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US : UK TV - a debate.
As a UK transplant to the US, I sometimes feel like there are two viewpoints in my brain, commenting and arguing from different perspectives …..
US Me: Not really that impressed with the recent new TV shows. Given the tendency towards cancellation as soon as ratings drop these days, it’ll be a surprise if more than half of them last out the season. Still it’s comforting to see something like ER going strong in its 14th season.
UK Me: [Muffled snort] You do remember a little program called Casualty about life in the Accident & Emergency dept of a hospital that has been running continuously since 1984?
US Me: Or there’s Dick Wolf, fighting to keep Law & Order on the air for a seventeenth season.
UK Me: [Starts whistling the theme music to The Bill and talks between phrases] Local police station …… real life stories …… 23 years …. two or three times a week.
US Me: Of course there’s long-running game shows, like Jeopardy (1984) or Wheel of Fortune (1975).
UK Me: Remember the big black chair of Mastermind (1972)?
US Me: Yes, but that was off-air from 1997-2003.
UK Me: (gives a mock-sigh) I suppose next you’ll say that I can only count 37 years for University Challenge – 24 in the first incarnation and 13 since the revival.
US Me: (scrambling desperately) Ah, but what about soaps? General Hospital has been continuously on-air for 44 years.
UK Me: (decisively) Coronation Street. Since 1960.
US Me: (feeling triumphant) As the World Turns started in 1956
UK Me: (scornful) But that’s daytime. Coronation Street is primetime – in fact it’s usually one of the two most-watched programs on British TV.
US Me: (thinks a minute) Like I was saying, sure is nice to have something new and different on TV to watch, isn’t it?
*All dates come from IMDB
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Oct 23, 2007 10:41 AM
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LOL - I agree with you. What I really hate is Hollywood trying to copy British television. I'd rather watch the UK version, thank you very much!
And although I'm not watching a tremendous amount of new BBC America stuff, I'm a big fan of so many established shows!
Hollywood could learn a thing or two from the UK.
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Oct 23, 2007 11:02 AM
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Very funny blog, Ad Watcher. Or maybe I just appreciate the idea that I'm not the only one on here who says towards!
It's hard to compare though. There's much less competition in the UK for TV dollars (okay, pounds) and far fewer channels. Plus, it's a smaller country, and one with viewers who will loyally watch a show for decades. 60 Minutes has been on in the US since before I was born, but that doesn't mean it's the highest rated show on television. I remember when ER first came on, and I watched it regularly back then, but I know very few people who are still watching it today. I suppose we really do like change around here. And it's not just viewers--it does seem like the actors like to mix things up a bit and try new shows or movies after five or ten seasons.
On the other hand, it does seem that British shows get a lot more network support than first-run US shows do. I can't think of any British series that was canceled after two weeks. I'd like to see that happen in the US!
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Oct 23, 2007 11:45 AM
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AdWatcher, great blog.
Famin, Trevor's World of Sport is probably the only time the BBC pulled something after a couple of episodes. I didn't see it, but I heard that it was very good. Can't think of any others, off-hand.
I've always preferred USTV to UKTV. As a kid I preferred Rockford to Shoestring (although Eddie was cool, too). And while Press Gang and Between The Lines rate high on my list of Best Shows ever, they are far-ournumbered by the American stuff.
Not sure why. Maybe it's just there are more episodes.
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Oct 23, 2007 9:43 PM
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