American shows often outshine our British series with their bulging budgets and big-named stars, but that's not to say we have nothing to offer. Far from it.
We Brits have Doctor Who, Simon Cowell and countless quirky comedies, while the acting talent we produce now props up several popular Stateside shows. In spite of the recession, over the last couple of years our offerings have improved considerably, gaining us increasing international acclaim. Join us as we take a look at the best continuing series, and most promising newcomers on UK screens this year...
We're Watching You
More than 10 million people tuned in to say their final farewell to David Tennant's Time Lord in Doctor Who this Christmas -- that's 36% of the total TV audience at that time. Impressive, don't you think? That's over 8 million more people than the hyped UK premiere of Glee on E4 this week, which was the most-watched multichannel show at the time. Doctor Who has been popular since it began back in 1963, and its modern remake and spin-off show Torchwood is just as well-liked with fans, both in the UK and internationally. Now, more and more British shows are following in its footsteps generating cult followings and growing audience figures.
The final of Britain's Got Talent last year was the most-watched show on British TV for five years, with 19.2 million viewers tuning in to watch Susan Boyle lose out to dance group Diversity. Meanwhile, the latest X Factor season attracted the show's highest audience figures ever, drawing a peak of 19.1 million people--an impressive 62 percent share of the timeslot's total TV viewers--to its final show. No wonder Simon Cowell is rolling in the money.
We saw cult followings form for Green Wing and The Mighty Boosh too, and more recently with continuing series Merlin and Skins. The attraction to these shows are spreading across the pond too with tickets to this month's public preview screening of Skins, to be held in London, attracting calls from fans in the States eager to get a first look at the new series no matter the cost. Unsurprisingly, tickets are now sold out.
From Britain, With Love
Skins, Shameless, Being Human and The X Factor are all attaining US remakes this year thanks to their success in the UK--though whether they end up as lifeless as ABC's cancelled Life on Mars or as popular as the Hell's Kitchen revision remains to be seen.
These television gems have, together, accumulated just under 20 seasons and attracted viewers from all walks of life. Some have even made big stars out of their previously unknown cast--remember when Slumdog Millionaire's Dev Patel first graced our screens as randy Skins teenager Anwar?
Ceaseless Series
Firefly, Pushing Daisies and Veronica Mars are among shows widely thought to be cancelled too soon. It's a fate that many American shows are dealt as they struggle to appease their network's need for ratings. In the UK, however, our broadcasters are much more prepared to take risks and as such many shows have been renewed past their sell by date (Two Pints Of Lager, we're talking about you). Nevertheless, there are many shows that have lasted the distance because of their valued contribution to British TV.
Top Gear and Silent Witness have both lasted over a decade, while Hustle, Spooks and Prime Suspect are among others fast approaching the same landmark. A lot of these shows have inspired their own spin-offs and won numerous awards, though their future could be in jeopardy now that the BBC has warned of plans to axe long-running dramas in favour of new shows.
New Shows on the Block
E4's latest teen drama, Misfits, was tipped for big things before it even aired, and the response it got was huge--an average of one million people tuned in during its first season and a second was commissioned before the final episode had even aired. While the BBC and ITV continue to concentrate their efforts on long-lasting series and drama remakes, Channel 4 appears to have tapped into a fresh pot of local talent that's producing plenty of award-winning shows. This is something that looks set to continue since the broadcaster announced plans to spend money which would have been spent on the now cancelled Big Brother on more British drama productions.
Other shows to look out for include: Lip Service, about a group of twenty-something lesbians from Glasgow; The Deep, a BBC drama about a submarine crew trapped under Arctic ice and starring James Nesbitt and Minnie Driver; and Dive, an uplifting drama set against the 2012 Olympics that features Skins actor Jack O' Connell.
The stat about Dr Who v Glee is the funniest, Dr Who is a very British show, and Glee is a very American show about a Glee Club, which just don't exist over here and so don't translate very well. Dr Who rules still after all this time and will never be cancelled!!