British television & its critics delude themselves

For at least a decade, the best TV drama and comedy series have come from the US (with a walk-on drama part from the Scandanavian countries).

British TV will continue to pat itself on the back about Downton Abbey, Broadchurch, Miranda, Mrs Brown's Boys, Doctor Who and lots of other stuff... But the simple fact is that we Brits produce inferior TV shows compared to the Yanks.

It wasn't always this way. The BBC should be a particular point of concern as it has the money and the independence and the remit to make really original shows. It occasionally does, but doesn't try hard enough.

As far as comedy, British TV has little to no clue. The writing is forgotten. A familiar stand-up face is considered the goal for a green light, doesn't matter how ill-conceived the show.

British TV is formulaic and - at best - mediocre but beautifully produced.

Discuss.

Homeland, 24, Spooks

Put it like that.

Was Spooks as good as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy...? No it wasn't - not even in the same class. This is part of the point.

Sherlock is, to me, the most entertaining British show we have and has ambition - beautifully shot and cleverly written. Even this, though, pales into insignificance next to Breaking Bad.

I think American writers rend to wear their hearts on their sleeves more. It's the same with American standups. They're brutally honest compared to British standups who, instead, prattle on quite politely. Maybe it's the lack of a class system there that allows for more freedom and creativity.

I thought then I rewatched Tinker Taylor and it was liking watching a Galapgos turtle hump a boulder.
It was very slow moving.

The BBC seems to have a combination of terminal lack of ambition, with a deranged belief that lowest common denominator will sell its f**king DVDs.

Peaky Blinders was a blindingly obvious rip off of Boardwalk Empire. Except it had the budget, but the not script, stories, characters or vision. As such it ressembled a lost Vic Reeves skit.

The depressing thing is The Street, shows there is still the capacity even if that show is some years old.

Quote: Ben @ 28th December 2013, 11:32 PM GMT

Sherlock is, to me, the most entertaining British show we have and has ambition - beautifully shot and cleverly written. Even this, though, pales into insignificance next to Breaking Bad.

I think American writers rend to wear their hearts on their sleeves more. It's the same with American standups. They're brutally honest compared to British standups who, instead, prattle on quite politely. Maybe it's the lack of a class system there that allows for more freedom and creativity.

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Sherlock is very entertaining, even if some episodes are just a big Moffatt pudding of poorly explained ideas.

But its not even as good as the Elementary and the US version is very much a jolly B lister over there.

Dr Who annoys me no end, because when it just trys to do what it's good at, low key episodic scifi it's awesome. But some how it keeps having to be the flagship, even though in terms of FX it's years behind the US and just looks stupid.

There are definitely more great American dramas over the last decade. But we have produced some great stuff too. Life on Mars, Misfits, some of Black Mirror and Sherlock are the ones that come to mind.
But I'm utterly terrible at remembering anything I've enjoyed the second after it goes off air. So I know there are more I've thought were outstanding over the last 10 years.

Sherlock is approximately a million times better than Elementary, in my opinion.

Fairpoint Black Mirror is probably the best scifi show of recent years, very much the new Twilight Zone.
Life on Mars was great butthat's some time ago.

My TV viewing these days is very irregular. I haven't seen any of these US dramas because basically I get the feeling that you have to see every episode to know what's going on.They seem to go for ever - about 20 in each series. I much prefer one-offs of things like New Tricks.

Quote: sootyj @ 28th December 2013, 11:43 PM GMT

Life on Mars was great butthat's some time ago.

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Still within the last decade!

I've never seen anything American that I thought was as good as Cracker, but that's welllllll over a decade old. Sadly.

The US version was pretty good.

Cracker was awesome.

Interesting looking drama called 7.39 on next Monday with Sheridan Smith and David Morrissey.

That said I thought Dexter, the Wire, Board Walk Empire, Sex in the City, Girls and alot of US stuff to be deeply over rated.

and Lost.

Quote: sootyj @ 28th December 2013, 11:37 PM GMT

Sherlock is very entertaining, even if some episodes are just a big Moffatt pudding of poorly explained ideas.

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The two he wrote, or the four he didn't? (you're racist against emoticons, so I won't stick one here)

I tend to watch more American than British stuff. There's certainly hardly any British drama I watch.

Quote: sootyj @ 28th December 2013, 11:54 PM GMT

That said I thought Dexter,to be deeply over rated.

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Dexter had probably two really entertaining seasons (first one, and whichever the Trinity Killer one was), the rest slid on a scale from 'okay' to 'cack'. Had to stop watching.

Ooh, I remember really enjoying The Shadow Line, a recent-ish British drama. Everyone went cuckoo over Broadchurch, I couldn't quite understand why. It was good, but not that good, I thought.

My brain has managed to remember a couple more excellent dramas. Love Soup, Bodies, and Scott & Bailey (which I love with the heat of a thousand suns).

Quote: zooo @ 29th December 2013, 12:22 AM GMT

My brain has managed to remember a couple more excellent dramas. Love Soup, Bodies, and Scott & Bailey (which I love with the heat of a thousand suns).

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Love Soup was a drama?