Somewhere in the wonderful country that is the United Kingdom, there’s television being made.
Somewhere in the wonderful country that is the United Kingdom, there’s television being made. Whether it’s a comedy, drama, lifestyle, news, or any programme specifically, there’s a sense of creativity and value to the content the people of Britain will see on their screens. It’s distinct, original, and moreover a cultural fabric for the nation.
Many a piece that appears on the areas of brilliance that is Kettle have caught my attention, but recently no more so than an interesting piece by TV/Film Editor Nick Spearing, saying that television in my native country, the United States, is of better quality than the unique content produced within Great Britain.
After reading, I paused for a moment, and thought only one thing: you’ve got to be kidding. While I admit in my writings for Kettle you will rarely see my opinion take hold, I felt I had to respond.
American television is merely a pile of rubbish. What comes from the core focal points of the American television industry, Los Angeles and New York, come with one of three guarantees: they make no sense, have no resonance, and by the end of the long run will make America the dumbest nation on Earth. The Kardashians and Jersey Shore are the new inductees of this list, and yes, it gets worse.
Some of this programming has come onto the shores of Great Britain, and different versions have come as a result (i.e. Geordie Shore). The American factor has, as a result, sunk television for both our nations to a new low, leaving all creativity at the door, and merely relying on items that will make a profit for the companies which produce them. The skill of creativity in this case, is different than the skill of making money. (I would like to also apologise to anyone who is offended by the people in these shows. They are not a fair representation of the U.S.)
British television is the only television content that allows this quality, talent and dedication to be preserved. The six episodes a series issue is frustrating, I know, but it allows the art of the programme (and indeed creativity) to be perfected. Outstanding drama programmes like Lewis, Monarch of the Glen and Downton Abbey have us on the edge of our seats, comedy and entertainment programmes examining the adventures of the staff of Grace Brothers, Hyacinth Bucket (or is it bouquet?), Graham Norton and the Top Gear gang make us laugh, lifestyle programmes like Cash In The Attic make us smile, and the BBC’s journalism (which is by far the best journalism in my book) leaves us engaged, informed, and thinking about the world around us in a way American journalism would not.
So, if you wish to have quality television, with the distinction and care that makes it television gold, it is not in the United States. It’s across the pond, in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
