Well, I hope one of these eminences knows enough about American culture to own up that the Americans are making the best TV shows these days.

Well, I hope one of these eminences knows enough about American culture to own up that the Americans are making the best TV shows these days.

The four episodes of Coupling that ate up my night last night give lie to that statement. (I couldn't stop. It's a sickness.)

Seriously, though, most USian TV is complete crap, with a couple of standouts like BtVS, Angel, and other low-rated genre shows. Most of what we get is Suddenly Susan grade.

Is Free Republic still around?

Seriously, though, most USian TV is complete crap, with a couple of standouts like BtVS, Angel, and other low-rated genre shows. Most of what we get is Suddenly Susan grade.

Hmm. A year's worth of addictions, by country:

USA: BtVS, AtS, Firefly, Good Eats, the Daily Show.

US produced in Canada: Queer as Folk (adapted from a British show), Smallville.

UK: Manchild, Robot Wars.

Japan: Iron Chef, and various anime shows when I can catch them (Lane, Duel, maybe Betterman id I can catch it again and begin to make sense of it.)

Huh. I am a somewhat multicultural TV watcher.

I think 90 percent of all TV programmes from anywhere are crap. And that is a good thing, otherwise I wouldn't be able to drag myself away from the box. But we were brought up to always believe that British culture (including TV) was superior to American culture, which was mainly commercialised junk. In the '70s and '80s I think the Poms did lead the way in TV with topnotch period drama (eg Upstairs Downstairs), comedies (the sublime The Good Life) and cutting edge dramas (The Singing Detective, Edge of Darkness).

But the Americans seem more cutting edge to me in recent years -- Buffy, the Sopranos, the Simpsons, King of the Hill, Six Feet Under...

But the Americans seem more cutting edge to me in recent years -- Buffy, the Sopranos, the Simpsons, King of the Hill, Six Feet Under...

Of those, two are cable programs, and two are cartoons. We do do adult cartoons well, though the Simpsons lost its way about five years ago, never to find it again.

I'm one of the people who doesn't like SFU, having a great dislike for Alan Ball. It's very slick, and very much making too much of an effort for me. I tried to like it, damn it.

With the exception of Firefly, which is gone, I've not managed to get invested in a new series in about three years.

Edit: it's interesting to see the view from abroad on it, though. What all do you get in the way of US tv?

The majority of shows that I watch are American. I think, imo at least, that the American shows we get in the UK are either exceptionally good, like Buffy, The West Wing, the Sopranos, or exceptionally bad, like Dr. Phil and Fear Factor.

There have been precious few good British shows in recent years, but a couple of shows stand out--The League of Gentlemen and Spaced, for example. I don't think that either of those would travel particularly well though.

Also, I so very much agree about the Simpsons. It should have been put out of our misery a long time ago. Long live Futurama! What's that you say? Cancelled? Quelle surprise?!

I liked the League of Gentlemen, so I think it travelled well.

Yes, Plei, but aside from Coupling (and other BBC America shows) is there anything out there?

Also, while you may be one of those who thinks the Simpsons went south 5 years ago, I personally just think it changed. It's not the show it was 5 years ago, and in a lot of ways I miss that show, but the one that's there now is pretty fucking good.

Anyway - is there something out there you're hearing about that you're not getting? Television's has NEVER given me a lot of what I want. Hell, shows I loved once upon a time I can barely watch anymore (MASH, Mary Tyler Moore, Classic Trek - hell any Trek but DS9).

In Oz we have a broadcasting standard which mandates that there be a certain percentage of local tv aired, which means we get a lot of American drama and a lot of Aussie skit 'comedies', talk-shows etc (there's a positively eerie over-abundance of home-improvement shows, indicating disturbing national trend, imo) which all cost less to produce than your average drama.

I'm one of the people who doesn't like SFU, having a great dislike for Alan Ball. It's very slick, and very much making too much of an effort for me. I tried to like it, damn it.

Oh thank god, I was beginning to suspect I was alone. My cousin, who's a reasonably avid Buffy/Angel fan, loves SFU and I just can't take it.