"Curly Fu" and "Peanut"?

Do you know what Curly Fu and Peanut are?

According to online reports, these are the nicknames given to Sherlock Holmes and Watson in China. I was taken aback when I read this. Sometimes, our Chinese friends can really make me go "huh??" (with a puzzled expression). It just goes to show how the market can be vastly different across cultures and regions around the world. If the BBC had marketed the Sherlock Holmes series as "Peanuts," it would have conveyed an entirely different meaning altogether. However, in China, the witty wordplay involving the characters' names' pronunciations has gone viral, and so has the show itself.

 

It's wonderful to witness this cultural exchange taking place. A decade ago, BBC dramas would only be known to those living in the UK. Fast forward to 2014, and you have Chinese audiences staying up through the night to watch new BBC TV releases. Through Sherlock Holmes, the world feels a little more connected. I wonder how long it will take before Asian TV shows start to appeal to European and US audiences.

Here is the original BBC report.

Warning: Read it while standing to avoid falling out of your chair.

*********

Do you use wifi in public places or travel abroad often? Do you worry about cyber security? Get added security with a reliable VPN.  Get 63% off your VPN cost today for less than £3/$5 a month.