Sort of inspired by this thread. Many of the biggest hits on US television are imports of UK shows. I’m certain that “the next big thing” is currently on the air in the UK. So, what’s popular right now? We’re getting our own version of X Factor next year, and the on-again, off-again American Top Gear looks like it’s finally coming this fall (though I don’t have much hope for it for a number of reasons). What else might we look forward to?
Note that I’m not necessarily asking what’s good, just what’s popular. I’m sure there are excellent, critically-acclaimed shows with small but dedicated followings, but those won’t be imported here.
The new Holmes adaption Sherlock did very well in the ratings, and got very good reviews. It’s coming to the US as part of the PBS Masterpiece strand later this year.
Britain’s Got Talent and other such shows are still big. The soaps Eastenders and Coronation St are still huge. Dr Who is ridiculously popular now - I’ve seen it put on at the pub and the start of a gig delayed so that people can watch it. For comedies, it’s mostly panel shows like Mock the Week and QI. American shows like Dexter, the Wire and True Blood (and comedies like Two and a Half Men and Ugly Betty) are really popular, but not in the same league as the others because they’re on cable, at least for the new seasons.
If you look at the ratings, it’s soaps, talent shows, and celebrity challenges, chiefly Strictly Come Dancing (also a hit in its American form), and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here (a capitalisation pedant’s nightmare). Then a few popular dramas. ITV dramas actually do as well or better than the ones that tend to get mentioned round here. Comedy drama Doc Martin, for example, was one of the most watched shows last year. I think it beat Doctor Who. Their detective dramas are big ratings winners too.
I’m going to place my money on ‘Undercover boss’ which is pretty much what it says on the tin, but is a really excellent tv programme that showcases a lot of unnapreciated people that work very hard for their companies.
At the end the deception is revealed and those that really impressed the boss are generally offered places on best practice sharing groups, mentoring by the CEO or permanent jobs if they’re part time.
I expect on the American version they’ll win a car.
It’s already here. I happened to catch most of an episode this week and it seemed pretty much what you described. The boss was pretty arrogant to start with and assumed he was going to be able to do everybody’s job better than they, but by the end was openly praising and rewarding them for doing things he couldn’t. The star was a seasonal blue-collar worker who really impressed him with her dedication and creativity. There was one customer-service rep who was rude to a customer who was given more training but was “no longer with the company” by the time the program aired.
I’m really enjoying “would I lie to you” at the moment (panel show where contestants have to guess if the other team are lying or not), but for some reason, the US never seems to bother adapting panel shows. They are pretty popular over here. I heard they were developing “Have I got news for you” for the US market a while back, but nothing has materialised yet.
I only came across Would I Lie to You recently, as I am expatriated, but after seeing it, I then watched the previous 3 seasons.
Us Brits do panel shows very well. I think if someone took a chance and adapted it for the US market, it’d be a ratings winner. Think of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Bill Murray and Rich Hall on the same show trying to out-funny each other.
I’m confused; what could be ‘adapted’ to US tv about Being Human? It’s fine as it is. I’m really sick of vampires with <american> southern accents, and don’t want anymore, tyvm.
Just show us the british versions. We’re not idiots; we can get the accents.
Is there a list of these adapted shows somewhere? I think it would include Whose Line is it Anyway?, The Office, Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, Antiques Road Show, American Idol(?)… and which others?
Water cooler conversations in my life are almost completely centred around X Factor. It’s actually pretty much the only TV I voluntarily watch. It’s manipulative rubbish, but I love the drama anyway, and occasionally there’s something so unbelievably, jaw-droppingly good that it transcends the medium.
I’d suggest looking out for Ideal! It stars Johnny Vegas as a small-time drug dealer and his neighbours and cronies and gets very strange at times! Ideal Series 7 has just finished (although I missed most of it) so there’s a reasonable number of episodes available… Don’t know if the American networks would go for it, though. Necrophilia, drug dealing, murder, kidnapping, torture - it’s all there! And it’s a comedy!
Being Human is fantastic, I think they shoud just export it as it is. The whole point is about the three main characters living in a small house in Bristol. I can’t see that translating well to a small city in America. If they based it in New York it would just end up a schmaltzy Friends type show with vampires, ghosts and werewolves.
Like Doctor Who it is uniquely British and should remain unadapted. It’s not like we demand that True Blood be re-written and based in Scunthorpe.
I’m sure that most Americans (outside Florida) can get the British accents. It seems strange, and maybe it’s down to exposure, but I can always understand American accents, but have met numerous Americans who struggle to get my accent.
as i understand it russell davies is adapting torchwood for starz, i think. john barrowman has been apparently in LA househunting for his stint back here in the states.
being human has been running on bbca since last year.
It is utterly brilliant and fabulous wonderful. Dopers will adore it, and will have great fun trying to solve the mystery before Sherlock does (I actually managed that once!).
“I’m not a psychopath, I’m a high-funtioning sociopath, do your research!”
