PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   The 2010s truly represented the final significant decade for cable television before streaming services gained dominance. This era brought us shows like *Mad Men* and *Orange is the New Black*, alongside *Breaking Bad* and *House of Cards*. Now, streaming has largely absorbed cable TV; for instance, while *Game of Thrones* began on HBO via traditional television, its successor, *House of the Dragon*, is now watched on HBO Max.

However, during cable TV’s waning years, one series successfully bridged the gap between these two eras — and it’s now entering this new decade with a completely new remake that promises an exciting transformation of its core premise.

In 2013, *The Americans* premiered on FX. It followed the lives of Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell) and Philip Jennings (Matthew Rhys), who appeared to be ordinary travel agents raising their two children, Paige and Henry, in suburban Washington, DC during the 1980s. Yet, this couple living the American dream were secretly Soviet sleeper agents, often donning (rather unconvincing) wigs and undertaking clandestine missions for their homeland. The series ran for five years and six seasons, a period long enough for its lead actors to fall in love in real life.

Despite eight years having passed since its final season, *The Americans* is set for an international resurgence. According to *The Hollywood Reporter*, Disney+ has given the green light to *The Koreans*, a high-budget, localized adaptation of the series set in South Korea. The show will star Lee Byung-hun (*No Other Choice*) and Han Ji-min (*Love Scout*) as “a pair of North Korean spies masquerading as a happily married couple in 1990s South Korea.”

While this adaptation is set a decade later, its temporal distance from the present day is comparable to that of *The Americans’* 1980s setting at the time of its original release. Nevertheless, the premise feels more current: unlike the defunct U.S.S.R., the D.P.R.K. remains a very real entity. This will be a Korean-language series, but American audiences should still be able to watch it — as it’s being developed by Disney+ overseas, it’s likely to be available on Hulu, the same streaming service where *The Americans* can be watched since Hulu acquired FX.

Unlike many other international remakes, this one will demand considerably more effort to integrate into a different culture. After all, “American” is in the title. But in this instance, that’s a strength, not a weakness. With a completely new setting and a distinct political climate, fans of *The Americans* will be kept guessing. The only remaining question is: who will be the Korean equivalent of Margo Martindale?

*The Americans* is currently available for streaming on Hulu.