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BBC vs American TV

M

Mifune

Supernova
Joined
Jan 9, 2009
When I heard that the TV show "Being Human" had started in BBC, and they are already in season 3. I thought to myself...what other shows out there started from BBC and is now making their way to the USA...

Anyone here but me think that this is a huge let down? I mean this is why people stopped watching TV... unless they are into those the shows that are being aired...mainly for the type, vampires...etc. I for one gave up on TV when they began shutting down shows after one or two season.

Journey Man... Terminator....
 
Skins. I was so fucking pissed when I found out America was remaking the series. They're four seasons in for the British one, and I'm pretty sure they had stopped there for good.

It is a huge let down. Especially since I heard that the American version was basically the exact same as the British one, just a lot more sloppy.
 
I saw Skins ads all over the trains... that's actually a TV show on BBC?
I thought it was some mess MTV made up. I don't watch it though.
 
There's so many shows that started here and have made its way over the pond, mostly cringeworthy and have been cancelled early on.

There's a UK/US show airing at the moment called 'Episodes' that makes fun of this - two English screenwriters go to America to remake their English hit starring Matt Le Blanc playing a parody of himself. It's had its moments and isn't too bad!
 
I wonder though... American Idol... was that from BBC as well?
Because Leona Lewis was on that show right?
 
Yep. American Idol was based on Pop Idol but that was on ITV - England's other main broadcasting station. There was a whole raft of 'talent' shows that were created by the evil mastermind himself - Simon Cowell including America/Britain's got talent.

I personally hate 'reality' shows.. I'm sorry we've passed them over to you :p
 
So... basically every show from 2005 or whatever year American Idol started was from England... geez
 
Truth be told, BBC does have a lot of Stellar programming. I'm also counting ITV. If you have time you should check out some of the other shows If you liked Being Human, you might like misfits. Think: Skins crossed with Heroes. OR breakfast club crossed with Heroes. Also Survivor is pretty good. And of course, who could forget Doctor Who. Not for everyone, but You might love it. Also worth checking out the Modern version telling of Sherlock Holmes.
 
being American, i like US tv, but i find stuff from Britain to hav esome great value as well.
 
You know, I noticed this when SciFi - Not SyFy. Fuck that misspelling crap right in its ass to make it sound new age or whatever! - was running ads for this on Friday night after Merlin. It looks interesting, but probably not enough to really reel me into it. I suppose I'll give a shot one night when I'm bored and got nothing else going on at the moment.
 
It's a dearth of creativity in American programming. They create a lot of their own programming, yes, but steal whatever they can, because it's easier to try and bet on a concept that has proven successful. Of course, then they usually try and cheap it out and screw it up, therefore.

BritTV has it easier. They don't need to remake, they just buy the rebroadcast rights to whatever works for American TV. I don't know why American TV doesn't believe that will work, but in part I think it's because Brit "seasons" are varied between like 4-15 episodes and such. So varied! American TV hates that. THEY HATES IT!
 
Mr Master said:
It's a dearth of creativity in American programming. They create a lot of their own programming, yes, but steal whatever they can, because it's easier to try and bet on a concept that has proven successful. Of course, then they usually try and cheap it out and screw it up, therefore.

BritTV has it easier. They don't need to remake, they just buy the rebroadcast rights to whatever works for American TV. I don't know why American TV doesn't believe that will work, but in part I think it's because Brit "seasons" are varied between like 4-15 episodes and such. So varied! American TV hates that. THEY HATES IT!
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I think the simple example of this is The Office.

The UK version had twelve episodes in two series and the US version has well over one hundred in seven. I think we prefer quality over quantity..

Stringing out a show for only however long the series arc is and not throwing in pointless sub-plots is the norm.
 
Here's what I've heard about The Office:

The first season pretty much copied the full two Brit series. It was only after that, when it had to make up its own stuff and that's when it grew into its own show. Because the writers that they have are really talented, from what little I've seen (and they mostly play the office staff, too), and when they finally used up the source material, they were able to grow into it.

Again, though, American TV tried to copy, and were lackluster and stiff.
 
I suppose that could be true. I only really watched a few episodes from the first few seasons and nearly every joke was 'lovingly' ripped from the UK series.

As far as us copying US shows, I couldn't think of any until I looked down a list on Wikipedia and it was nearly all gameshows.

As for L&O, I've never watched it from either side of the pond so I can't comment!
 
This season of the Office has been terribly lacking in it's epicness...
let just hope Will Ferrell will bring it's epicness back.


And as for Law and Order... after some point...it gets boring, US or Brit...SVU... LA... there's just so many... hard to keep track.


Doctor Who is epic...especially this season.
 
I'm guessing you're a bit behind on Dr Who? Finished here a while ago and waiting for the new series to begin around Easter I think. All I can say is "Mmm.. Amy Pond". Maybe I need to start a requests thread with that but that's going off topic :D

I've just started watching True Blood which seems very good.. I can't really think of any gritty British dramas and I think there's a few in US so you've got us there..

US TV gives good drama and UK TV gives good comedy?
 
Doctor Who new season hasn't started here yet, it's coming back in the spring time I believe.
YUP! Amy Pond ish hots! I heard she is in Being Human as well...

Wait, True Blood hasn't started in UK? Or is it like already season 1000 already?
And Us, is I duno what season it is... since I don't watch it.
But I wouldn't put it pass us that we got it from the UK, the idea for true bloods.
 
I downloaded it, probably been on UK TV already.

I always find myself downloading TV rather than watching on TV channels. I always find it better as I can watch it when I want and don't have to deal with pesky adverts!
 
On demand was the best when it started...
But now, the ads are there! why did they have to go and ruin my on-demand...
not only that, they also disable fast forwarding...
 
Top Gear is awful. The presenters go on as if they're from The Bible Belt, playing to the crowd in England that read the tabloids and believe that the EDL and/or BNP are worth having around. Cars are really not interesting and that Clarkson bloke needs to be shot.

The BBC does some good shows, but there are also some appallingly bad stuff there as well. I like documentaries and would suggest you watch anything with Louis Theroux. He went and lived with the Westboro Baptist Church for a bit, then went and chilled out in a super security mega jail in miami. Shit is crazy, but he always makes you think about whatever he's discussing.
 
EnlightenedAneurysm said:
Top Gear is awful. The presenters go on as if they're from The Bible Belt, playing to the crowd in England that read the tabloids and believe that the EDL and/or BNP are worth having around. Cars are really not interesting and that Clarkson bloke needs to be shot.
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Blasphemy!

Jeremy Clarkson is the GOD of petrol-heads! (Gasoline-heads just doesn't roll off the tongue so much).

Sure, he's an obnoxious, balding, curly haired git, but that's what makes him so endearing. Yes, even I sometimes want to slowly back up over him in a pickup, but as I did so, I would be expecting all sorts of witty retorts about my driving and how crappy my American pickup is. He's sometimes dangerously over-competitive, but he's rather like that awesome, funny uncle you like, but can't stand for more than an hour before you want to punch him in the nose.

James May is, in the same breath, both insufferably annoying and laughably sympathetic. You want to protect him from the other two because he's cultured, but at the same time you want to see him trip over and get dirty because you know instinctively that it'll piss him off.

Richard Hammond is the 'baby' of the group, and definitely the most entertaining and approachable of the three. I want to cuddle him and squish his spiky hair, even as he drives me around in his Porsche.

In comparison, the US Top Gear is… ahem… shit.

Oh, whoop-de-do, you drove three OFF-ROAD cars along Death Valley. I would be impressed if Top Gear hadn't driven a THOUSAND FRICKING MILES across Africa in ROAD CARS or been the FIRST people to DRIVE TO THE NORTH POLE!

Oh, and as an aside, Doctor Who rocks. I love David Tennant the best, but Matt Smith is also very damn good.

BOW TIES ARE COOL!
|>o<|
(and so are fezzes)
 
You know what I like is that the BBC still shows documentaries. I can appreciate that most of what turns up on the Discovery channel is 'non-fiction' but there's just too much fluff.

Sports are really my last refuge for television. I expect they'll be re-cutting and shuffling baseball innings eventually to 'upgrade the view experience' or something.

Fah. Nothing be sacred.
 
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