The title link today is from theTVaddict and discusses a few things American TV can learn from Doctor Who. I have actually discussed the ways in which British television (specifically Doctor Who and Torchwood) are superior to what you get on this side of the pond, just never on this blog. Methinks it is time to rectify that.
The first thing that jumps at me with these shows is the writing. Since they have a 13-episode season instead of 22 or more like there is here, it forces the writer to work harder at every script. There is no longer room for "fluff" episodes that don't move the plot along. At the same time, there always seems to be a good balance between humor and drama. Know how 24 says, "Every second counts"? It really is true with these shows.
Moving on to the acting side of things... the acting is superb. This is true of every actor involved, not just the big name stars. Honestly, the only big names I can even think of are David Tennant and John Barrowman. (Is JB even a big name, or am I just overly obsessed with him?) No matter how famous the actor is though, they always seem to give it their all and bring their character to another dimension. This isn't to say that there aren't American actors who are equally talented. I just mean that British shows don't always need big names to make big things happen.
Next I'd like to talk about the special effects. More specifically, how surprised you might be at the budget some of these shows get. Americans seem to think that the more you spend, the better it will be. (Capitalism in action!) In reading interviews with Steven Moffat on Doctor Who, I found it especially interesting how low their budget is and how much they are able to accomplish for such a small amount. It just goes to show, you can get quality programming even on a budget.
Finally, I would like to speak on the creativeness some of these shows offer. In a way this goes with the things previously mentioned (writing, working on a budget) but there is more to it than that. Take, for example, Doctor Who. The premise for that show seems simple enough, and yet it has an intricacy to it that makes it one of the most unique shows in television history. The character of the Doctor is both simple and complex at the same time. At times he seems almost childlike, but when you take a deeper look you see many layers and the burdens underneath. Then look at Torchwood, which is possibly one of the most successful spin-offs of a show ever. Rarely do you see the same level of excellence in a show that the original had. With Torchwood, you get the connection to Doctor Who while also developing a whole new world to explore. And yet again, the acting and writing for this show are just as sharp as the series it was spawned from.
There are many reasons why British television can be more appealing to American viewers. All elements of the series I have mentioned make for excellent programming. (Plus, the accents don't hurt much either). If you don't want to take my word for it, I suggest you watch an episode of Doctor Who and decide for yourself. (Another great thing is you can watch almost any episode and it won't matter if you have no background in the series to start with). So go check out what you have been missing. Once you do, you may never look at television the same way again.
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