The Rise of the British (Television) Empire

     In the diverse medium that we call television, shows are struggling to stay on the air. The networks' desires to grab an audience worthy of a Nielson rating report makes it more difficult for completely original shows to survive. But when we run out of ideas or interesting shows we can always rely on the Brits. Since the inception of television, the British have shipped across the pond some of the most engaging television to grace our screens. From drama to comedy to science fiction, British television has become an unaffiliated partner to the American networks by importing programs to fill timeslots and ideas to recreate for this country's fluxuating market.

     Particularly in the past decade, the phenomenon of British television has made its way to our screens during the week. Indeed, according to an article on marketingmagazine.co.uk, the United States accounts for some 36 percent of the U.K. television imports in the world. From Ricky Gervais to Hugh Laurie, the sudden rise to stateside stardom of acclaimed U.K. actors and comedians alike show America has gone full tilt anglophile. For some it may be the mysterious accents, and for others it's the glowing performances; regardless, we have a firm appreciation for the wonders of Queen and country. Shows like The Office and Spaced, noted for their snappy and fast-paced dialogue, also revel in the excess of American popular culture by referencing it on a regular basis.

     While many British-made television shows find their homes on U.S. cable networks and public television stations, the major networks tend to shy away from airing these shows in their original form, opting instead to recreate them as in-house productions. This practice is not new to American television networks. Dating back to the '70s, BBC's best offerings were remade to fit the changing television market. Classic British shows like Steptoe and Son and Till Death Do Us Part had their American distribution rights picked up and structured into the now classic staples Sanford and Son and All in the Family.

This process has continued for more than 40 years in America, and in the early 2000s, it reached its peak. The invasion of reality television — thanks to premiere of Survivor in early 2000 — led to many already popular reality and game shows in England being picked up to capitalize on the exciting new trend. Starting with Big Brother, and then shows like The Weakest Link and Dancing with the Stars, British reality shows garnered big ratings.

     But the remaking of British television shows in the 21st century isn't just limited to the reality genre. As early as 2000, Showtime was airing hit shows thanks to dramas originally conceived in the U.K., like Queer as Folk, which was critically acclaimed and lasted two seasons. As far as contemporary culture is concerned, the most commended British import is The Office. Created by Rickie Gervais and Stephen Merchant in 2001, it was one of the biggest British imports to come into the United States and was quickly remade by King of the Hill executive producer Greg Daniels in 2005.

     The controversy surrounding the Americanization of the The Office was harsh, as many saw it as an insult to the creative talents of both Gervais and Merchant. Even as the controversy continued well into its second season, the show prospered despite having low ratings. The series, now in its sixth season, has since helped garner Gervais with some much needed exposure in America. Thanks to the popularity of his short-lived HBO series Extras and his lead role in the critically-touted The Invention of Lying, Gervais is a star all to himself.

     Unlike Gervais, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, noted for the sleeper hits Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, used their newfound American notoriety to bring their cult television show Spaced to DVD in 2008. The show, which lasted two seasons between 1999-2001, featured the single living hijinx of main characters Tim (Pegg) and Daisy (Jessica Stevenson), who live together as a couple in order to keep their so-called "dream flat." The show's frequent pop culture references, in particular those to science fiction and horror genres, gave the program a cult following in the United States thanks to circulating bootleg copies of the series. In fact, some of the show's most famous fans appear on the commentary tracks on the American DVD release of the complete series, including directors Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, and South Park co-creator Matt Stone.

     Outside of the major networks, cable channels have embraced original imported shows. BBC America, the cable/satellite channel launched in 1998 to exclusively air British-made content is one such channel. In its early years, the channel's content revolved around reruns of Cash in the Attic and the daily BBC World News reports. However, the influx of many critically-acclaimed shows gave BBC America a much-needed makeover and has garnered some of the highest ratings on cable and satellite television in the past five years.

     Due in part to the network's facelift, we have been treated to the often overlooked wonders of British science fiction. An art form all in itself, many of the original British sci-fi dramas produced are of brooding Orwellian nature. Strange worlds, secret conspiracies and apocalyptic effects brought on by government mishandlings have made many of these shows very engaging if not nail biting. American cable networks have taken notice, and both SyFy and BBC America have picked up many of these heavy hitters — in particular that of sci-fi stalwarts Doctor Who and its equally popular spin-off, Torchwood. For Who, the sudden U.S. exposure was almost 30 years in the making. Considered by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running science fiction show in the world, Doctor Who has aired in one form or another for the better part of 45 years. The show, which tells the tales of a time-traveling alien known only as "the Doctor," is a British staple. It has acquired both critical praise for its amazing storytelling and criticism for its low-end special effects and wobbly sets. But in 2005, partially due to its popular revival and its star David Tennant, the show crossed over into the U.S. and finally gained great ratings for the SyFy channel and later for BBC America. Because of this, the show's adult-themed spin off, Torchwood, followed quickly in its footsteps and gave BBC America its highest ratings in summer 2009 with the weeklong Torchwood: Children of Earth. Its dark themes and risqué uses of sex and violence brought the show mainstream exposure for lead John Barrowman, who will be seen later this year on ABC's Desperate Housewives. There is also an American version of the series in the works over at Fox Networks, with Barrowman reprising his role as main character Captain Jack Harkness.