American TV Vs British TV

[Guest Marshall]

So I was thinking about TV and how US show differs from UK shows. What I settled on was UK shows suck. Let’s compare and contrast the Genres

 

US Drama

 

The Sopranos

24

Oz

Six Feet Under

The West Wing

Buffy

Angel

 

UK Drama

 

Eastenders

 

I can’t think of any UK Drama show other than a soap, that is getting worse everyday. That’s pretty sad. No good hour long dramas that spring to mind. I could this some bad ones: The Bill, At Home with the Braithwaits, all of the piss poor soaps. Compare that to the seven quality shows from the US, there is one clear winner.

 

US Comedy

 

Friends

Simpsons

Seinfeld

Talk Shows

 

UK Comedy

 

Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights

I’m Alan Partridge

Meet Ricky Gervais

Da Ali G Show

V Graham Norton

My Hero

My Family

 

 

The top four in the UK Comedy are our saving graces. Even though Ali G is no more, It was a highlight of resent times. My Hero, My Family and other such comedy’s from the BBC are god awful! My Hero should be on at 4 O’clock for the school kids. Graham Norton is bad! It’s a talk show format, were the main joke is a gay man presenting a show. A typical joke would be “oooh, look at banana, its big!” or something to that effect. They made this show in to a nightly show ala The Late Show. As for US comedy, there may be some good show that have yet to make it here, but they are the main ones. Seinfeld may be dead but it’s still better than any sitcom from the UK. Friends was great in the first two years, but then it got too much like a soap and now it sucks. The Simpsons is dot really bad lately and they’ll probably end it soon. An honourable mention should go to Malcolm in the Middle, and Maybe it’s me (I love that show and I’m think I’m the only person, in the Male 18-30 category, who does.)

 

Anyway, what do you think?

[Guest razazteca]

What is the deal with the British game show host being so mean? The Weakest Link and American Idol host are evil when it comes to commenting on the players.

 

The PBS channel show several British Comedies on the weekends but most of the programs are old. Especially Are You Being Served and Dr. Who

 

Must See Tv:

 

Titus

The Daily Show

Late Night Conan Obrian

That 70's Show

Everybody Loves Raymond

Scrubs

[Guest Grenouille]

I can't really watch much British TV, but we here in the states have BBC America which only seems to have Changing Rooms on all day, with a news broadcast and an episode of So Graham Norton stuck in there.

[Guest Anorak]

Its worth bearing in mind that in the uk we tend to only get the best American shows imported to our screens. When we are treated to a constant diet of quality US shows courtesy of Channel 4 or BBC2 its easy to come to the conclusion that ALL American television is of the same standard when in reality we're simply being spared the rubbish in favor of the absolute best.

 

As far as drama programming is concerned American tv definately has a clear edge over its British counterpart at present, 'The Soprano's' and 'Oz' are out on their own as far as i'm concerned over recent years and I wouldn't dream of arguing that a show like 'Casualty' could ever hold a key to ER in their respective genre. I've been less than enthralled with either 'Six Feet Under' or 'The West Wing' (the latter being least deserving of its praise) though to be perfectly honest.

 

Despite its current failings British television drama has a truly great history which should not be forgotten. From Ken Loach's 'Cathy Come Home' and the influence of the British new wave filmmaker's of the 60's to the seminal portrait of Thatcher's Britain that was 'Boys From The Black Stuff' in the 80's, our television drama has often been the most hard hitting, socially conscious and rewarding television made anywhere. These days it seems that the best British drama is found in one off drama's rather than rather than actual series' which are naturally more stuck in our consciousness. British films being shown as 'Drama premieres' such as 'Last Resort' (Britsh Film, Polish director!) is often the best way can show ourselves in the best light these days given the admittedly uninspired nature of much drama on our screens.

 

As far as comedy is concerned I feel we are leagues ahead of America in terms of diversity and inspiration. I enjoy the animated comedy shows from the US as well as film and stand up comedy but if we're talking 'sitcom' as in live actors then Britsh comedy has left it trailing. There's no invention or risk involved with American sitcoms, in Britian the term barely does justice to a multitude of shows which have twisted all conventions of the format upside down to create their own style. I also feel that Britsh television comedy caters for a wider variety of taste when it comes to humour, whether it be the clever/daft/surreal dynamic of Father Ted, the disturbing/disgusting 'League Of Gentleman' or the painful/subtle style of a show like 'The Office' our style of comedy is amazingly diverse. All this is not an especially 'new' achievement (the modern sitcom owes a massive debt to 'Hancock's Half Hour' and its postmodern inspiration to the anarchic buzz of 'The Young One's') it just seems to have been perfected in the last dozen years or so. For further proof this quality and diversity just look at how 'The Fast Show' effortlessly updated the sketch show and how a sad and wonderfully understated weekly monologue on 'Marion And Geoff' can be 10 minutes of perfect television.

 

I acknowledge the greatness of a show like 'The Simpson's' as much as anyone (one of my favorite shows) but i've no need for 'Frasier', 'Freinds' or 'Married With Children' with what British comedy has had to offer me over the years.

 

'Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights' is the best thing on tv at the present moment.

[Guest Rock Candy]

Here's a question if anyone knows: Whatever happened to the sketch comedy show Brilliant!, which I caught a few times on BBC America early this year, but then, they quit airing it. Was it cancelled?

 

I hope not, since I really liked the few episodes I saw.

 

-Ben

[Guest Marshall]

Do you mean the Fast Show?

[Guest Retro Rob]

How could you leave ER off the list of American dramas? Usually, I don't find British comedies all that funny...well besides Mr. Bean.

[Guest C.H.U.D.]

My girlfriend watches Coronation Street every friggin' day!

 

Btw, I can't stand Everybody Loves Raymond. I think it's one of the worse American sitcoms in the history of television.

[Guest Dr. Wrestlingphysics]

Mr Bean is the worst type of British comedy. I find it incredible that the same man who was in the fantastic Blackadder, could also be in one of my least favourite programmes.

[Guest saturnmark4life]

Mr Bean is the worst type of British comedy. I find it incredible that the same man who was in the fantastic Blackadder, could also be in one of my least favourite programmes.

yeah i think that kind of british comedy is always more popular over in the US for some reason. Chris Morris it ain't. I think all my favourite TV shows are from the US, but overall in terms of factual documentaries and news etc UK tv is far better. I'm pretty sure we do only get the cream of US tv. My loves are

OZ~!

simpsons

south park

six feet under

sopranos

family guy (started off pretty average but got very good)

and beavis and butthead pretty much shaped my musical tastes around the age of 11, introducing me to the butthole surfers and ozzy, getting me the fuck away from oasis and the like. thankyou, Mr. Judge.

[Guest kane3212321]

The Prisoner, nuff said

[Guest Hogan Made Wrestling]

I just got back from a holiday in England, and allow me to add my voice to those who say BRITISH TV SUCKS. You have something like 5 channels, all of which are controlled by BBC or ITV, unless you get SKY-TV. So either you bow down to the BBC-ITV duopoly, or you join up with the Rupert Murdock monopoly.

 

Here's a hilarious story from the Guardian that basically sums up how stupid their TV industry is. BBC and ITV both have some "hot" new dramas coming out next year, I don't remember the names. Anyway, ITV decided to release their planned schedule now, and challenged BBC to put theirs on at a different time so that people could watch both of them. Can you imagine such a thing happening in the US TV meatmarket? The very opposite would be more likely to go down: ABC announces some "hot" new show, and NBC counterprograms against it with a new one of their own or by moving one of their old standbys.

[Guest Anorak]

What about programme quality? I couldn't make out a real argument in your post as to why British television is inferior in that sense. I honestly don't think we are behind anyone when it comes to having a healthy collection of good shows on our screens. British television set the standards that others have aspired to reach in the first place. Too large a percentage of the schedules these days are complete junk of course but that's the same anywhere, what matters is that there remains enough good stuff to make it worth tuning in.

 

As SaturnMark pointed out, one of the most consistant attributes British television has boasted over the years is the quality of its news/current affairs and documentary series. "The People's Century" and "Modern Times" are prime examples of what excellent coverage of politics, current affairs and history my measly 5 channels have provided in recent years.

[Guest Ripper]

Well I just want to say that Manchild was HOT and thats the only British show I have wattched with any regularity.

[Guest DARRYLXWF]

Being an Australian, I grew up on British T.V (all childrens shows were British), and they are far superior to American t.v

 

1. The American Wombles sucked compared to the British version

2. Thomas the tank engine was awesome

3. As was Noddy

4. The show 'Fat Tulip'. I loved it.

 

The only exception is Sesame street, where I learned to appreciate retarded children.

[Guest godthedog]

the only british tv is what i've seen through comedy central, so i can't really make a fair judgment. but any country that spawns one of the funniest sitcomes ever (fawlty towers) and the single funniest tv show ever (monty python's flying circus) can stand up to criticism.

 

and american television, by and large, sucks. as it probably is with britain, any great or even good show is a very rare exception to the rule.