After spending a semester studying British television, I think I was most surprised about the fact that the industry and production side of things are so remarkably different than in the United States, yet ultimately the creative product is not that far off. The fact the largest network follows a public-service mandate and collects a license fee with no advertising is astounding. Personally, the way the American economy works, I don\u2019t think it would be feasible to have a BBC-model type in the USA, yet the Brits seem to be making it work (though not without some struggles).<\/p>\n
Then there is the production side of things \u2013 from a single writer running the show (think Armando Iannucci or Julian Fellowes) rather than a whole room of them, to foreign series lengths (Four episodes of \u201cOne Night\u201d to a steady stream of \u201cCoronation Street\u201d), British television churns out shows in a very different manner than the United states concept of 13- or 22-episode seasons. Granted, there is a reason behind such production decisions (largely economic), but this is such a stark contrast to how it is done here, one would expect remarkably different results when it comes to the final on-screen product.<\/p>\n
Yet in a sense, that is not the case. Adapted versions of \u201cThe Thick of It\u201d and \u201cThe Office\u201d, amongst numerous other shows, have found a home on American networks. \u201cDownton Abbey\u201d and \u201cBig Fat Gypsy Weddings\u201d didn\u2019t even need to be adapted and fit right in to American television in their original forms. Even shows like \u201cLuther\u201d and \u201cHarry Hill\u2019s TV Burp\u201d seem to find parallel versions on American airwaves, and provide entertainment value that can be appreciated by us Yanks.<\/p>\n
To be sure, there were some oddballs in the group \u2013 \u201cPsychoville\u201d, anyone? \u2013 but overall, I was entertained this semester like many Americans have been in the past by the charms of British TV. What shocked me was how different these shows\u2019 origins are from their American counterparts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After spending a semester studying British television, I think I was most surprised about the fact that the industry and production side of things are so remarkably different than in the United States, yet ultimately the creative product is not … Continue reading