British TV vs American TV

[krooton]

UK does have some quality comedy stuff:

The Green Wing
Coupling
No Angels
Shameless
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Have I Got News For You
They Think It's All Over

I love the topical shows especially, HIGNFY is proper jokes

 

[Scam]

I don't think the topic is about the frequency of ads in america, more the quality of the shows. If you talk about ads, obviously BBC wins hands down, but in terms of quality of shows (or quantity for that matter), the US has much better programs.

True but the constant breaks can really affect your view of a show. Take for example the huge amount of ads when Lost started over here. a lot of people on these forums refused to watch it simply because of that. (Or bought the DVD).

What does everyone think of the news? I feel we're quite lucky over here to have the BBC and more so i guess, Channel 4 news. Go over to the States and watch Fox news - its just laughable!

 

[Nitefly]

The stuff we see is generally the cream of the American crop. Most TV programmes are similar to channel 5 'straight to VHS' movie quality. Infact, thats exactly what they are.

As for comedy, whilst America has its moments, it can not touch programmes such as:
Blackadder
Red Dwarf
Faulty Towers

Nothing comes close to a vintage beeb comedy.

 

[Stiff_Cookie]

True but the constant breaks can really affect your view of a show. Take for example the huge amount of ads when Lost started over here. a lot of people on these forums refused to watch it simply because of that. (Or bought the DVD).

What does everyone think of the news? I feel we're quite lucky over here to have the BBC and more so i guess, Channel 4 news. Go over to the States and watch Fox news - its just laughable!

Fox is really bad but there are others. We also have local news stations, almost every county has their own. Plus there is MSNBC and CNN both of which I find to be similar to the BBC.

Fox is bad but it isnt the only station

 

[Raymond Lin]

As for comedy, whilst America has its moments, it can not touch programmes such as:
Blackadder
Red Dwarf
Faulty Towers

Nothing comes close to a vintage beeb comedy.

You've just made another point that the US has better shows.

When people think of good British shows, they look back to 20, 20 years ago, current line up is just rubbish. When people think of US shows, they can pick a bunch of current ones (Arrested development, My name is Earl, LOST, 24....etc. on and on and on.) British TV needs decades before they produce 1 single good show where US has decent ones out year after year.

BBC DID have good comedies, not anymore. And back to my other point, 6 episodes per seasons, that's just rubbish as well. When you say only fools and horses has like 12 series, Friends has more episodes in a third of the time, and consistantly more funny. Not to mention it came out week after week, where they writers here has about 10 months break to write 6 episodes.

 

[Beansprout]

UK does have some quality comedy stuff:

The Green Wing
Coupling
No Angels
Shameless
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Have I Got News For You
They Think It's All Over

I love the topical shows especially, HIGNFY is proper jokes

Add Mock the Week to that - Friday, 10pm, BBC2 - great new show

 

[Jake 2.0]

Good points Raymond. I always forget that you only need 6 episodes over here to constitute a series/season. Its shocking!

granted that US have 22 episodes but usually if its a teen show (oc, one treehill etc) it wll have same themes, triangles, cheating blah blah blah... highly original...

 

[Jake 2.0]

Americans produce good films, good general TV series (Lost, X-Files, etc).

We can produce good TV, ITV can do decent TV drama, and c4 has many really good documentaries. BBC1 and 2 however just seem to produce things like "Where does your rubbish go", and "Disaster Masters" - many cheap reality TV shows which are quite frankly IMO rubbish. I think the only thing I've watched on BBC1 which was any good was Life On Mars. Eastenders is just dire, and nothing else springs to mind. BBC does run 'Dragons Den' and 'The Apprentice' - only really decent reality TV i've ever seen.

now where were you when we had the "is licence money worth it" thread

 

[Raymond Lin]

granted that US have 22 episodes but usually if its a teen show (oc, one treehill etc) it wll have same themes, triangles, cheating blah blah blah... highly original...

Eastenders, year in year out, he cheats on her, she cheats on him, he beats her, gambling problem, alcohol problem....Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

And i don't think anyone here said the OC is the best representation of good US show anyway.

 

[bfar]

In switzerland the only english TV I had was CNN and BBC prime.

Even though my germans crap, I'd sooner watch the swiss stuff.

 

[doodah]

they american system of television annoys me...especially the adverts! Drives me potty when ever i go over there. Also how many times do they repeat shows! One episode of e.g. Stargate/Star Trek was on countless of times within a few days of each other - though this was all TV in hotels.

 

[Baron G]

American TV is fine, you just need TiVo or a PVR to deal with the add breaks. The drama shows are great - has Prison Break started in the UK yet? Also, watch out for Commander in Chief and Over There.

The one thing that is really, really awful though is news reporting, which is typically at the level of the News of the World. Its also highly politically opinionated, usually right wing, and about as impartial as a Party Political Broadcast. I crave BBC news.

 

[mrk]

I get the feeling that British TV is seriously going down the toilet. I mean its truly awfull. When I watch TV I am drawn more to the American progs on E4 for entertainment. TV Viewing on a regular basis for the last 12 months

* Sopranos
* Las Vegas
* 24
* Lost
* Desperate Houswives
* Invasion
* Smallville & Stargate (Occasionaly)

British TV is just paltry in comparison. Even the best programmes are repeats of old comedys such as Fawlty Towers or Only Fools n Horses. Granted the Beeb has some good dramas such as Life on Mars and Dr. Who

What do we have today, Reality TV, Pap Idol, Fat Academy, Im a B Grade celebrity get me a career (See C4 or ITV as the protagonists) Emmerdale, Coronation Street and East bloomin Enders with wannabee Gangsters and a good ol sing song round the old Joanna.

Discuss

Whoah whoah slow down ! you missed off the jawesome CSI !

 

[NuKeM]

Family Guy
House MD
Scrubs
Lost
24
4400
CSI
Alias

Definitely American TV

 

[Mundu]

British drama doesn't appeal to me at all but I have to say British comedies are great. The Day Today, Brass Eye, Black Books, Father Ted, Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Peep Show, Mighty Boosh, Extras, The Office and the list goes on and on.

I suppose from a perspective of someone who only sees TV on one side of the pon most of the US rubbish doesn't get shown over here but we have to sift loads of rubbish and I'm also seriously tired of relatity TV being the only thing on during prime time.

 

[dirtydog]

There is a load of great US TV shows - 24 and House are the two I'm watching and loving at the moment. The only good thing on UK TV that I can think of in recent years is Spooks.

 

[Ceareatus]

I hardly ever watch British television, the only things i actually sit down purposefully to watch are Lost, 24 and Invasion, everything else i just find whilst randomly flicking.

The soap operas like Eastenders, Corrie, and crapdale, are utter pap and rather unbearable to watch.

 

[Mana]

hmmm the americans do make some great television, e.g 24, greys anatomy, scrubs, lost, smallville, the office (us), my name is earl, the o.c etc.

i hardly watch any uk tv shows except for the news as i dont find it as interesting or exciting as the american shows. saying that there have been uk shows in the past that have caught my interest, namely the office, extras and hustle. i also watched an ep of hotel babylon? or something with babylon in the title and i thought that was pretty good so might start watching that more.

 

[Stoddy]

The 2 US shows I am really enjoying at the moment (apart from the usual suspects such as Lost, 24 etc.) are Over There and Prison Break

 

[aardvark]

yeah us tv is much better - what makes british tv worse is that we have no choice but to pay £126 a year for it - a complete rip off!