I actually didn't answer the OP's question just had a bit of a rant about UK TV schedules.
To actually answer your question OP no I've never personally come cross this snobbery and pretty much everyone I know is a massive fan of at least 1/2 US shows.
All i watch is mainly American shows. My planner consists of Grimm, Code Black, Elementary, Law and Order, Cold Case, Chicago PD and Fire, Rizzoli and Isles, Battle Creek, Lie to Me, Frasier, Supergirl, Aquarius, Sleepy Hollow...
I don't dislike UK shows, I do enjoy Luther, Suspects, Jekyll and Hyde etc but overall the American shows win for me.
There so many US shows right now and I've been conditioned to give the show a chance if it comes from an US Network or Amazon/|Netflix, I just don't have the time for British shows no more.
Anyone else come across this when you mention you watch american tv and people react like " how can you watch american crap?" . They don't even give a show a chance as its american. The irony being they happily watch american movies.
I only know one person like that, he has a lot of personal issues.
I do remember this blatant form of snobbery but I haven't noticed it since the turn of the century.
I personally love US tv (as well as tv from other countires). Not specifically the content but most certainly the production values - they deliver. And its engrossing, reliable and attractive. Plus, its 'English language'.
Reading some of the replies in this thread I'd say the reverse was true and that its the watcher of Us shows that are snobby about what they watch.... 2 or 3 replies along the lines of "I won't watch British shows anymore" but I've never heard anyone say "I only watch British shows"; a good show is a good show irrespective of where its made.
Reading some of the replies in this thread I'd say the reverse was true and that its the watcher of Us shows that are snobby about what they watch.... 2 or 3 replies along the lines of "I won't watch British shows anymore" but I've never heard anyone say "I only watch British shows"; a good show is a good show irrespective of where its made.
I suspect what you are saying is true and frankly with so much television I think people now have to compartmentalise what they even try, and so this 'snobbery' is likely to get worse.
Yes and I take zero notice. American Dramas are some of the best made in the world, the productions are on a massive scale and I get their humour and subtleties. The people who never bother watching just tend to assume it's all loud loud loud and explosions.
The Blacklist
Madam Secretary (which was amazing this week_
Code Black which reduced me to tears in it's recent episode.
Homeland (the first 3 series)
Scandal
Fargo
Chicago PD and the new Chicago med..
classics like
Greys Ant.
West Wing
Breaking bad.
All excellent. We can do it to.. The Fall, Happy Valley for instance both great dramas.
I suspect what you are saying is true and frankly with so much television I think people now have to compartmentalise what they even try, and so this 'snobbery' is likely to get worse.
I think its fair to say that certain types of shows are made better by one side or the other... costume drama is definitely better here as illustrated by the success of shows like downton over there, I do think they do gritty better than we do though but equally I think the Scandanavians do it better than the yanks and generally on smaller budgets. There seems to be a perception on here that unless its got a mahoosive budget it'll be shit and I don't think that's the case at all.
Line of Duty, Peaky Blinders, The Fall, Penny Dreadful (Anglo-US), Luther, Happy Valley, River, The Last Kingdom, The Game, Unforgotten, Sherlock, Humans, Suspects and many others. BBC, ITV, CH4, CH5 and Sky all producing quality drama in depth. Not just the odd one a year.
IMO the best UK and European shows are a match for the best US fare. And I truly believe that. The brilliant UK and esp European series that I have watched in the last 5 years, for example, match anything the US has to offer imo. I'd put Romanzo Criminale, Line of Duty, Braquo, The Killing, the Bridge, Peaky Blinders, Penny Dreadful and many others against the best US stuff anyday.
My argument hasn't been that the US isn't producing some brilliant (if too overhyped) programming, its that I don't believe that America is, as many claim, far ahead of the UK and Europe. That we and Europe lag badly behind. If America is best, then imo the gap is MUCH smaller than fawning critics claim. And I personally don't believe they are, but I know others will disagree. And that's fine. I just think we in the UK overhype the US series and do down far too much our own TV.
You haven't given an example of the best British Drama. The only place we are better than the USA is costume dramas like Downton Abbey and wildliife documentaries .However, I don't like period dramas - give me Homeland over Downton any day of the week
Please see my reply to sifter 22. Pretty much what I would say to you. BTW, I also loath costume dramas, I detest Downton.
Not just DS. I have been a registered member at The Guardian website since 2008, and was reading the site years before that. I am a paying subscriber to the Telegraph and Times websites. I regularly read the site for The Independent before they put up their paywall, and still read the allotted free articles per month that non-subscribers are entitled to. When I read, between DS and websites for four different UK national dailies, over the course of more than ten years, statements that I consider "anti-American bigotry" that number in the many, many thousands, I think I am justified in saying there is "a great deal" of anti-American bigotry in the UK. Even "scientific pollsters" use samples rather than polling entire populations. I am an avid reader of American websites as well as British ones, and one simply doesn't see any "unprovoked" anti-British sentiment expressed in those forums. I say unprovoked, because I can certainly think of many instances of British people making anti-American comments on American websites and Americans responding with comments like "we saved your asses in the war" or "at least we have dentists in this country," juvenile anti-British jibes which I definitely deplore, but as I say, provocation was always involved, and under the circumstances it is difficult to say that genuine anti-British sentiment was being expressed as much as there was an intent to repay nationalistic ugliness with more nationalistic ugliness. Honestly, I think your two comments directed at me in this thread would only be justified if I had said "all" Brits, "most" Brits, or even "a majority of" Brits. I haven't said any of those things, so I don't see the statements I made as out of line.
Tears, I like you and value your replies. But as much as you clearly love and indulge in our culture, my point was that you don't live in the UK, and can only, no matter how widespread your reading, get a limited glimpse of how and what the British think. I have been the same as you with American forums and internet media/media for many years, but I am at the final analysis, still the same Scotsman sitting in deepest Ayrshire. I haven't visited the US for over a decade. And when I lived there (2004-5) it was limited. I therefore, even if I am on RightNation or FreeRepublic every day as I am, wouldn't claim to know how my American cousins think, I am a HUGE Canadophile (sic), but watching the Grey Cup as I did on Sunday night and chatting with you really gives me little insight into a nation I sadly have never been to, even if I 'follow you lot' a lot.
With all respect, as a conservative Briton, I have been a member of three Anglophile US forums for over a decade, and I still to this day see a LOT of Anglo and Euro bashing.
I watch a lot more American dramas than comedies, and I don't know about "overrated," but if you don't think Modern Family is "good," then we disagree about that. I have never watched The Middle or The Big Bang Theory, just to get that out of the way. In addition to Modern Family, current American TV comedies ("sitcoms" is a bit narrow in meaning) I watch and enjoy to varying degrees are the following (in no particular order of quality):
Veep
Silicon Valley
Scream Queens
Almost Royal
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll
Man Seeking Woman
Another Period
Review
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Galavant
Black-ish
Fresh Off The Boat
The Grinder
Counting Modern Family, that is 15 comedies in total, and the bottom 10 do not air on UK TV channels, something I note because I am thinking of the recent discussion in the Broadcasting forum in which I replied to you saying that the UK is not importing all of the best that American TV has to offer. By contrast, these are the current British TV comedies I watch (at least current in the sense that they haven't officially ended or been cancelled, to my knowledge):
Peep Show
W1A Toast Of London
Catastrophe Plebs Detectorists Up The Women
Some of the individual British comedies I would rank over certain comedies on the American list, but if I have to choose one list over the other, the American list wins.
I think Modern Family is good, but I think its overrated. Good, but not great and I am bemused by its multiple awards.
The highlighted are the ones I have watched or watched. I love Toast and Plebs.
I know what you mean, but must admit my mum and dad - and this is going waaaay back, were huge American TV fans. Already fans of all the old Hollywood movies, it just added another dimension in comedy and light entertainment. In the late 50's, my dad adored Phil Silvers, and both watched Rowan and Martin's laugh in, starring a very young and ditzy Goldie Hawn. Lucille Ball, then later Rhoda and eventually Cheers plus some I've forgotten I'm sure. Both passed away before Frasier but would have loved that too! Drama wise, Ironside, Kojack and Hill Street Blues I remember.
If we're talking old school U.S sitcoms than IMO British sitcoms don't come close, however I do think US humour overall isn't as funny as British humour if that makes sense.
You are kidding. As I don't know your age, I assume old school is either 90s if you are young, or pre 90s if older like me (42). If its the latter, then no way dude.
Bilko, Taxi, Cheers and a few others from the US in the 50s to 90s were wonderful, but British classic sitcoms/comedy shows of that time period (50s to late 80s/early 90s), we could sit and pen a huge list of classics.
I would agree that UK sitcoms and comedy will never repeat that golden age. Whilst I love Toast of London and Plebs, we wont see an Eric Morecambe, Ronnie Barker, Dave Allen or Tony Hancock again. Nor writers of the genius of Galton/Simpson, Speight or Gerard Wiley.
Anyone else come across this when you mention you watch american tv and people react like " how can you watch american crap?" . They don't even give a show a chance as its american. The irony being they happily watch american movies. I can understand people who might get put of by 22 episode shows but just simply refusing to watch because its from america is odd. I get it from older family members a lot. It only seems to be friends or family members who are similar age to me (early 20's) that are open to watching american tv.
As a Brit, I can only relate to British shows. I have no time for or interest in American stuff.
English television is very mundane compared to American or even European drama these days it is hard to find a British programme worth watching IMO.
In particular, I watch as little ITV as possible.
Unforgotten is the only ITV show I have watched and enjoyed in quite a while.
TV or just drama?. Again, people make the error of comparing all our TV, with its undoubted dross, filler, bland rubbish and downright tosh, to the limited amount of quality US tv we see here, with all their rubbish filtered out.
There are and have been some superb British dramas. I have listed some, and there are many more, across the channels. Some even regional.
It may seem as if I am bashing American TV and drama, I am not. I like most here also watch a lot of US drama and comedy, and many of my favourite shows at the moment and of the last few years/last 20 years are and have been American. They make some great television, that's not in doubt.
My gripe is more the British media/fanboy overhype and overfawning of American TV esp in comparison to our own programming, which imo has resulted in a wrong-headed, ignorant and cringing snobbery against British TV.
Yes and I take zero notice. American Dramas are some of the best made in the world, the productions are on a massive scale and I get their humour and subtleties. The people who never bother watching just tend to assume it's all loud loud loud and explosions.
The Blacklist
Madam Secretary (which was amazing this week_
Code Black which reduced me to tears in it's recent episode.
Homeland (the first 3 series)
Scandal
Fargo
Chicago PD and the new Chicago med..
classics like
Greys Ant.
West Wing
Breaking bad.
All excellent. We can do it to.. The Fall, Happy Valley for instance both great dramas.
My point in a nutshell. The US and the UK BOTH make superb television.
I think its fair to say that certain types of shows are made better by one side or the other... costume drama is definitely better here as illustrated by the success of shows like downton over there, I do think they do gritty better than we do though but equally I think the Scandanavians do it better than the yanks and generally on smaller budgets. There seems to be a perception on here that unless its got a mahoosive budget it'll be shit and I don't think that's the case at all.[/QUOTE]
I think we do gritty better than the US, as we have usually tended to in films and TV going back decades. I think our stories and locations usually lend themselves better to gritty, dark drama. Unless its romcom or costume, we don't do glossy.
Agreed, I loved The Game, and that was mid-budget, and filmed in an old library for the most part. LOL. But it had the vitals for great TV: writing, story, acting.
Please tell me of a British Show, that is like Supergirl, Hawaii 5-0 or brilliant fast paced action forensic drama like the CSI NY or Cyber, and I'll watch it.
But US shows are simply better and we all have limited time. There's also unknown stuff like Mr Robot that is picked up on Amazon Prime service and not shown on our networks, like it is in the US.
When I was at secondary school in the early 90s there was a boy in my year who was banned from watching any American TV shows by his dad. I always found that very odd.
Line of Duty, Peaky Blinders, The Fall, Penny Dreadful (Anglo-US), Luther, Happy Valley, River, The Last Kingdom, The Game, Unforgotten, Sherlock, Humans, Suspects and many others. BBC, ITV, CH4, CH5 and Sky all producing quality drama in depth. Not just the odd one a year.
IMO the best UK and European shows are a match for the best US fare. And I truly believe that. The brilliant UK and esp European series that I have watched in the last 5 years, for example, match anything the US has to offer imo. I'd put Romanzo Criminale, Line of Duty, Braquo, The Killing, the Bridge, Peaky Blinders, Penny Dreadful and many others against the best US stuff anyday.
My argument hasn't been that the US isn't producing some brilliant (if too overhyped) programming, its that I don't believe that America is, as many claim, far ahead of the UK and Europe. That we and Europe lag badly behind. If America is best, then imo the gap is MUCH smaller than fawning critics claim. And I personally don't believe they are, but I know others will disagree. And that's fine. I just think we in the UK overhype the US series and do down far too much our own TV.
I think we do better sitcoms rather than dramas. Shameless (the first few series), The Office, The Inbetweeners, Fresh Meat, IT Crowd, Spaced, Only Fools And Horses. And thankfully hardly any of ours feature a laugh track.
Comments
Way, way superior.
Agreed.
I don't dislike UK shows, I do enjoy Luther, Suspects, Jekyll and Hyde etc but overall the American shows win for me.
I only know one person like that, he has a lot of personal issues.
I personally love US tv (as well as tv from other countires). Not specifically the content but most certainly the production values - they deliver. And its engrossing, reliable and attractive. Plus, its 'English language'.
I suspect what you are saying is true and frankly with so much television I think people now have to compartmentalise what they even try, and so this 'snobbery' is likely to get worse.
The Blacklist
Madam Secretary (which was amazing this week_
Code Black which reduced me to tears in it's recent episode.
Homeland (the first 3 series)
Scandal
Fargo
Chicago PD and the new Chicago med..
classics like
Greys Ant.
West Wing
Breaking bad.
All excellent. We can do it to.. The Fall, Happy Valley for instance both great dramas.
I think its fair to say that certain types of shows are made better by one side or the other... costume drama is definitely better here as illustrated by the success of shows like downton over there, I do think they do gritty better than we do though but equally I think the Scandanavians do it better than the yanks and generally on smaller budgets. There seems to be a perception on here that unless its got a mahoosive budget it'll be shit and I don't think that's the case at all.
Line of Duty, Peaky Blinders, The Fall, Penny Dreadful (Anglo-US), Luther, Happy Valley, River, The Last Kingdom, The Game, Unforgotten, Sherlock, Humans, Suspects and many others. BBC, ITV, CH4, CH5 and Sky all producing quality drama in depth. Not just the odd one a year.
IMO the best UK and European shows are a match for the best US fare. And I truly believe that. The brilliant UK and esp European series that I have watched in the last 5 years, for example, match anything the US has to offer imo. I'd put Romanzo Criminale, Line of Duty, Braquo, The Killing, the Bridge, Peaky Blinders, Penny Dreadful and many others against the best US stuff anyday.
My argument hasn't been that the US isn't producing some brilliant (if too overhyped) programming, its that I don't believe that America is, as many claim, far ahead of the UK and Europe. That we and Europe lag badly behind. If America is best, then imo the gap is MUCH smaller than fawning critics claim. And I personally don't believe they are, but I know others will disagree. And that's fine. I just think we in the UK overhype the US series and do down far too much our own TV.
Please see my reply to sifter 22. Pretty much what I would say to you. BTW, I also loath costume dramas, I detest Downton.
Tears, I like you and value your replies. But as much as you clearly love and indulge in our culture, my point was that you don't live in the UK, and can only, no matter how widespread your reading, get a limited glimpse of how and what the British think. I have been the same as you with American forums and internet media/media for many years, but I am at the final analysis, still the same Scotsman sitting in deepest Ayrshire. I haven't visited the US for over a decade. And when I lived there (2004-5) it was limited. I therefore, even if I am on RightNation or FreeRepublic every day as I am, wouldn't claim to know how my American cousins think, I am a HUGE Canadophile (sic), but watching the Grey Cup as I did on Sunday night and chatting with you really gives me little insight into a nation I sadly have never been to, even if I 'follow you lot' a lot.
With all respect, as a conservative Briton, I have been a member of three Anglophile US forums for over a decade, and I still to this day see a LOT of Anglo and Euro bashing.
I think Modern Family is good, but I think its overrated. Good, but not great and I am bemused by its multiple awards.
The highlighted are the ones I have watched or watched. I love Toast and Plebs.
You are kidding. As I don't know your age, I assume old school is either 90s if you are young, or pre 90s if older like me (42). If its the latter, then no way dude.
Bilko, Taxi, Cheers and a few others from the US in the 50s to 90s were wonderful, but British classic sitcoms/comedy shows of that time period (50s to late 80s/early 90s), we could sit and pen a huge list of classics.
I would agree that UK sitcoms and comedy will never repeat that golden age. Whilst I love Toast of London and Plebs, we wont see an Eric Morecambe, Ronnie Barker, Dave Allen or Tony Hancock again. Nor writers of the genius of Galton/Simpson, Speight or Gerard Wiley.
As a Brit, I can only relate to British shows. I have no time for or interest in American stuff.
TV or just drama?. Again, people make the error of comparing all our TV, with its undoubted dross, filler, bland rubbish and downright tosh, to the limited amount of quality US tv we see here, with all their rubbish filtered out.
There are and have been some superb British dramas. I have listed some, and there are many more, across the channels. Some even regional.
It may seem as if I am bashing American TV and drama, I am not. I like most here also watch a lot of US drama and comedy, and many of my favourite shows at the moment and of the last few years/last 20 years are and have been American. They make some great television, that's not in doubt.
My gripe is more the British media/fanboy overhype and overfawning of American TV esp in comparison to our own programming, which imo has resulted in a wrong-headed, ignorant and cringing snobbery against British TV.
My point in a nutshell. The US and the UK BOTH make superb television.
Please tell me of a British Show, that is like Supergirl, Hawaii 5-0 or brilliant fast paced action forensic drama like the CSI NY or Cyber, and I'll watch it.
But US shows are simply better and we all have limited time. There's also unknown stuff like Mr Robot that is picked up on Amazon Prime service and not shown on our networks, like it is in the US.
I think if the quality would have declined a lot faster if that had happened.
I think we do better sitcoms rather than dramas. Shameless (the first few series), The Office, The Inbetweeners, Fresh Meat, IT Crowd, Spaced, Only Fools And Horses. And thankfully hardly any of ours feature a laugh track.