Anglophile

Why is British TV such a big deal all of the sudden?

Let me be completely honest—for the most part, I kind of hate TV. I find most shows to be dull witted and crude. I think that the jokes are too obvious, and that they often rely on tired stereotypes and promiscuity in order to be interesting.

I think the Bachelor is boring, I think Pretty Little Liars is tired, and while I think shows like Breaking Bad are remarkably well-done, there’s nothing all that surprising in the plot.

We Americans seem to love the glorified bad guy in our entertainment. We like to think that deep down, he’s really pretty cool and the more badly he behaves, the more we take his side and love him.

Which is why it is interesting to me that British TV shows are becoming so popular. Sherlock, Downton Abbey, and Call the Midwife have become hugely followed in the United States despite (or perhaps because) none of them are your typical American TV show. For one thing, none of them rely on over-sexualizing any of the main characters, which (let's face it) is generally a given in most American shows. Obviously, sex is a big part of a lot of stories, but while these shows may hint at and acknowledge sexual relationships, in general they rely on dialogue and avoid nudity or graphic sex scenes that make so many of our favorite American TV shows a bit awkward to watch with family members and friends.

According to an article by CNN, approximately 10.2 million viewers watched the live season four premier of Downton Abbey. And that just shows the people who watched it live! I don’t know about you, but I am an avid Downton Abbey fan, and I have never watched it live. I have a feeling there are a lot of people like me, and Downton Abbey has even more followers that watch the show online or later in the week! Their is even a BBC article discussing the way that the show has impacted international fashion!

In the UK, the show Call the Midwife is even more popular than Downton Abbey.  The show follows Jenny Lee, her friends, and her colleagues as they experience life working as nurses in the slums of London in the 1950’s. Nurse Lee is surprised on her first day when she arrives at Call the Midwife headquarters and realizes that her new place of employment is an abbey! This show is absolutely heartwarming. If you begin to doubt the human race, watch an episode or two for your hope to be restored. Althoughis remarkably popular in England, it is still gaining viewers in the States. It currently has about 3 million live followers on PBS— which although lower than Downton Abbey, is still a much higher fan base than the station’s norm.

Sherlock, also a PBS show, is definitely the edgiest of the three British TV examples and had approximately 4 million watchers when it aired on PBS. This spin on Sherlock Holmes is set in modern London, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch (of Star Trek) and Martin Freeman (of The Hobbit). My favorite part of this show is watching the ice around the stoic, sociopathic character of Sherlock Holmes begin to melt as an unexpected friendship with Dr. John Watson grows.  The show is witty and mischievous and clever and lots of fun to watch.

To me, the resurgence of British shows in American pop culture is an interesting phenomenon. For the most part, these shows are wholesome, especially when compared to their American counterparts. And there is something in the way that the characters relationships are played out. They are never perfect, idealized individuals, but for the most part you see the characters becoming better and stronger. Compare that to popular American TV shows that often portray the corruption or demise of a character with a seemingly strong personal character (Shane from Walking Dead, anyone?).  The writers of these British shows also seem to be masters of conversation. One thing that all these popular shows have in common is that the dialogue is sharp and funny and overall well done.

All of this is obviously just one girl’s opinion. What do you think? Is the reason for British TV’s rise in popularity due to a hunger for more wholesome entertainment and better dialogue, or is it all just happy coincidence? 

If you're interested in watching any of these shows, you can find them all here on PBS's website!