Voices: Why Americans Are Obsessed with British TV

Americans can’t seem to get enough of all things British.  On US television networks in the past year or so, we’ve seen the debut of several remakes of British television series, some successful (Showtime’s Shameless, Syfy’s Being Human) and some less so (MTV’s Skins).  Twenty-three million Americans got up exceptionally early to watch the Royal Wedding last spring and several million more got up not quite so early this past weekend to watch coverage of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations from London.

Americans seem ravenous for imported British television. PBS stations nationwide have been achieving record-breaking ratings with hits from across the pond like Downton Abbey and Sherlock (5.4 and 3.2 million viewers, respectively). I think we’ve all probably experienced a friend (or possibly ourselves) under the influence of some form of Downton mania – the viewing marathons, the lack of sleep, the sudden obsession with Dan Stevens or interest in watching every film Dame Maggie Smith’s ever made. At a Sherlock premiere event for the show’s second series in New York, the cheers and screams for star Benedict Cumberbatch and creator Steven Moffat sounded like those at rock concert.  It was pretty incredible.

Masterpiece (and Masterpiece Theatre before it) has always been fairly successful at captivating America with British programming. But lately, it seems that more people than ever are seeking these sorts of shows out. But, why? And why now?

It’s the wit. British television has fantastic dialogue, and some of the greatest humor in the world. Full of classic one-liners, funny stories, bawdy innuendo and bizarre slapstick, British television tends to rely heavily on sarcasm and self-deprecation, which gives their series a generally drier feel than some more straightforward American shows. And it’s wonderful. British series also often indulge in satire – no one does a mockumentary like the Brits – and there’s a heavy focus on class issues, as well as day-to-day ones, which results in such gems as Fawlty Towers, Only Fools and Horses, The IT Crowd, The Office, and Gavin and Stacey. You definitely get the sense that British comedies respect their audience’s intelligence—even when the point of the joke has something to do with bodily fluids.

It’s the originality. British television takes risks. Many American networks have specific formulas that their biggest hits tend to follow year in and year out. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but you definitely know what you’re going to get when you watch an episode of NCIS.  This is not to say that British television doesn’t tend to favor particular genres – you’ll certainly find just as many procedurals and crime dramas across the pond as you will here in the States. However, British series are often more willing to play with established tropes and work to shock their audiences within these established mediums. They’re also more frequently willing to experiment with characters, settings, themes – in ways that not only confound viewers’ expectations, but are genuinely shocking. This is the kind of thing that inspires the intense passion you’ll often find in lovers of British programming, because the shows stay with you long after you watch them and you honestly can’t wait to see what’s next.

It’s the costumes. Well, not really. I don’t think people tune-in to Downton Abbey solely because they love Lady Mary Crawley’s fashion sense, as lovely as her dinner ensembles are. But the British television industry does something that its American counterpart is largely unwilling to risk: embrace the costume drama. Lavish period pieces depicting days long gone are a particularly British commodity and one that American viewers have loved for decades. (See also: Brideshead Revisited, Upstairs Downstairs, Bleak House, North and South, etc.)  Whether it’s because these period pieces reflect a lifestyle – and class system – that’s somewhat alien to American viewers and therefore fascinating to watch, or whether they’re just soap operas dressed up in classier outfits, costume dramas are all the rage in America right now. For a bit, even US network ABC appeared to be trying to get in the act, having greenlit a pilot set in late 19th century New York called Gilded Lilys, which seems to have died in development.  (Shame, I’d have liked to see what that looked like!)

It’s the acting.  I don’t think it’s gushing too much to say that British actors are some of the very best in the business. (Go on, you can probably name at least five impressive British thespians without trying. It’s all those people you mentally catalog as “serious actors.”) Does it also help that most British actors are theater trained? Probably. Unlike many of their American counterparts, the biggest stars in Britain frequently appear on television as well as in film. Well-known figures like Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Kenneth Branagh have all recently done TV programs, mini-series or films, and rising stars like James MacAvoy, Matthew Macfadyen, or the aforementioned Benedict Cumberbatch are all staying connected to their TV careers while they work on becoming movie stars

Consequently, there are some truly great actors working in British television today. And you can see them everywhere. This is the lovely bit about British TV – if you really enjoyed a particular actor on one series, odds are you can find them in at least three more.

It’s the accent. Well, not really. But it sure doesn’t hurt.

Lacy (@LacyMB) and her colleagues at WETA have just launched a new digital channel called WETA UK, which features classic and contemporary British TV programming. To learn more, visit their website or check out “Telly Visions,” their British TV and culture blog. 

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Voices is a series on our blog that shares the personal opinions of our British and American staff and guest bloggers on British arts, education and society. Guest posts on British Council Voices USA are written by individuals with whom we collaborate externally. We publish them to stimulate discussion and debate by exploring ideas. The opinions expressed in them do not necessarily reflect the official position or views of the British Council.