More British Accents on U.S. TV?

I found this on http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2007-08-30/

"Should a writers' strike shut down U.S. television production in the coming months, broadcast networks may substitute programs produced in Canada, the U.K., and Australia, Daily Variety reported today (Thursday). Although the trade publication said that producers and networks have had "conversations" with international producers and broadcasters, no deals, apparently, have been negotiated. "I've been communicating with people and looking all over the world for ideas," NBC Entertainment Co-chairman Ben Silverman told Variety. Silverman had previously brought to U.S. television several British hit shows that were transformed into domestic hits by employing American actors and revising scripts. Chris Coelen, CEO of RDF USA, a company that has produced the British and U.S. versions of Wife Swap, Don't Forget the Lyrics, Meadowlands and Supernanny, remarked, "The tone of British television is becoming more American. ... It's made the two markets come together even more." As for concern about British accents, Coelen said, "The biggest star on American television is Simon Cowell ... and accents haven't hurt the James Bond movies." Variety also observed that ABC's one ratings winner this past summer was Just for Laughs, originally produced for Canadian TV. "

Not forgetting Hugh Laurie, who has the worst faked American accent on TV. And Stephen Fry, who guest starred in a few episodes of Bones i think.

It can't be that bad. Apparently the producers didn't have a clue that he was English until he told them, after getting the part. (Laurie, that is.)

I thought Stephen Fry used his usual accent not an american one.

He did.

And Hugh Laurie is getting paid mega bucks for House now. Soon he'll be as rich or even richer as Rowan Atkinson.

Americans seem to think Hugh Laurie's accent is perfect. And they should know.

I however, cannot watch House as I find it so distracting. Why couldn't he just have been an English doctor? What possible difference could it have made?

There's flipping loads of 'em in ER!

Americans don't like the English. Notice how we're always the bad guys in their weird films and TV shows?

Well, true.
But House kind of is a bad guy.

Or at least, not a traditional good guy.

He's naughty, but nice.

(Oo er.)

Too damn right.
He's well sexy nowadays.

The reason why the British are often villains in US films is because they don't mind offending us.

They can't have blacks or Asians without being racist, they can't have Arabs or Israelis because then they're anti-Moslem or anti-Semitic and now that Communism is no longer the big bear, Russian and Chinese villains are also out of the picture.

Talking about accents though, Dick Van Dyke's Cockney accent is by far the world's worst!

Quote: zooo @ August 30, 2007, 11:24 PM

Americans seem to think Hugh Laurie's accent is perfect. And they should know.

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I'm American and whenever I think about Laurie's accent I think of his chicken impression in Blackadder III. Now that's a perfect accent!

-Erik

I noticed this report on IMDB too. It's just a reminder who parochial the American television companies believe the public to be (maybe they are, but I don't want to make generalisations about an entire nation!)

I once had a friend on LiveJournal who stated that he couldn't watch British TV shows because he hated the accent. Huh??? If his only exposure to U.K. TV was 'Auf Weidersehen Pet', one might understand... but what an ignorant thing to say!

Some people are just retarded...

And don't get me started on the way that U.S. TV (on main network channels) only has U.S. shows (remakes of overseas shows included) because they can't bear to watch anything from overseas...

GRRRR

(Note to self: calm down before you have an aneurysm...)

Well, I think that really strong Deep Southern US accents set my teeth on my edge, but since I'm not a Country & Western fan, that's quite all right

I think it's more than the accent. IMHO, British Comedy doesn't play in America because Americans don't like the pathos. Like David Brent in the UK OFFICE is a sad, pathetic man, and Michael Scott in the US OFFICE is more of a goof that says inappropriate things. I also think that's why THE LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN didn't catch on when it showed on Comedy Central out here.

It's the broad comic types that we Americans like: such as Fawlty Towers and Ab Fab with big, physical comedy characters. And everyone I have shown the British COUPLING to love it and want more.

At least that's how I see it.

-Erik