By Richard Keane
America has long been associated with box office films and hugely successful television shows. However, in recent years a number of British shows have enjoyed great success on American channels and an increasing number of shows are crossing the waves to entertain and delight US audiences. We take a look at those that made the cut in the US arena, and hope to forget those that failed like Coupling, The IT Crowd and Teachers.
Talent shows
In the last 5 years or so there has been a huge influx of popular British entertainment shows on US television. Perhaps the biggest show to grace US screens following huge success in the UK is American Idol, which was based on Pop Idol, the hit ITV show. American Idol is absolutely huge in the US, attracting massive audiences and creating incredibly popular artists, including Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood. The giant talent show also raised the profile of Simon Cowell and his whiter than white teeth in the USA, already a small screen legend in the UK, and he is now planning to take Britain’s most popular Saturday night show, The X Factor, stateside next year.
Celebrity entertainment
Celebrity television shows have boomed on both sides of the Atlantic in recent years and ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!’ has been one of the great success stories. The show involves marooning some famous faces – maybe pushing it there – in a jungle wilderness, where they are forced to live on basic rations and compete in challenges. The US version is set in Costa Rica, while the UK celebrities journey to the Australian outback. Previous winners of the show include Cris Judd and Lou Diamond Phillips.
Another popular celebrity-themed show is Celebrity Fit Club, which charts the weight loss journey of overweight stars. The show started in Britain but soon made the successful trip over the pond. Teams of celebrities compete to lose the most weight over week-long periods of contestants are eliminated as the weeks go by; the teams are helped by personal trainers, life coaches and nutritionists.
British comedy shows
For a long time, the Brits have been the grateful recipients of smash American comedy shows, such as Friends and Will and Grace but a new breed of British shows is taking the US by storm. The Office is one of the most loved UK shows; the documentary style comedy follows the day to day life of a group of work colleagues working under the charge of the non-conventional manager, David Brent. The UK version has been adapted for the US audience and Ricky Gervais has been replaced by Steve Carrell. Gervais and Steven Merchant are executive producers of the show and have helped to write some of the American episodes, though many of the US show’s team write for the show.
Little Britain, a show which mocks the stereotypes of British culture in a light-hearted, humorous way, has also made a smooth transition to the States and has appealed to many Americans’ sense of humour.
Other popular Brit comedies including Shameless, The Inbetweeners and Being Human are set to hit US screens in the near future. The Inbetweeners, which is a show following a group of hapless teenage boys trying to find love, has a cult following in the UK and is set for great success in the USA too.
Quiz shows
Quiz shows have been popular in the UK for decades but recently they have really taken off in the USA as well. British favourites, including ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ and ‘The Weakest Link’ have become global successes, as their interactive format enables spectators to play along at home, compete with friends and family members and apply to be on the show.
Drama
Traditionally, Brits have always enjoyed American drama shows and many of them, including Lost, 24 and the CSI series, have a cult following in the UK. Americans have now embraced one of the UK’s most popular small screen icons, Doctor Who.
This article was written by Richard from the Cosmetic Dental Guide who, as well as having a passion for nice looking teeth, also enjoys the majority of US shows more than he does UK ones!
I have gotten so much enjoyment from The Office. Many thanks to the Brits for that one for sure.
I have never been a fan of American Idol but I know I am in the minority.
My Dad use to watch a little comedy show from Britain every night at 10:30 back in the Midwest and he would laugh and laugh while watching it. I thought it was pretty cute but never really got his fascination wit it. I asked him about it not very long ago and he could not remember the name of it.
I love American Idol, I’m not sure how much I will like it this season with only one original judge though…….
I’ve really enjoyed the show As Time Goes By (Judy Dench), it airs here on PBS.
Add another “thanks” for The Office. Such a great show.
I was disappointed that Absolutely Fabulous didn’t make it over. I loved that showed. Back when it was on, I remember reading that Roseanne was going to produce an American version. I’m not sure that it could have been as good as the original, but I would have liked to see it given a try.
Count me as another fan of “The Office.”
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I was disappointed that there was only one season of “I’m a Celebrity – Get me Out of Here.” I forget who even won, but I liked the way they strung us along, I think it was on 3 or 4 nights a week for only about a month?
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They had some truly ridiculous people on, but Stephan Baldwin and Heidi and Spencer (who I generally cannot stand) kept me hooked. And half-way through the series, another Baldwin bro shows up. Very weird…and strangely entertaining!
Lou Diamond Phillips won! (I’m not embarrassed to know that.)
Samantha, I too am a HUGE (PBS) Britcom fan. As Time Goes By w. Judy Dench & Geoffrey Palmer is a must see for everyone! Too, Foyle’s War, & several Helen Mirren British Mystery series…! The list is too long to go thru’, but then again I am an anglophile thru’ & thru’! Absolutely Fabulous was a terrific example of a very edgy comedy, but using the power of words rather than crude, 4-letter expletives, I call lazy American-isms.
For several years it was a given that a Saturday night visiting my parents would involve British comedies on PBS. It was a lineup of The Vicar of Dibley, As Time Goes By, Keeping Up Appearances, and Last of The Summer Wine.
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We watched American Idol many years, but haven’t been enthusiastic enough to vote for the last couple.
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If any of you get the chance to see The Choir featuring Gareth Malone on BBCA (it would be reruns now…I caught it OnDemand through my cable company), I highly recommend it.
MaryNGG,
Thank you! Keeping Up Appearances. That was the show my Dad watched. Gosh, he loved that show.
I love Keeping Up Appearances. Hyacinth cracks me up. My father was a big fan of Benny Hill. I liked him too. He reminded me a bit of bawdy Red Skelton.