Americanisation of BBC Radio 4

[jayne lee wilson]

The influences you describe aren't unique to Britain, though. Most Western European countries saw America as 'the good guy' in the cold-war period and were still in the first flush of their gratitude to the U.S. for its part in defeating the Nazis. Pre-Suez, I'm pretty sure America would have got a great write-up from any average Briton, though things shifted during the Vietnam war and the recent elections of dud presidents like Dubya and Trump (and superficially glamorous ones like Obama) have only stoked the cynicism.

I dislike American television a lot: it's too glossy, too slick, the comedies don't transfer well and I'm suspicious of people who think they are somehow superior to the domestic product.

I grew up with American TV shows in the 60s... my favourites were Mr Ed, Bewitched and The Man from Uncle - all very innovative and imaginative for their time, with a unusually sidelong humour. I liked The Monkees too - and not just for their songs. They certainly made Blue Peter seem awfully stuffy! (Except when the animals misbehaved...)

Later it was NYPD Blue and Homicide, then Nighthawk, later Twin Peaks, which through length and breadth of plot and character development presaged the novel-on-tv epics of The Wire, Breaking Bad and the more concise intensities of True Detective or one-offs like The Night Of or Sharp Objects. None of these are especially glossy and slick, often streetwise and quite gritty, but wonderfully well-written, directed and photographed... with some great acting. They often display a very original literary and filmic imagination.

[ahinton]

Then, fear not, as Brexit aint gonna happen.

I do admire your optimism; I fondly hope that it is well founded...

[Conchis]

I grew up with American TV shows in the 60s... my favourites were Mr Ed, Bewitched and The Man from Uncle - all very innovative and imaginative for their time, with a unusually sidelong humour. I liked The Monkees too - and not just for their songs. They certainly made Blue Peter seem awfully stuffy! (Except when the animals misbehaved...)

Later it was NYPD Blue and Homicide, then Nighthawk, later Twin Peaks, which through length and breadth of plot and character development presaged the novel-on-tv epics of The Wire, Breaking Bad and the more concise intensities of True Detective or one-offs like The Night Of or Sharp Objects. None of these are especially glossy and slick, often streetwise and quite gritty, but wonderfully well-written, directed and photographed... with some great acting. They often display a very original literary and filmic imagination.

The one American series I did binge-watch was YOU on Netflix. I found it compulsive but, on reflection, pretty trashy.

[Lat-Literal]

We can probably discount the regular talking heads - Janet Daley, Bonnie Greer etc - as they are in a country of their own. They are not nation specific. Then, some caution needs to be exercised on any line that is "it has always been this way". Milton Schulman, for example, was born in Canada. Many of them were. For a very, very brief while after the referendum an unusual number of Australians emerged. Perhaps someone had decided that the result would have to mean in broadcasting terms a return to the white Commonwealth. Then it all turned suddenly back to Americans. They do not share Michael Gove's doubts about experts, especially when it comes to their expert selves, and it was a rather clever hedging of bets. On the one hand, it was a warning to the masses of what their future would sound like, with the conscious understanding that the sound would get on their nerves. On the other, it was playing all populist to the strangely fickle nature of purchasers throughout dear old Blighty who choose the American economic model over and above almost everything else.

This is all extremely difficult. American comedy does divide British audiences. I am with it. It has been as good as our own. For reasons of diversity we are fortunate that it is different too. No other country does comedy at all. The positive American experience also includes literature, college radio, classical music, public service broadcasting, a wide range of popular music, FM radio, jazz, autumnal leaves in New England and, to a lesser extent, film. Note here the predominance of sound. It is the saving grace over attitude and all manner of wacky attitudes emanating from money and other associated faiths. Consequently, an American voice should blend into our Home Service as quickly as it takes to say Huey Morgan yet it tends to be heard as an incongruously Childish Gambino. We cannot blame the Europeans politically. They too have long been the United States of the United States of Europe in terms of their shopping habits and in truth we are all governed by 33 American plants. The latest, Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš, was born in Wilmington, Delaware. We will never hear from him.

[LMcD]

The influences you describe aren't unique to Britain, though. Most Western European countries saw America as 'the good guy' in the cold-war period and were still in the first flush of their gratitude to the U.S. for its part in defeating the Nazis. Pre-Suez, I'm pretty sure America would have got a great write-up from any average Briton, though things shifted during the Vietnam war and the recent elections of dud presidents like Dubya and Trump (and superficially glamorous ones like Obama) have only stoked the cynicism.

I dislike American television a lot: it's too glossy, too slick, the comedies don't transfer well and I'm suspicious of people who think they are somehow superior to the domestic product.

I take it you're not a fan of the sublime 'Frasier' then? (I can't think of an ironing board without collapsing into helpless laughter). And while there have been, and still are, many great British TV dramas, none of them is superior IMHO to, say, 'The West Wing', 'Mad Men' or 'The Handmaid's Tale'.

[Conchis]

I take it you're not a fan of the sublime 'Frasier' then? (I can't think of an ironing board without collapsing into helpless laughter).

Nope. I find the programme and the lead character (not to mention the actor who plays him, a pompous, up himself Trump supporter) deeply smug and unattractive.

[LMcD]

Nope. I find the programme and the lead character (not to mention the actor who plays him, a pompous, up himself Trump supporter) deeply smug and unattractive.

That's precisely why it's so funny...Frasier is a latter-day Malvolio in what is frequently a brilliant continuation of the noble tradition of the French farce. I could write a thesis on the use of doors in 'Frasier'.

[Stanfordian]

Is it just me, or are there more serials by, journalists from, 'experts' from, comics hawking, topics about America and its citizens than I can remember for a long time?

Seems to me to be a growing trend, which, given USA role in current global politics etc etc, does not seem entirely well deserved.

Except, of course, the apparently pressing commercial imperative for the BBC to export 'abroad' to raise revenue.

Anyone would think that Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep are presenting 'Today'!

[Conchis]

That's precisely why it's so funny...Frasier is a latter-day Malvolio in what is frequently a brilliant continuation of the noble tradition of the French farce. I could write a thesis on the use of doors in 'Frasier'.

Twelfth Night is my second least favourite Shakespeare play!

[LMcD]

Nope. I find the programme and the lead character (not to mention the actor who plays him, a pompous, up himself Trump supporter) deeply smug and unattractive.

Kelsey Grammer's political views are surely irrelevant to an assessment of 'Frasier'.
I disagree profoundly with some of David Starkey's socio-political utterances but treasure his TV work as an unfailing source of knowledge and insight of and into British history - a subject which I was had to drop at school for timetabling reasons. And Mozart's Masonic associations don't seem to impact on my admiration for much of his musical output.

[Forget It (U2079353)]

Meaning WHAT ?

I let you think about that ...
oh no
the background musik is making that hard

[MrGongGong]

I let you think about that ...
oh no
the background musik is making that hard

I think you might be the kind of person who would be happier off with a book

[Conchis]

There is far too much Guardian/New Statesman-ish apathy and defeatism on this thread. 'These things will happen and we must passively just accept them' seems to sum it all up.

[jayne lee wilson]

There is far too much Guardian/New Statesman-ish apathy and defeatism on this thread. 'These things will happen and we must passively just accept them' seems to sum it all up.

But - defeatism in the face of what?
What would be your prescription?

I personally see my viewing habits as an easy, non-over-thinking embracing of the wider, instantly global culture..(although I'm impatient of subtitles, admittedly...).. only quality or compulsiveness (verbal, visual, musical - soundtracks matter a lot) count for me, really...which is why every Sunday night, I make my bedtime preparations, then make a hot stiff drink of (variously) brandy, wine, chocolate... and settle down for the latest True Detective episode from 0200....

If much of it is USA-sourced, then....so what?

[doversoul1]

There is far too much Guardian/New Statesman-ish apathy and defeatism on this thread. 'These things will happen and we must passively just accept them' seems to sum it all up.

I thought the point of this thread was THIS WON’T DO. Or have I got it all wrong? Or have I got your message wrong (could easily be both).