own format by creating their own franchise" ^{[1, p.367]}.

The topic of illness has become a real trend of recent times. The energy of chaos, panic, fear generates new heroes of our time-doctors.  A modern television series is a popular entertainment product of mass society, especially during the period of lockdown, self-isolation, instability. The emotional and psychological effect of binding and influencing the viewer of the series is explained by its cyclicity, simplicity of perception, the presence of archetypal characters and constructions. The incorporation of the adapted series into the television entertainment space confirms the relevance of this format.

Medical series are consistently in demand among audiences in different countries. For example, in New Zealand, the series "Shortland and Street" ("Shortland Street") was shown daily in prime time from 1992 to 2016. The franchise was continued by the Ukrainian adaptation of "Central Hospital". The Russian audience is also interested in this topic, since TV products where the action takes place in a hospital appear on the screens with a clear periodicity.

The tendency of increasing interest among the creators in the adaptation of medical-themed series is explained by the fact that when writing an original script, specific professional knowledge is required, and the help of consultants is needed. Vitality and authenticity in this format is very important. When buying a franchise, production is simplified, production risks are reduced and the fast pace of the filming process is maintained.

The adapted series, which is a legalized remake of a foreign original, is a fairly new phenomenon. At the moment, it was not the subject of a detailed cultural or art criticism analysis. A detailed comparative analysis of existing serial samples will allow us to develop a methodology for carrying out an adequate transformation of the original plot under the national mentality of the country of the franchise buyer. The lack of unified adaptation mechanisms leads to the appearance of faceless, and sometimes frankly failed works. Full costing, for all its commercial attractiveness, is not perceived by the audience. Creating an adaptation is always a risk, since high ratings of the original are not a guarantee of success.

 By natural selection, a serial strategy has been determined at the moment, which formulates the postulate that in order to create high-quality products, it is necessary to process the original under the national mentality. Transformation involves changing the markers of the environment, incomprehensible moments, unmotivated actions. It is required to create the expected video sequence, time frame, cast actors taking into account local preferences. Ideally, the final product should be indistinguishable from local serial production. It is incorrect to put adaptation on a par with plagiarism, since when embodying a previously held plot, the creators act as a creator engaged in intercultural interaction. That's probably why sometimes the credits don't include a link to the original.

 The main task of adaptation is to overcome alienness.  The producer of the adapted series A.Z.Akopov emphasizes: "The peculiarities of the perception of screen culture by the domestic viewer <...> does not allow mechanically transferring universal models to the national screen" ^{[2, p.27]}. After conducting a comparative analysis of the original and the remake, it is possible to assess the degree of transformation of characters with a foreign prototype, which helps to identify shortcomings and determine the way to eliminate them.

By endowing a character with a certain profession, the authors can show standard template situations in a new way. Professional-themed plots have been known since archaic times. They can be observed already at the time of the comedy Del Arte. At the Venetian carnivals, the masks of Pantalone (the duped merchant), Doctor (the imaginary lawyer scientist), Doctor Plague (the medic), Brigella and Harlequin (the servant) appeared. At Medieval festivals, scenes were played out, where the professionals of those times were exposed in a comical way. So the character Doctor Plague wore a frightening mask with a beak nose. He amused the audience by making diagnoses for everyone, pouring incomprehensible terms. Even then, people were trying to present the topic of the epidemic and death in a comedic way. The fear of an incurable disease is attributed to the basic. Umberto Eco emphasized the timeless nature of these phobias ^[3]. Ridiculing scary topics, the attitude to life changed for the better.

Adaptation of the series was initially possible due to the existence of universal plot structures close to the fairy tale narrative. Archetypal constructions are based on the memory of generations in the form of myths, fairy tales, folklore. They have similar features even in mentally different peoples. V.Y.Propp analyzed and structured a huge array of fairy tales and determined that they have a clear framework ^[4]. J. Campbell introduced the concept of monomif, emphasizing that the basis of all stories is universal ^[5]. N.M.Zorkaya pointed to the proximity of modern television production to the splint ^[6].

Medical topics belong to the category of "eternal", because regardless of the era, nationality, social system, cultural affiliation, a person faces diseases. The postulate that health is the main value unites even mentally different peoples.

The doctor, as a representative of one of the sacred professions, is seen by the individual in the image of a savior and deliverer from torment and death. The doctor embodies the features of a mythical hero or a snake fighter. Possessing secret knowledge, he has, like all mythological heroes, an advantage over ordinary mortals. The disease is presented as a symbolic evil that must be defeated by a hero with modern behaviors. But victory is not guaranteed, the phrase "we are losing it" keeps the audience in suspense. V.Y. Propp emphasized that to maintain interest in fairy-tale constructions, a constant aggravation of dramatic conflict (vicissitudes according to Aristotle) is required^[4]. In the modern series, the evolution of mythological characters takes place. Due to this, there is an emotional and psychological effect of influence on the viewer. As K. Jung stated: "Mythology, like the severed head of Orpheus, continues to sing even after death and its singing comes from afar." ^{[7, p.15]}

There is a rigid serial template of procedural series: symptoms – doubts – false diagnosis – treatment – deterioration of the condition – intrigue of the unknown – brainstorming – correct diagnosis – solution at the end of each episode. Medical series are filmed in the following genres: drama, comedy, comedy drama. Now even comedy dramas are filmed in a naturalistic manner, showing sometimes shocking footage of medical manipulations. In general, hyperrealism is a trend of all modern art. But the demand for naturalism, as a manifestation of the Dionysian element, will be explained by the individual's craving for the aesthetics of the ugly. The manifestation of this craving is explained by the success of archaic dwarf circuses, kunstkams, and execution scenes among the audience. The human psyche transforms feelings of horror and disgust in satisfying its curiosity, which is a manifestation of the collective unconscious. "The Dionysian element made it possible to splash out instinctive desires, natural impulses: as M. Heidegger would say, to the feeling that we are alive..." ^{[8, p.50]}

The modern image of a doctor for success with the audience must be something extraordinary. For example, in the British comedy series "Dr. Martin" (the Russian adaptation of "Dr. Martov"), a surgeon painfully overcomes a fear of blood incompatible with the profession.  The symbiosis of archetypes means that in various situations the viewer will observe the multifaceted disclosure of the image, the versatility of the combination of different character traits. 

To attract an additional audience, series on the topic of diseases are filmed in the form of a mixture of detective and medicine genres. The symbiosis of thematic spaces expands the event structure of the series. They are filmed in the form of procedurals and the viewer can join the viewing from any series. They are being actively filmed and adapted all over the world. For example, Russian producers filmed a risky adaptation of the American TV series "Doctor House", which was released for 8 seasons and is still being broadcast on Russian channels in the form of repeats. The Russian equivalent of "Dr. Richter" was released for three seasons. The risk lay in the fact that it was necessary to surpass the quality of the original, which was familiar to a wide audience and had a stunning success in 60 countries of the world, listed in the Guinness Book of Records (simultaneous viewing of more than 80 million people). In the process of watching the adaptation, the Russian viewer would necessarily compare the performance of the actors of the main character. The American original was played by a very charismatic actor Hugh Laurie, who won a Golden Globe Award for this role.

The screenwriters of "Dr. House" introduced into the typical structure of a medical investigation a dual image of a professional, with an eccentric manner of behavior. The series shows a hypertrophied image of a cynic doctor. Yu. Lotman emphasized that the main character has the right to a special kind of behavior (unpredictability, immorality, strangeness), which increases his attractiveness. The image of Gregory House is shown to be multifaceted, combining Dionysian and Apollonian principles, that is, his character is a symbiosis of an intellectual and a playboy.

Attractive appearance for a female audience: blue eyes, tousled haircut, brutal unshaven combined with superpowers. A brilliant diagnostician, he does not accept routine in the form of duty, but he has no equal in unraveling complex cases with incomprehensible symptoms, there is a roll call with the character of Sherlock Holmes. He also scrupulously studies the details and sees evidence where an ordinary person is powerless. He also has a friend Jameson Wilson, together with assistants they form a charismatic team. Carlo Ginsburg in his work "Signs: the Evidence paradigm and its roots" points to the identical nature of the method of deduction and psychoanalysis. Analyzing the symptoms, the doctor acts as a detective. By solving the mystery, he cures the disease. "The unifying principle was the initial position focused on the analysis of individual cases that can be reconstructed only on the basis of traces, symptoms, evidence <...> behind this evidence or divination paradigm, one can guess the most ancient gesture in the intellectual history of mankind: the gesture of a hunter squatting in the mud and looking for traces of a future victim."^[9]

The versatility of the character of Dr. House is due to the fact that he combines the characteristics of two archetypes: the hero and the trickster. Male charisma combined with determination, determination in achieving the goal, wins the hearts of the audience. In the episode where House, despite the patient's active protests, begins an emergency operation, pulling a disgusting worm out of her stomach, calling it "fishing without anesthesia." We see in these frames the image of a snake–fighting hero, ridding himself of a terrible misfortune and at the same time a mocking buffoon. He, according to the classical concept of M.M.Bakhtin, overturns all the ideas of the layman about the classic, typical doctor ^[10]. Sometimes his jokes teeter on the verge of mockery (Trickster), he provokes patients, plays malingerers, openly voices terrible diagnoses. In other scenes, we see his dedication, dedication, imbued with confidence in him when he says that "the disease is always ugly", convincing a seriously ill girl not to give up in the struggle for life. We see that he himself is in a constant battle with a complex ailment that caused his lameness. As Dr. House himself says: "The fear of pain is the strongest motivator." Under the mask of open gaiety, pain is hidden, drowned out by narcotic drugs. House's visions, similar to intoxication in Dionysianism, allows him to expand his consciousness, emphasizing his genius. House's statements diverge into quotations and are presented on the Internet as "hausiisms" in Russian transcription. ("Don't like the answer - don't ask the question", "Is it a seizure, or is he dancing like that?", "You won't feel anything but pain").  His passion, fanaticism, the ability to sacrifice principles for the sake of saving the patient makes him related to mythological heroes, since he does not allow the patient to cross the sacred line of life and death. In the image of Dr. House, a real enthusiast of his business is shown, who is looking for the truth in making a correct diagnosis, while the material aspect is put on the back burner. In this he is close to the concept of an ideal unselfish doctor.

The plot of the investigation series is structurally similar to fairy-tale constructions, where the main character (in the Russian version, Ivan Tsarevich) is confronted with the fact that it is required to quickly answer a question or solve a riddle. The correct answer saves a life. Happy ending assumes that the character comes out victorious, thanks to his intelligence. Therefore, the plot is close to the viewer on a subconscious level.

Dr. House, like any practicing doctor, has his own mistakes, failures, blunders, but this, despite the tragedy of the situation, only increases the viewer's interest in the event series.

Expanding the plot of the series, the creators place Gregory House in prison and a closed psychiatric clinic, which makes the plot related to the theme of antios, wombs and caves in mythological constructions. The hero must make efforts to be free and continue his professional activity. The viewer, actively empathizing with the character, closely follows the vicissitudes of life, wants to watch the series until the end.

Comparing the existing originals and their prototypes, we will try to formulate the main criteria and mechanisms of adaptations.

Adaptation mechanisms:

1. The name of the series.

2. Visual and graphic imagery:

a. logo poster

b. slogan

c. titles

d. splash screen

3. Soundtrack

4. Types

a. casting of actors, costumes, playing style

5. Space:

a. scenery, location

b. markers of mentality, details of everyday life

c. dialogues, jokes, hero names, archetypes

The Russian version of "Dr. House" series "Dr. Richter" is an adaptation that does not involve structural changes in the plot. The creators positioned him as a detective. The situations repeat the original, but the creators removed scenes and themes that were inadequate for Russian perception from the script (for example, about sex minorities). Even after the adaptation, the audience noted the fantasticism of situations when doctors come and search the patient's apartment, trying to find the source of his illness, relatives actively interfere in the treatment process or you can freely leave the courthouse. Only minor details have changed, for example, Richter listens to records, and House plays the piano. The famous diagnosis board is made of glass, which allows you to show emotions on the actors' faces through the board.

The role of Dr. Richter was embodied by the popular actor A. Serebryakov. His image turned out to be more sullen, crumpled. The painfulness of the appearance is given by a stopped look and some inhibition. He has sudden mood swings and is shown to be even more impetuous and impulsive than Dr. House. The creators rewrote jokes, making them less harsh, but sometimes a Russian character is too cynical for the Russian mentality. The viewer sees a frank mockery of the patient. Fans of A. Serebryakov liked the acting, but the reviews emphasized that the character lacks the depth and charm of a scoundrel. House is more direct, trying to translate everything into a joke. Serebryakov plays a more dramatic and detached image. He spends his negative emotions by abruptly throwing darts darts. A failed personal life leaves its mark in the form of grouchiness and lack of brutality. The supporting characters are the background of the main character, they lack versatility. Only the image of the chief doctor performed by Anna Mikhalkova is remembered, but she is always compared to Lisa Cuddy from the American original.

Computer graphics in the form of visualization of diseases in the American original are made more qualitatively and visually. In the Russian version, there are fewer special effects depicting the visualization of the disease, but they are made at a qualitative level. "Doctor House" was shot in muted tones, emphasizing the psychology and drama of what is happening. In the Russian adaptation, the color correction is lighter, festive, but the frames are quite static, shot from one or two angles. The audience noticed the discrepancy between reality and fantastic interiors, transparent partitions, equipment of the XXI century in an ordinary hospital. The reviews indicated that the creators removed the medical fantasy.

Sometimes the scenes are shot from the same angles, the storylines are basically identical. The posters of the series repeat each other. The casting of the actors took place taking into account the Russian mentality. For example, the image of Eric Forman of Afro-Arab origin has found its Russian image of Ruslan Egoshin. House's vulnerable friend, the intellectual James Wilson, was transformed into a more brutal character (Rodionov).

In the table, let's compare the images of the foreign and domestic versions of the series.

After the adaptation of the heroes of the series, the images acquired Russian features and became closer to the viewer. Richter's character is a more reserved, dramatic, detached and sullen image than the original, which is closer to the comedic image. Thus, both the main character and the supporting characters were brought closer to Russian realities.

In general, if we consider "Dr. Richter" as an independent product, the image of a cynical doctor is in demand by the Russian audience and initially showed high ratings. Fans of the cult American TV series played a big role in the decline in popularity, as they wrote angry reviews comparing the series.

"Doctor Tyrsa", released on Channel One in 2010, is not an adaptation of the series "Doctor House", although it also uses the image of a valuable employee with a quarrelsome character, embodied by A. Porechenkov. His hero is shown to be too gentle a doctor, but at the same time he constantly argues with everyone. The series was also filmed as a procedural. The viewer finds a roll call with the TV series "Doctor House", noticing the kinship in detail. The mass audience did not appreciate the series, as they did not see depth and credibility in the image of the main character. The conventional genre story is based mainly on the elaborated character of the main character and colorful images of the second plan. The crumpling of the plot and the static nature of the picture also repels the audience.

The comedy series "Interns" is also not an adaptation, but it shows parallels with the American TV series "Clinic" and "Doctor House". The shocking image of the cynical doctor Bykov (Ivan Okhlobystin) in manners resembles the image embodied by Hugh Laurie. The Trickster archetype is attractive to the audience at all times. The series is remembered for its atmosphere of ridiculing problems. Successful jokes and images of young interns ensure success.

The series "Dr. House", having created a memorable image of a brilliant specialist, but at the same time self-sufficient and uncontrollable, gave rise to discussion on the Internet and scientific articles where the "dilemma of Dr. House" is considered. HR specialists discuss on forums whether such "toxic" employees should be fired, whether their genius, humiliation of colleagues, disrespect for management and violation of medical ethics justify them.

But in spectacular, entertaining forms of art, conflict is one of the main components of the final product. The viewer is ready to abstract from the realism and authenticity of life if he likes the main character and is interested in the twists and turns of the plot. 

It is extremely difficult to surpass high-quality samples that are classified as iconic, because high-quality casting, elaboration of details, and a comparable budget are required. Sometimes it succeeds.  For example, in Turkey, the adaptation of "Dr. House" series "Hekimoglu" was a great success, surpassing the original, since the whole series is based on the charisma of the main character. The national character turned out to be closer to the audience. For a Muslim audience, the charming scoundrel House is too frivolous and sarcastic. In the localized version, Ateshe Hekimoglu is more solid, the action is more stretched, the emotional intensity is increased. Sobbing relatives, a melancholic soundtrack set the viewer up in the right way. Questionable topics have been censored, scenes with the presence of blood have been corrected. The brilliant diagnostician is sincere, drinks tea, and medical cases are almost an exact tracing paper of the original. The plot is close and relevant for different strata of society and age groups.

When watching the Turkish adaptation, it is difficult for the Russian viewer to abstract from the original, although existing groups of fans of oriental series appreciated the work.

The doctor-patient series "Without Witnesses", which is an adaptation of the American serial franchise "On Treatment" of the original format "Be Tipul" (Israel). The Russian version initially took an atypical and controversial topic of psychological dialogue for the mass audience of the nationwide Channel 1, which is more in demand in America. This series is unique in that it changed the gender of the main character of the psychotherapist. The creators felt that the Russian audience in the role of a doctor is closer to the image of a middle-aged woman. The transformed image of Tatiana Dubrovina (Ksenia Kutepova) assumed the reworking of the script and the correction of the whole dramatic line.  The Israeli girl Neama (in the USA, Laura) turned into Alexander (Dmitry Orlov). According to the plot, a forbidden romance between a patient and a psychoanalyst is gradually developing. The second season of the series repeated the original source, showing the everyday life of mentor Dubrovina, since a significant reworking of the script is not economically profitable. The whole action of the series consists of dialogues in one location, close-ups emphasize the psychology of what is happening. But the mass audience was tired of the slowness of the narration, there was the artificiality of the problems and the overplaying of the actors. The series is not an outright failure and has fans of the psychological drama genre, but the show of the second season was prematurely discontinued due to low ratings.

The adapted series is sometimes very different from the original. For example, in the Russian adaptation of Tell the Truth (Doctor Forster, UK), the profession of the main character has been changed. The creators decided to remove the topic of medicine by turning the doctor into a linguist-Sinologist. At the same time, the tragedy of recognition (according to Aristotle) has really gone away, when in the British original, the doctor's wife determines the pregnancy of her husband's mistress.

         The universality of the medical theme in the series allows you to create adaptations of Korean dramas. Although they are considered difficult material for the creators. The difference of mentalities, traditions, hierarchy of society, family way of life, psychology, eastern contemplation affects. It is necessary to take into account a different manner of play, the tempo, the elaboration of the picture. However, with proper elaboration of the details, it is possible to create a quality product. For example, the TV series "Pregnancy Test" ("Doctors of Obstetricians and Gynecologists", South Korea) was continued in the form of a second season, which confirms the success with the audience of the nationwide channel. The archetypal image of a strong female obstetrician required minor adjustments. The sought-after versatility of the image combines the features of several archetypes.

In extreme situations, this is the Hero of the snake fighter, in others — a kind mother and even a defenseless anima. The Korean actress plays a tough professional character on the verge of bitchiness. In the Russian version, the image is softened, warmth and sincerity are added.  The naturalness of the action, the taboo nature of the topic, sentimentality, the elaboration of details, the charismatic image of the heroine was appreciated by the target female audience. Sometimes even the audience confused reality with fiction, finding similar symptoms.

The success of the series consists of many components. One of the main elements is a high-quality casting of actors with getting into the image. The cast should create an ensemble of combined images. When adapting, it is required to provide the national viewer with the usual tempo, picture quality. "The synergy of the creative process, when the result is better than the sum of all the elements. Just as chemical reactions sometimes produce an effect of unexpected power, acting, scenery, costumes, music, special effects, plot, context, audience needs and the skill of artists form a kind of mysterious organic unity, where the emotional and transformative effect on the viewer exceeds the sum of the components" ^{[11, p.337]}.

         Medical series are promising in terms of further adaptation. However, it is necessary to take into account the mental characteristics of the country of origin. Sometimes the existing original history is possible only in connection with the local mentality, traditions of tolerance, age qualification, hierarchy of society. The topic should be interesting to the target audience and relevant at the moment.  The abundance of similar plots tires the audience and can cause rejection. Adaptation of a highly rated series is not always a guarantee of success. The characters of doctors, medical manipulations in different cultures have similar features, but a competent study of the scenario is necessary, the removal of alien patterns or their authentic replacement with national markers of the environment.

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