Localization is now claiming its seat at the table: Interview with Saverio Perrino, BBC Studios

Abstract

In an open conversation, Saverio Perrino, then localization executive at BBC Studios, highlights the role of dubbing/subtitling in the global circulation of television content and explains how a large production and distribution company is working to better coordinate the preparation of multiple localized versions. The examples of McMafia (2018‐present) and Good Omens (2019), analysed in detail, show the increasing complexity of localization operations for international content owners and distributors, the challenges provided by specific authors and texts, and the pressure for a global day-and-date release that has become the standard for digital audio-visual platforms.