I thought he was English-born?
So is his English accent good, or is his own accent just really bad?
So is his English accent good, or is his own accent just really bad?
That would presumably the same US TV that brought us:
by Byron
That this got cancelled while formulaic crap like Enterprise gets yet another bail-out is of course to be expected from US TV.
Instinctively I don't agree entirely with this.
by The Prophet
The US doesn't produce better TV; it just produces more TV of which the same proportion is good.
It's not so much the content as the working pracise of US TV I dislike. Advertisers having a huge influence over programme content, for exampe.
by Incandenza
That would presumably the same US TV that brought us:
The Sopranos, David Chase's grandiose Shakespearian Mafia drama;
Six Feet Under, American Beauty writer Alan Ball's darkly comic tale of Californian undertakers;
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, (for the two of you who don't know) Joss Whedon's winning combination of teen angst and gothic horror...
...not to mention The Simpsons and Futurama, The West Wing, Fraser, The Shield, Oz, Law and Order and 24.
On the day that British television starts producing anything one tenth as good as any of the above, I'll maybe consider sniping at the US equivalent but until then a little slack has perhaps been earned?
by Byron
That this got cacelled while formulaic crap like Enterprise gets yet another bail-out is of course to be expected from US TV.
by Incandenza
I'm trying to remember who described television programming as something to fill the time between adverts.
Advertising pays for television, end of story. Take the BBC out of the equation and it is no different in the UK.
As for cancelling shows before they have had a chance to establish themselves, the UK is far worse than America. Here shows are commissioned for 6 episodes and frequently canned if they don't find an audience instantly.
'Fortysomething' lasted two weeks in ITV prime time before being shunted to a late night slot (this is not to claim it was any good).
Futurama ran for three (or five depending on how you count them) seasons totalling 72 episodes before getting cancelled. Not a bad innings.[/b]
You have both mentioned [b]one-off dramas but industry perception is that these are a dying breed. Screen One and Screen Two have gone, as has the bulk of Film Four's output. I see no evidence that we are leading the world in one off teleplays. Contrast that with the still popular MOTW, often diabolical but occasionally offering something of quality whilst forming part of the system whereby US talent can learn its trade.[/b]
And then there is [b]comedy... The Office, The Book Group, Teachers... add Black Books and Spaced if you like... certainly all quality products but no more so than Larry Sanders, Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Scrubs, Malcolm in the Middle, The Simpsons, King of the Hill or South Park.[/b]