American Reacts to Why British TV is Better Than American TV

Does a culture steeped in Shakespeare produce better television, or a culture drowning in Henry Ford factories? I think you know the answer, but watch to find out!
#americanreacts #britishvsamerican #britishtv
Original Video: • Why British TV is BETT...
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[@edenmoon8275]

The difference between American actors and British is that American actors have to look perfect, perfect hair, teeth, body type etc but British TV prefers realism.

[@Sophie.S..]

Very good point.

[@stevetheduck1425]

It's an illusion of realism. Few actors are not already wealthy, and the ability to regurgitate class cliches is vital. It's when someone comes through that vast mediocrity and rise above that success is seen.

[@bvfckyou]

i find fakeness a serious put off!! so true (belfast)

[@gillcawthorn7572]

And this is probably why certain British actors have absolutely shone in American films ,as villains . It seems that there is an underlying fear in Americans of being associated with bad things or failure .so that actors can`t even `act` as baddies without worrying about their image. British actors want meaty parts to show off their skill because it is the path to more work .

[@lemonjapp]

It's changing, I have been watching less TV as I'm sick of perfect faces, especially on classic serials.

[@wivenhoeessex]

When Channel 4 started in the mid 1980's they had a magazine programme called Out on Tuesday targeted at the gay audience (LGBTQ+ was not in use at the time) Many big companies asked for their adverts to be pulled during the shows ad break. Channel 4 obliged and showed a black screen with a message. We intended to broadcast an advertisement for ..... (insert name) they have asked us not to. ...... (insert name here) do not want to be associated with the Gay Community. By the following show all the advertisers were back. Advertisers have no editorial control.

[@sorscha1308]

Haha - brilliant. I didn't know about that (was living abroad when C4 started broadcasting) but that is SO Channel 4 in it's hayday. I can't imagine ITV going out on a limb like that but C4 and probably C5 yes. I like that the advertisers know they need to be self-aware and entertaining here too. You can tell all the straight 'here's the thing and this is what it does and you'll like it so go and buy it' ads are made elsewhere.

[@user-np2dp8ck4j]

This is a great story! Good for C4!

[@fifinoir]

Didn’t know this happened. Very clever of Channel 4. If only they’d stayed innovative that way. In the last 10 years they no longer feeling independent.

[@Cunning.Stunt7]

My Eldest Sister Looked exactly like the Girl with the noughts and Crosses blackboard! As a child sitting in front of the T.V waiting for the Cartoons probably 5:30 am felt like an age... but would love looking at what I thought was my big sister 😂 *Edit* My mistake, it was BBC that used the Test Card F girl, not Channel 4

[@bvfckyou]

no one needs to be told that the made up letters didnt exist back then thanks tardo

[@thorleif8872]

For me the best example when it comes to the differences between US and UK television is Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay. He made episodes in the UK and episodes in the US. The UK ones were calmer, more realistic, just a "I am here to help with your restaurant" show. The US ones were full with drama, screaming, cursing, overexaggerated, in many episodes Ramsay was more of an psychiatrist than a cook....it was pretty stupid at times

[@JonsTunes]

"8 out of 10 cats does countdown" is comedy gold and well worth a watch. 😂😂😂

[@Fifury161]

Not the same without Sean Lock... RIP

[@Kerazzy.]

​@Fifury161 very true, Sean Lock will be forever missed. ❤️

[@fayesouthall6604]

It’s a couple of shows put together for a charity event but it worked so they kept it.

[@bvfckyou]

i cant enjoy it, they distract from the letters and numbers plus JOE is so annoying and fake. stick to either 8 out of 10 cats OR countdown if you want quality

[@clairecalton2116]

Yes love it!!

[@lottie2525]

Something I've noticed is the difference in the casting of actors for lead roles. For example, when you look at many of our UK and European detective/cop shows the lead detective is often a wiley old character and/or has many personal flaws, whereas in America they are usually the most glamorous actors on the show, look perfect and their only flaws seem to be in their relationships/dating/marriages. Our detectives/cops also don't rush headlong into every situation with guns blazing which makes for more interesting interactions with the normal everyday characters in the shows. While escapism is cool for some shows, I generally prefer earthy realism in my TV dramas and comedies. I think US shows tend to like a happy ending or moral story wrap up, whereas I prefer the sad/tragic endings that leave things unresolved or messy.

[@TfL1901]

This is a perfect synopsis!!!

[@carolineskipper6976]

One of the reasons I think a lot of British TV maintains quality is that you don't get large writers' rooms with lots of people contributing parts of storylines (except in soaps, due to the volume of script needed each week). You get small consistent teams of 1 or 2 writers, who write everything- which keeps the tone and quality consitent. Series tend to be 8 episodes maximum per season, and when the story is done, it's done, and that's the end of it. I think the point made on the video that characters are shown with all their flaws, and they feel real is a good one. The main characters also don't need to be young and conventionally attractive either. I've noticed in a lot of US shows the opposite seems to be true. A lot of US actors have a certain sort of 'gloss' to them, whereas here they look like anyone you'd meet in the street - some attractive, some less so.

[@cireenasimcox1081]

Yes, they all have long, straight hair, most are blond, they wear bland clothes, amd after a while I often can't tell one from another. Well I don't have a tv so don't get to see US programmes much, but whenever I have the entire line-up will have changed & I'd had no idea .They're like cookie cutter women - and all you see is the corporate model. They seem to be on the road to better things. While Australian and British presenters have personalities - expressed by the clothes they wear & their own style,. (And they laugh a lot.)

[@Gwennedd]

I've noticed this about the actors in Brit shows ( also Aus and European). The actors mostly look like anybody you'd meet on the street...unconventional, not glossed up, not always slim or straight. Their conversation is easier to understand because their diction is better,...and it's ordinary, real life convos. The comedy has always been many levels up from US comedy. Same with murder mystery shows...waaay better than American which tends towards boring. I rarely watch American shows now. I find them boring past the first few episodes, the gravitation towards the absolutes in heroes and villains is weird and worrisome. People just aren't like that. I'm so glad I quit cable and can stream whatever I want now and actually enjoy my TV watching.

[@Tykewarrior]

British TV programmes have series…not seasons.

[@ben-tendo]

For me one of the bigger examples of why this is correct, is how many US remakes of UK shows fail because they can't grasp what made it brilliant in the first place. The Office is probably the only real success story, and even then it is arguably a very different programme.

[@vaudevillian7]

Evan Edinger (an American living in the UK- think he’s a citizen now too) did a video with the brilliant Jay Foreman comparing British and American TV, and another comparing American and British adverts that are really funny and informative, they’d make a great reaction

[@fayesouthall6604]

Terrific KZbin account!

[@markmosley3547]

The best but is Evan being told that our different advertising rules meant that we got an extra 3 minutes of The Muppet Show.

[@fayesouthall6604]

Absolutely brilliant is Evan

[@blazednlovinit]

Consider reacting to British adverts (commercials), some are quite funny, others are quite shocking. Some are terrifying if you consider informercials "adverts", steel yourself if you watch those.

[@beverlybradley5485]

Not commercials, they are public information films.

[@kinkyplunk]

This guy has one of the most soothing voices on KZbin... And I though Americans were loud!?

[@aaropajari7058]

Turns out that 300 million people are not all the same....but they often do like the sound of their own wise voices.

[@christinamoxon]

@@aaropajari7058 I know plenty of Brits who are the same. And loud.

[@aaropajari7058]

@@christinamoxon impossible we are all perfect.

[@aaropajari7058]

@@christinamoxon what can I say, Chav culture is making its mark.

[@lottie2525]

I'm glad someone else noticed that - it's really soothing and quite refreshing to hear such a dulcet-toned, quiet-spoken American.

[@marycarver1542]

What a nice, honest presenter !

[@AutoAlligator]

I'm from the US , I moved to the UK years ago. The US has a great sense of humour...the UK has a very dry sense of humour...it has me crying laughing sometimes my cheeks hurt! x

[@adrianboardman162]

It's also quite dark. Even on recent shows like Red Rose and Wolf, there is always a humourous moment. For example, a group of teens near Manchester are told they'll all die in 5 days, so one of the mains just says 'I'd best put the kettle on then should I?'.

[@stephenlee5929]

As you say, UK humour, I find the tears run down my leg.

[@seldom_bucket]

Seeing an American spell 'humour' with the U feels like a small victory for me 😅

[@mustang-danny9563]

​@adrianboardman162 my hometown bolton

[@JPA65]

We love gallows humour here as well, I assume on average that would offend the average American.

[@lynnhamps7052]

Highly recommend reacting to some of our panel shows, Would I Lie To You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Mock The Week...and of course you would love Taskmaster...also the best ever talk show is Graham Norton, American guests love it and really open up because they drink throughout and can swear and say anything they like...be a bit wary of Miriam Margolyes, we love her but she might be a bit much for US sensibilities..lol...The whole episode with Bill Murray and Matt Damon is sublime! 😄👍🇬🇧

[@vaudevillian7]

Seconded!

[@sheila3660]

Miss Margoylese sorry wrong spelling just like her waaaay off!

[@magnolia7277]

If you want to watch a really good and funny tv series look at Yes, Minister, and Yes, Prime Minister, it's about who runs the British government and how they manipulate the Minister and the populace. The dialogue is superb, very clever and extremely funny. It's a few decades old, and very upper middle class of that time. The main character becomes a government minister in the first series and the Prime Minister in the following one.

[@gillcawthorn7572]

The real Prime minister of the time ,Margaret Thatcher, was a most appreciative viewer

[@seekerofthetruth1298]

You are so right! Comedy of the highest standard, brilliantly written and acted by brilliant actors. We will never see the likes of these two comedies ever again. I have the box sets of both series. I loved all the characters, but my favourite who although he did not appear in every episode was Sir Arnold Robinson, played by the late John Nettleton. He was the Cabinet Secretary, the most senior civil servant in the country who knew how the whole machinery of government worked, the power behind the Prime Minister, the iron fist in the velvet glove!

[@vaudevillian7]

I made a longer point on your comedy video that I won’t repeat (hopefully it’s an informative read with pointers for future reactions) but in US TV the studio is king, in the UK the writer is king - and if they want to stop they stop and that’s it, they’re more like an author. Usually there’s no writers room but just one, two or occasionally handful of writers, so you get a very clear vision of plot and character The Office, Fawlty Towers and Fleabag were three examples of the prevalent ‘writer performer’ in U.K. comedy. The Office was Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant writing everything, Fawlty Towers was John Cleese and Connie Booth and Fleabag was Phoebe Waller-Bridge - she originally did it as a stage show. And now she’s in Indiana Jones of course

[@TheEyez187]

Better Tv, better chocolate, better humour, better pubs, better adverts, better history/heritage; starting to feel bad for you (and other American's now!!) :D

[@Paul-hl8yg]

The oldest & longest running soap opera is British. The oldest & longest running scifi series is British. The bbc is the world's largest broadcast news organisation. 🇬🇧❤🇺🇸

[@vaudevillian7]

Coronation Street and Doctor Who - genuine British icons. I think Red Dwarf has a record too

[@Paul-hl8yg]

@@vaudevillian7 Yes Corrie & the Doctor lol. 🇬🇧💪

[@DegrassiInstantStar]

"The oldest & longest running soap opera is British" No it is still _Guiding Light_ despite it no longer airing. You may have the longest-current running soap presently on television (and overall television), but the over-all winner is still American. _Guiding Light_ had 72 years between radio and television. _Coronation Street_ is only 63 overall.

[@Paul-hl8yg]

@@DegrassiInstantStar Who mentioned radio? My comment was for the longest tv shows. Guiding light was 57 years on tv, therefore not as long on tv as coronation street.

[@carolineskipper6976]

@DegrassiInstantStar If we're including Radio, I propose The Archers, at 73 years and still running.....

[@Murdo2112]

Regarding the quality of acting: When you watch some of the big productions of the past 50 years, with their casts full of Brits, getting world-wide acclaim for their acting, you'd be amazed at just how many of them are familiar faces to British audiences, from regular TV. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Star Wars ... all full of British TV actors.

[@nedrasellayah9314]

British programming is brilliant!!! Absolutely first class!!!

[@HankD13]

I do watch, and enjoy, a lot of US tv... but I have to say, British tv (and NOT all of it) tends to be a better class, more realistic, more grounded and a lot less "in your face" about it.

[@Fifury161]

Wow - the first clip "mock the week" is from a now cancelled show (after 17 years!), the presenter Philip Schofield has resigned from TV and the presenter (Tim Wonnacott) from the show "bargain hunt" quit for "personal reasons". Also "homes under the hammer" presenter Martin Roberts was suffering from pericardial effusion, but has since returned to continue hosting the show.

[@DylanMush]

Started binging your videos, you know what that means, i'm subscribing!

[@christinepage181]

Do watch, 'Mock the Week', they really take the p out of politicians, and the improvisation is briliant.

[@markho4723]

I find you quite calming 😊

[@CrowMaiden]

the notice of the fact a lot of our actors are trained in shakespeare is funny because i had the same realisation a couple years ago and began looking through different iconic british actors' imdb pages at like 2am one night. people like tom hiddleston, maggie smith, gary oldman, sir ian mckellan, etc. have shakespeare's work in their filmographies, even if they didn't do plays (though a lot did; our actors and actresses are very good at projecting their voices and owning a scene because of that). a whole lot of them have that media as the first few things they starred in, though if you're tom hiddleston it's a fairly consistent thing and if you're miriam margolyes you didn't get a shakespeare film role until the 1990s romeo + juliet. i find it interesting how significant of a difference that makes.

[@bobhale7302]

Lets not forget that advertising on commercial channels is restricted to either 7 or 12 minutes per hour depending on time of day in the UK and can be almost 20 minutes in the US, (And on the BBC there is no advertising during programs, only between them and even that is extremely restricted with only other BBC services usually being permitted.) Even on commercial channels many things routinely advertised in the US (prescription medications, lawyers etc) are not allowed in the UK. One other thing. UK series runs are usually much shorter with 10, 8 or even 6 episodes for a season compared to a typical 22 episodes in the US which must help in maintaining quality.

[@russelllapua4904]

Year of the Rabbit and Toast of London is hilarious. Basically anything with Matt Berry in it.

[@jaccilowe3842]

Great reaction!

[@primalengland]

WatchMojo makes me want to cancel my internet. I believe it is an American production that is, as has already been said, weirdly inaccurate and almost impossible to watch.

[@digidol52]

Their most impressive achievement was naming Swindon as the best place to visit/live in the UK.

[@primalengland]

@@digidol52When everyone one knows it’s Wigan. Monumental fail.

[@carolineskipper6976]

I wish they didn't always include clips from Toast of London and Alan Partridge which often don't illustrate their point. I think they must earn royalties or something!

[@primalengland]

@@carolineskipper6976 That’s pretty spot on…..

[@Aloh-od3ef]

Al Murray vs America please.

[@Joyce-Barker]

Who remember a commercial for condoms in the UK..if you get a stuffy cough me in a jiffy………..I fell out of my friends chair in shock😂

[@bvfckyou]

in the first minute your sultry voice was a put off but really you have a class personality and are hilarious. subbed

[@JJLAReacts]

Thank you 🙏

[@Isleofskye]

The UK's main TX Channel has no adverts at all apart from The British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) showing adverts for their own programmes. The best Panel Show is "Would I Lie To You(WILTY) and a must-watch. We specialize in Drama and Comedy. As it said, we do the (usual) 2, maybe,3 Series and THAT IS IT...

[@denewst01]

With a lot of the British TV series they'll all be produced up front before being aired too, so it'll be rare for a mid-season cancellation unless it's egregiously bad, it'll just not be renewed. There's also less worry about syndication so there's no "must make a set number of episodes (usually approx 22 or so for US?)" requirement & mean things are far more tightly written. If you want some more interesting insights about the rules of British TV, Tom Scott has (as usual) done some good videos on the subject. You could also look for Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe, which has some interesting things about how TV production works.

[@PhilipGodwin]

I think in Britain our advertisers know the viewers see the disconnect between shows and ads. We just don’t judge the adverts based on the show they are ran in. Keeps them focused on selling their product and we viewers on making a lovely cup of tea and maybe some toast too.

[@stevetheduck1425]

Have always ignored adverts, will continue to do so.

[@elitet3359]

Personally, I can’t stand the ads so I record the programmes I want to watch and then fast forward the ads - problem solved!

[@user-vh7uo2su3h]

On holiday in Denver and a bit jet-lagged I had a nice sudsy bath and settled down to watched a favourite American comedy I always watched in the UK: Frazier. On UK Channel 4 there was one break in the half-hour. In the US it was about one commercial for every 5-6 minutes. I still loved the show (hadn't seen the episode) but I think it made concentration on all its nuances difficult to appreciate. Was this to obtain maximum revenue from a popular show for the company?

[@darkduane1]

JJLA, I'm a new subscriber and I'm really into your reactions and you're cute face 😊

[@dianef4227]

I loved season one of the show Heroes. Season two was supposed to be a whole new set of characters but the network wanted to retain the successful cast so the plot had to be re-written. Lost went off the boil completely by the end. I could go on.

[@adamdarbyshire109]

Lost is and will probably always be the greatest TV show ever made with the most amazing spin at the end of it and if you think it went off the boil then why were you watching a sci-fi TV series because that's what it was. Its not realism.

[@aidencox790]

YOU MAKE YOUR CHANNEL SO OPENLY BALANCED WITH SENSIBLE COMMENTS ALWAYS AND CONSIDERED COMMENTS IN SPADES. WHY YOU ARE NOT 1000 TIMES MORE POPULAR USED TO BE A NYSTERY TO ME - THEN I TWIGGED. TOO SENSIBLE WITH REASONS GIVEN FOR YOUR OPINIONS AND DECSIONS - THE US PUBLIC RUN ON OPINIONS. USUALLY THEIR OPINIONS ONLY. I AM ENGLISH / AMERICAN AGED 80+. I WISH YOU EVERY SUCCESS. SUBSCRIBED AND ALWAYS CLICKED LIKE. PROUD OF YOU - YOU RESTORE MY FAITH IN INTELLIGENCE STILL EXISTING IN .AMERICA THANK YOU !!!

[@ianneale9353]

Watch Sherlock if you want to see how good British T.V is

[@Cunning.Stunt7]

I loved it when Channel 4 had the female Tourette's continuity announcer (Jess Thom) "Coming next... BiscuitBiscuitBiscuitBiscuit...Hollyoaks.. BISCUIT omnibus BiscuitBiscuitBiscuitBiscuitBiscuit" I don't watch T.v at all anymore (except to cast/stream from devices and Christmas)

[@DeadDrunk1]

You should watch Stephen Fry's take on American comedy vs British comedy

[@jeepsthetimebandit]

I think you should watch Peter Kayes Car Share. I love that show 😊

[@markphc99]

BTW , you should treat yourself to the UK show Toast- a comedy, if you can , a brief clip was shown at the start of this video

[@carlchapman4053]

As a 49 year old Brit I can honestly sat the American Sherlock remake 'Elementary' was far better that our own updated version but beyond that Yes I agree with almost everything else that is said here.

[@Jee123123]

Before satellite, cable and digital tv channels became popular there was 5 main UK TV channels which means that programmes normally needed to be a little bit of a higher quality to be chosen; BBC 1. Founded: 2 November 1936 (no commercials). ITV. Founded: 22 September 1955 BBC 2. Founded: 21 April 1964 (no commercials). Channel 4. Founded: 2 November 1982. Channel 5. Founded: 30 March 1997 There was also a few region channels but not a lot. The BBC channels are supposed to be a non bias balanced channels as they are funded by TV licence fee and sales / licencing fees to other countries as the BBC channels do not show commercials. Basically currently in the UK if you are able to watch BBC then you need a TV licence by law or you get taken to court and fined.

[@seldom_bucket]

If you lived too far from a major city you couldn't get channel 5 until it went digital. Was exciting seeing channel 5 when you went on holiday.

[@Rachael39994]

I’m a Brit and I think America does great Sitcoms like Frasier.

[@CorinneDunbar-ls3ej]

'Frasier' was the wittiest thing ever! 😅🇬🇧

[@richardanderson8696]

I think a lot of things, perhaps including this topic, are related to the UK being a relatively small landmass, with a medium sized population - so fairly dense. Our cities are fairly close together and we have lots of navigable waterways - the geography encourages agglomeration. Further, it has a long history that has fed in waves of different influences, people, ideas and cultures. The country sits off the shoulder of Europe. And, being a collection of islands, it's been able to avoid invasion more easily, for a thousand years and counting - so there is an element of stability that comes from that. Put all that together, and it's these things that led to the industrial revolution happening here, to the enlightenment really taking hold here most strongly, to capitalism being invented here, to Marx and Engels formulating socialism and communism whilst here, to the growth of canals and railways... and so on and so on. When it comes to film and TV, a similar thing happens - the different elements are within easy reach, and there's a natural interplay. Pinewood, Elstree and other major international studios sit off the left flank of London, allowing talent to move from the nearby West End theatres, to the hotbed of TV production companies of West London, and on into film - there's a ecosystem. It's a bit London-centric at times, but given the size of the country, and the presence of regional TV and production hubs, it still takes in talent form the country as a whole. And of course, the industry has that old theatrical and Shakespearean tradition to draw on, the history and rich range of stories and events to draw on. A lot of this stuff is a happy accident, and a gift of geography and chance. Compared to many countries, the UK feels like a kind of pressure cooker - on account of the density - where elements are constantly combined and recombined, under a constant heat, with new combinations being thrown out. There are few places in the world where you could mark a small 100km radius circle on a map that would include an entire city such as London, the world's leading theatre scene, Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge (with their universities), countless other towns, Pinewood Studios, Elstree Studios, Borehamwood Studios, Shepperton Studios, The BBC HQ, Channel 4 HQ, ITV HQ, BBC Radio HQ, a plethora of national radio and TV stations, the seat of government, the head of state, several major international trade and passenger ports, the worlds busiest airport and 3 further major international airports, and a stream of people from the rest of the nation coming into this ecosystem. I actually think it's all a bit TOO much and more activity needs to be distributed around the UK a bit more, but think about all that stuff above and how it all interacts - it would be bizarre if British TV wasn't something special (even though it could be argued it's not what it was in some ways).

[@Radagast-]

Haven't watched this, yet, but in the UK the first broadcaster was the BBC, which is viewer-funded and has no ads. To get viewers, the programmes have to be good. This set the standard, I guess, and the commercial, terrestrial channels had to step up with similar quality. In the US, the shows are secondary... just a filler for the adverts and advertising funds the channels, giving enormous control to "sponsors". That's my perception, anyway.

[@paulbromley6687]

When ai was a kid we had Three Chanel’s on our national tv it meant quality, now we have fifty plus and it’s a trawl to find the good stuff.

[@nate9198]

Yet some of the best tv shows ever made have all come from the US. True detective season 1, Fargo, Twin Peaks, The Wire, The Sopranos, Succession. I'd say on average the UK probably has better TV, but when it comes to the best dramas and hard hitting tv spectacles, the U.S has produced the very best.

[@Fifury161]

8:08 - Fawlty Towers is set to return, John Cleese announced he and his daughter Camilla Cleese are working on a reboot.

[@old.not.too.grumpy.]

The main differrnce between US and British TV is that in the US big shows tend to have 26 shows per sesson while UK series uselessly have 6 or the right number to tell the story.

[@fruitgums]

Are you sitting at your desk in just boxers? I just noticed your knee 🤣

[@emszies8303]

Most uk shows has 6 eps a series meaning no filler episodes meaning no wasting scrips on the filler eps I used to watch all the main soaps when I grew up mosyly cos of parents watching them I don't bother anymore in my adult years but some of the actors are still in them tho

[@WDKimball]

It’s very simple. The BBC. Even the commercial channels have to up their game to compete. Those that can’t compete go online or to subscription. 😀🇬🇧

[@JustMe-ks8qc]

Blackadder is comedy gold, just 4 series. Well worth a watch.

[@_SIRENITY_]

Do some reactions to Would I Lie to You, fun show!

[@aaropajari7058]

British tv is more dedicated to stories about how the world really is, US tv to how, according to them, it should be.

[@andysawyer9949]

Good point, I watch a lot of DC series and not once has anyone not been able to afford the hospital bills.

[@elly5740]

do you have watershed in the US? we have 7pm and 9pm after 7pm you can a few words after 9pm anything goes swearword wise. you used to be able to sware anytime on the radio to 30+ years ago to

[@shaunhoward6838]

We get more UK tv then US tv in New Zealand 🇳🇿 now days.... Nz and UK shows domainsts our screens... You should check out some New Zealand tv bro....

[@ffotograffydd]

British actors are not afraid to appear in soaps, Anna Friel, Ben Kingsley, Brenda Fricker, Derek Jacobi, Sir Ian McKellen, Joan Collins, Joanna Lumley, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Linus Roache, Maxine Peake, Nigel Havers, Patrick Stewart, Pete Postlethwaite, Prunella Scales, Stephanie Beacham, and Sue Johnston are just a few of the award winning actors who’ve appeared on Coronation Street over the years. It’s a very good grounding.

[@MrJontidy]

Captain Piccard was on Corrie?

[@ffotograffydd]

@@MrJontidy Yes, his first professional stage appearance was in 1959, he went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966, but his first television role was on Coronation Street in 1967.

[@karenlp5867]

It always surprises me that such a large proportion of the top actors in American movies and TV are from the UK or Australia. I wonder why they employ so many foreigners when surely American actors are just as good.

[@Sophie.S..]

I would love to see a US version of University Challenge.

[@robertfarrow5853]

Having seen many of the street interviews with college students the questions would need to be European kindergarten variety

[@Sophie.S..]

@@robertfarrow5853 I agree🤣

[@MsGeoffh]

That is because they tend to be trained in theater.

[@hawkgodman]

With exception for the old type movies, jane austen and such, america wins hands down with movies. I should know. Ive watched them all. everyone of them.

[@vernonallen3370]

There was good American stuff on HBO and other platforms that doesn’t pull punches , such as The Sopranos and Breaking bad but sadly too few and they ended years ago

[@Jacksta805]

I've given up on American TV series (seaons in US), they never know when to end. They start off great, but go on too long, that they seem to lose their way, and have weak endings.

[@lillired857]

I enjoy a lot of US tv too, we grew up with it

[@MsGeoffh]

Flaws is what develops your character

[@CushtyBeats97]

I actually prefer american adverts to british ones, they feel way more entertaining to me

[@lomion79]

Ooo when your knee made an appearance...

[@markoshea3643]

i never considered the financial side to American TV, ie more episodes = more money. I guess the same could be applied to American comedians in film? For example, Will Farrell used to be amazing. now he seems more like a tribute act. if this is the case, it would be a shame as it ckearly holds them back 🙁

[@SP-ie1vx]

He looks how I imagine Matt Rife to look in 40 years

[@PoppyCorn144]

Utopia. Watch the British version and the American version, both are good, but I think the differences in the characterisations of the “heroes” highlights our different approach. American heroes have to be flawless, when most real heroes are riddled with foibles - alcoholism, adultery, prejudice, a closer look at historical heroes reveals a lot of unsavoury aspects.

[@MrVidification]

The amount of censorship is probably increasing given a lot of examples aren't recent. Everything revolves around the critic that companies fear, social media

[@minkyb9649]

Have you ever reacted to Limmy’s show? I think you’d like it :)

[@darren100880]

For me some american shows are too drawn out, A good UK show like broadchurch is 6 one hour episodes per season full of drama and suspense where as something like NCIS is 23 episodes per season and some of them are obvious filler episodes to pad out the numbers, lack any substance and via away from the main plot.

[@IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

As an American who was raised by an Irish Brit Mum and now lives in the UK (N. Ireland), my experience is that they’re different and many are just as good or bad. This much I know: I dislike far too many of the UK decorating shows. Hands down the award goes to the US/Canada in that category. Now that I mention Canada, they have a lot of terrific TV.

[@ansemvriku]

Fuck QI's Great...

[@mikegeekie9125]

Why does Hollywood keep casting British actors to play American superheroes? This is an issue that extends beyond superhero films, to films in general. America has a young actor crisis. The topic has received quite a bit of coverage over the last couple of years, especially after the totally American story of Selma came out and people realized four of the primary characters were played by British actors. The Atlantic did a feature on it, in which Michael Douglas commented on the issue, saying: "Clearly, it breaks down on two fronts. In Britain they take their training seriously while in the States we’re going through a sort of social media image conscious thing rather than formal training. Many actors are getting caught up in this image thing, which is going on to affect their range." Young actors from Britain, Ireland, Australia and other locations have grown up with their television dominated by American shows. They have heard American voices coming out of that box, every day, and they've mastered mimicking those accents. That means the best of those actors can cross the ocean and compete on a level playing field against the best young American actors. Add in the emphasis on training, overseas, and those young foreigners acquire an edge over many of their American counterparts. Many young actors build their foundation in television before breaking into film. All one has to do is watch some American television and some British television and some structural differences will be noticed - differences that help young British actors and hinder young American actors. The following is, of course, a generalization. Exceptions are easy to name. You might be tempted to reply with "What about Walking Dead and The Wire?" Well, they both starred British actors playing Americans. One doesn't need to be an absolute to have impacts. American television has a heritage and tradition of glamor. American television characters are supposed to be better looking, better dressed, more articulate, and more superlative than the people watching television. There is a perspective that for a story to be interesting, it has to be about the best. The protagonist of a cop show should be a super cop. Police detective Kate Beckett, on Castle, has to be supermodel beautiful and thin, and yet still able to tackle a 240 lb bad guy. She has to be able to chase down a teenager in Nike's while she is wearing five inch heeled Christian Louboutin shoes. She does all this while wearing a $2200 jacket (that she'll have replaced next week with another $2000 jacket), and $600 jeans. She'll do all of this without sweating or getting a hair out of place. The protagonist of a law show has to be a GQ underwear model with an eidetic memory for the law and the charm to win over every jury. Soap operas are about the rich. Sitcoms like Friends are about beautiful people that rarely go to work. They sit in their palatial apartments wearing designer clothes and seemingly spouting spontaneous witticisms that took nine writers a week to refine. American television has a foundation of depicting youth, vitality, exceptionalism, and wealth, and doing so in a weird warped world where everyone lives in either L.A. or New York, but has a nondescript middle of the country accent. This is tough on actors. Rather than developing their skills at disappearing into multivariate characters, their job is to always look cool. Their job is to become a brand. Conversely, British television has a foundation of reveling in the linguistic, economic, and cultural diversity of that small group of islands. A young actor will go from playing a cockney thug one week to a Yorkshire farmer the next, to a member of the 1920s landed gentry the next. Their job is to depict characters that feel real, not fantastical. Their skills get regularly worked and enhanced. Their job is to become a chameleon. Here are two recent British examples. They aren't perfect, because they both utilize a ridiculously handsome actor that naturally looks cool. It took me about three episodes of Agent Carter to realize that the actor playing Jarvis was the same actor (James D'Arcy) that played the thug on Broadchurch. And I had trouble mentally switching from watching Happy Valley to Grantchester. In one, James Norton plays a sadistic, sociopathic, rapist and killer and in the other he is a slightly foppish 1950s vicar. Imagine you are casting a big movie, superhero or not. You want a young actor or actress with great range and skill. You want the audience to see your character. But, you also want someone new to the film audience (and cheap), so you start looking at some good television. Where are the chameleons coming from?

[@rachelbirchall4630]

Most of are TV actors start on the stage in the west end. Or of lucky start as a child actor in the TV shows

[@neilgilbert6798]

Coronation Street is one of the longest soaps out there been on for over 50 years and doctor who.and there still going strong. Have a look at Britain most controversial adverts

[@Zippy66]

It's not "one of the longest soaps out there", it's the longest running soap

[@DegrassiInstantStar]

@@Zippy66 No. It's not. _Guiding Light_ still holds that title with 72 years between radio and television; _Coronation Street_ is only at 63 years.

[@Zippy66]

@@DegrassiInstantStar I assumed this was television soaps as this video is "Why British TV is Better than American TV". No mention of radio in the title

[@DegrassiInstantStar]

@@Zippy66 But your comment calls it the longest-running soap opera, which is false.

[@suzannecodd2588]

Just love British TV as it's closer to reality than most US stuff which features big tits and teeth with pathetic story lines. I don't live in either country (thank heavens), but long live British stuff

[@batman51]

I was a bit distracted by your knee (no, I didn't fancy it!)

[@ianmobbs4482]

As a brit you can't best modern family

[@ticketyboo2456]

You obviously never watched Detectorists.

[@colingarner6175]

I get the impression that American tv is advertising interrupted by a program !

[@vayull7163]

I know this is an old video so you may not see this comment but if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend IT Crowd (Make sure it's the British version). Such a great show.

[@connie_d]

how to make content: 1. post other people's content 2. repeat/agree with what other people's content says, occasionally say "k" and "yeah" and "hm" 3. ????? 4. PROFIT!!!!

[@EBOWARRIOR]

I grew up watching Golden Girls, Starsky and Hutch, Soap, Rockford Files etc etc but American TV really has changed for the worst, it seems to be factory pumped out shit with a lot of propaganda thrown in for good measure, except It's always sunny which is one of the greatest shows ever produced by a living organism and I will fight any underwater sea creature to prove it.

[@PeterJPickles]

Graham Norton, check mate ;)

[@stevencrutchley3234]

Watch some "8 out of 10 cats do countdown" episodes.

[@bravo2zero796]

Have a look at the British adverts

[@chuckyboy6977]

A video about British TV and not one clip of the Inbetweeners.. I’m in shock..😂

[@AndyMmusic]

I from England and Iived in California for quite a while. And British TV is definitely better than American TV.

[@taywithlove]

US tv just cut the program in the middle of a sentence and the ads go on forever.

[@M.C.H-MakeChangeHappen89]

American to just needs to be less scripted and keep new talent flowing.

[@seekerofthetruth1298]

Overall, yes British tv is far better than American tv, although I have always had a soft spot for “ Married with Children” and “Hill Street Blues” excellent tv.

[@27wesleylawson80]

Watch Mock of the Week-

[@nickgrazier3373]

Oh my god I’ve just found out the US are trying to make a US version of “Only Fools And Horses”. NNNNNNNNooooooooo!!!