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Besides the commercials, there are all these little pop ups, promos, reminders.....the little graphic things on the screen. They play during movies, tv shows.
The ads seem to be the worst ever. During the 80's or early 90's, they were pretty harmless....mcdonalds, supermarket ads, phone ads. Now, it's all drug ads and insurance.
And the side effects from the drug ads! Its amazing they are allowed to advertise.
Did you ever see The Simpsons episode where Marge is sitting at the kitchen table, sees some of these little pop up people and smashed them like bugs while they try to escape? It's histerical
Regarding drug ads. I recently read that the US and New Zeland are the only countries that allow drugs to be advertised on TV. Everywhere else it is not legal.
There are a couple of things different about the way British series with a continuing story arc are superior to American shows. The British series may be as little as six episodes, which are typically all written by the same author or small group of writers. The US series have many more episodes and usually a larger team of writers. In America, this week's episode was probably NOT written by the same hand as last week's episode (and maybe not directed by the same director), so British series are typically more consistent then American ones.
The story arcs on British series are usually more complete from season to season, since a complete season is written by the same writers as a unit. In America, though, if a show becomes a hit, the writers never resolve anything, and just keep stalling and adding more complications to the story line (for example, see Lost). If we're lucky, the US writers will have some advanced warning that a show will not be renewed, so they can write a final episode that wraps things up, but often a show is just cancelled mid-season.
As was said earlier in the thread, the British shows that do make it to American shores are generally the best of the bunch, so don't assume all British shows are superior.
Are you aware that such great shows as "Big Brother" actually originated in the UK? If you only watch British shows on BBCA or PBS, you are getting the best of the best. They have just as much crap as we do.
Also, Mr. Bean is funny? News to me. I love a lot of British humor such as Monty Python and Fawlty Towers but I just don't get what is supposed to be funny about Mr. Bean.
I watch british sci fi and cringe, its that bad. Some will no doubt say " what about Dr. Who...? " I watched the classic ones back in the early 80s and they weren't that great. Yeah the special effects were bad but even the stories and characters ranged widely from good to bad. If I see a british sci fi movie I know its most likely going to be very stiff and uninspired.
Comedy and drama, thats different. I think the british are so uptight they have to laugh at themselves and act more than a little nuts or they'd be miserable. The japanese are similar. They have a sense of history and live in the past.
Good drama might be doomed in Amrica. you have too many people who have no clue what America was like 100 years ago and only live shallow unfocused lives in the present.
I think they are just different.
British TV doesn't suffer from the endless commercials that American TV is plagued with and some of the BBC shows are truly stunning (how I love Downton Abbey), however British TV has it's share of Jersey Shore'esque type programming too.
Not a major issue but fyi Downton Abbey isn't a BBC show, it is aired on ITV which is an independent station (funded by commercials/adverts)
Quote:
Originally Posted by bs13690
Are you aware that such great shows as "Big Brother" actually originated in the UK? If you only watch British shows on BBCA or PBS, you are getting the best of the best. They have just as much crap as we do.
No it didn't, the show is a Dutch creation so we are a victim just as much as you
I have to say that I love many, many US shows. as others have said, good tv is good tv and each country produces great shows and absolute crap. Thankfully we can all share in the good stuff that each country produces - we get some of your big shows within days of being aired in the US via our satellite channels. Got to love that.
I watch british sci fi and cringe, its that bad. Some will no doubt say " what about Dr. Who...? " I watched the classic ones back in the early 80s and they weren't that great. Yeah the special effects were bad but even the stories and characters ranged widely from good to bad. If I see a british sci fi movie I know its most likely going to be very stiff and uninspired.
Comedy and drama, thats different. I think the british are so uptight they have to laugh at themselves and act more than a little nuts or they'd be miserable. The japanese are similar. They have a sense of history and live in the past.
Good drama might be doomed in Amrica. you have too many people who have no clue what America was like 100 years ago and only live shallow unfocused lives in the present.
Have you seen "Blake's 7"?. It was a British SciFi show done in the 70's and for it's time was pretty good.
I'm only judging by the few British shows I see here, mostly reruns. Of course they have junk.
I'm a Coronation Street viewer. That soap is better than the few American ones left.
WOW, Coronation St is still on? Which channel carries it? I watched that as kid in the UK, I am an "adult" now I grew up near the real Coronation St, my aunt lived a couple of streets away. The old shows really do depict how life was back then in that area - along with gossipy women at the corner shop. Davy Jones was in the show at one time as a teen i think?
No it didn't, the show is a Dutch creation so we are a victim just as much as you
I have to say that I love many, many US shows. as others have said, good tv is good tv and each country produces great shows and absolute crap. Thankfully we can all share in the good stuff that each country produces - we get some of your big shows within days of being aired in the US via our satellite channels. Got to love that.
My bad. My point is the same as yours, every country has good and bad.
At least y'all gave us Three's Company and Sanford & Son.
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I grew up near the real Coronation St, my aunt lived a couple of streets away. The old shows really do depict how life was back then in that area - along with gossipy women at the corner shop. Davy Jones was in the show at one time as a teen i think?
