But it's not just Asia which has seen a boom in the popularity of foreign-language TV dramas in recent years. Since the Danish crime drama, The Killing, was first aired on the BBC in 2011, the nation has been gripped by so-called Nordic Noir. What surprises some is that it's not only thrillers, such as The Bridge, which have captured the imagination of British viewers. There have also been ratings successes for shows such as Borgen - about coalition politics – and 1864 – a drama about an obscure 19th century war between Denmark and Prussia.

So why do these international dramas appeal when the cultrual references are so remote from the experience of the viewers? Perhaps the answer lies in this piece of advice for aspiring scriptwriters from the BBC's Writersoom: "Engaging characters are at the heart of all good drama, no matter how mainstream or unusual your idea may be." So if the characters are strong enough, it doesn't matter if they're from Sichuan, Seoul or Sweden.

词汇表

K-drama 韩国电视剧

(something) fever （事物）热，火

a hit show 非常受欢迎的片子

to simulcast （和电视台）同步播放

the latest in a long line of 一系列（韩剧）里最新的一部

to take (somewhere) by storm （在某处）大获成功

star-crossed lovers 不幸的恋人们

a twist 变化，出乎意料的情节

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