British imports prove irresistible to American audiences
America’s interest in its British counterpart has never been a foreign concept. The U.S. has always had a soft spot for the dry deadpan humor found in British television, as shown by the beloved cult hits “Monty Python” and “Fawlty Towers.” Americans idolized the brave, spell-casting trio found in the “Harry Potter” franchise, and despite having created an American adaptation of “Top Gear,” the original series has still managed a much greater following in the U.S. So the question is, why is America so infatuated with British culture?
Although there are many television shows directly exported from American’s redcoat cousin, many classics on the US airwaves were adapted from England. Mockumentary hit “The Office,” featuring Steve Carell as the lovable yet inept Michael Scott, was based on the U.K. version featuring Ricky Gervais as the needy, obnoxious David Brent; in fact, the US pilot mimicked the British pilot verbatim. The Netflix drama “House of Cards” has received many awards and acclimations for its first season. However, the Capitol Hill drama staring Kevin Spacey was adapted from the UK’s version created in the 90s.
Many theories have accumulated about the success of British culture in America: the abnormal accents, the dry “humour”, or the universal human affinity for hot tea and scones. However, there seems to be no exact reason for the success except for the most obvious: British television is different. The sharp tongues and dry, fast paced dialogue are a change of pace from the more emotional, relationship-driven plots found in American television. Whether it’s during one of Sherlock’s detailed deductions or Lady Grantham’s backhanded compliments, audiences are invited into distinctly British worlds, from downtown London to Buckingham Palace.
The Internet has also been a useful tool in the invasion of British culture. Social media sites have contributed greatly to the success. Reddit, a peer based information sharing network, has numerous forums or “subreddits” dedicated to discussing British television shows such as “Doctor Who” and “Downton Abbey.” Furthermore, no visit to Tumblr is complete without seeing a picture of “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch.
It seems that both sides of the Atlantic have taken note to the British phenomenon in America. Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox has pledged to spend 600 million pounds in 2014 in comparison to the 380 million in 2011. “Sherlock” and “Downton Abbey” have brought numerous American viewers to PBS. “Sherlock” has increased the size of its audience to 4 million viewers this season aired in the beginning of the year, a 25 percent increase since the airing of its second season. To put this in perspective, America’s most watched television show, “NCIS,” has an audience of 21.6 million. While that may seem as a large jump in comparison, it actually pays testament to the large fan base Sherlock has earned online. Furthermore, Netflix can take a share of the credit for the crime drama’s popularity in the US since many viewers have used the on-demand website to stream the show.
British television, with the help of the Internet, has attracted small yet obsessive fan bases. Although there are many websites dedicated to American television shows, the Brits seem to take the cake. Whether British culture will maintain its foothold in America or not is unclear, but regardless, season 4 of “Sherlock” is sure to capture our hearts and minds yet again.