European vs. American television

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2003-01-11 02:05am

With FOX's recent decision, as well as discussions with my roommate a while ago, I got to wondering how European television compared to American. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on either, especially British tv.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-01-11 02:08am

Alex Moon wrote:With FOX's recent decision, as well as discussions with my roommate a while ago, I got to wondering how European television compared to American. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on either, especially British tv.

My opinion on UK TV....

@*&!"(@'!*!?/>"@£$!!!!

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-01-11 06:30am

In my experiences with European TV, it goes like this:

British TV: mostly shitty, with good game shows and well-written commercials

French TV: all shitty

German TV: pretty good, very similar to American TV, in that it is of a high production value. French and British TV seem to really skimp on costs, with noticeable effects. I think it might be a sociological thing, with the Frogs and the Limeys just not thinking TV is worth the expenditure.

There's a lot of shitty American TV, but that's because there's a lot of American TV. There's more good American TV than there is all TV in a lot of countries. If you want to not see shitty American TV, just don't watch network television. The only things I ever watch on networks is the Simpsons and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Beyond that, it's mostly crap.
But you have to admit, even the shitty American TV is extremely well-produced. It looks good, and is usually very technically proficient, even if the content sucks. I mean, when was the last time you saw an American TV show with the crappy lighting so common in British TV? Or the shitty everything that is French TV?
I envy Canada...they can get American TV with relative ease, plus they get better news than America (news is one of the few areas in which the US doesn't do well IMO), and Canadian public broadcasting TV is slightly better than American.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-01-11 06:51am

Wait....Europe has tv shows?!?

I thought they were just showing random piles of shit!!

Tatterdemalion · Post by **Tatterdemalion** » 2003-01-11 07:13am

Robert Treder wrote:In my experiences with European TV, it goes like this:

British TV: mostly shitty, with good game shows and well-written commercials

I always figured we just nicked the better american shows. That said, british TV isn't without its good shows, some of the political/semi-political comedies are good even if foreign TV can probably do better.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-01-11 07:28am

Yeah, I said mostly shitty.

GB does have some great game shows (and I'm not talking about the weakest fucking link), and some of the comedy is good.
Unfortunately, other than WLIIA? and Monty Python, the British stuff that Americans like is utter bullshit. Examples: Are You Being Served?, Faulty Towers, AbFab, Benny Hill, etc.
The best recent import is Trigger Happy TV. That show is excellent.

Unfortunately for the Brits, they can't beat American TV when it comes to comedy. They'll bring up Monty Python, Black Adder, etc. and the US just has to remind them of:

Upright Citizen's Brigade
TV Funhouse
Strangers With Candy
Sealab 2021
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Seinfeld
Simpsons
Futurama
South Park
Home Movies
Dr. Katz

...and the list goes on.

Robert Treder · Post by **Robert Treder** » 2003-01-11 07:34am

What's that? Not convinced? Have some more:

Saturday Night Live
MAD TV
The Daily Show
Insomniac
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Crank Yankers
Family Guy
King of the Hill

...Locksmithing; TV/VCR Repair; or get your degree! Wait, wrong commercial. Anyways, I hope you get the picture.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-01-11 07:42am

Robert Treder wrote:Yeah, I said mostly shitty.
GB does have some great game shows (and I'm not talking about the weakest fucking link), and some of the comedy is good.
Unfortunately, other than WLIIA? and Monty Python, the British stuff that Americans like is utter bullshit. Examples: Are You Being Served?, Faulty Towers, AbFab, Benny Hill, etc.
The best recent import is Trigger Happy TV. That show is excellent.

Unfortunately for the Brits, they can't beat American TV when it comes to comedy. They'll bring up Monty Python, Black Adder, etc. and the US just has to remind them of:

Upright Citizen's Brigade
TV Funhouse
Strangers With Candy
Sealab 2021
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Seinfeld
Simpsons
Futurama
South Park
Home Movies
Dr. Katz

...and the list goes on.

Robert Treder wrote:What's that? Not convinced? Have some more:

Saturday Night Live
MAD TV
The Daily Show
Insomniac
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Crank Yankers
Family Guy
King of the Hill

...Locksmithing; TV/VCR Repair; or get your degree! Wait, wrong commercial. Anyways, I hope you get the picture.

Which makes me EXTRA especially glad I do not have American tv.

(save for the simpsons and futurama)

Sothis · Post by **Sothis** » 2003-01-11 07:47am

I've always preferred British TV, especially humour. We have surrealism and sarcasm down to a fine art.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-01-11 07:51am

A quote taken from a show I know I know and love...

"I think the phrase rhymes with clucking bell..."

Evil Sadistic Bastard · Post by **Evil Sadistic Bastard** » 2003-01-11 07:54am

Brit TV has Monty Python, Black Adder, Mr. Bean...
American TV has the Simpsons, Everybody Loves Rayond, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Becker...

Therefore American TV beats out Brit TV.... At least until I see more Brit TV shows.

Rathark · Post by **Rathark** » 2003-01-11 07:57am

Robert Treder wrote:Unfortunately, other than WLIIA? and Monty Python, the British stuff that Americans like is utter bullshit. Examples: Are You Being Served?, Fawlty Towers, AbFab, Benny Hill, etc.

So you don't like Fawlty Towers????

[Rant = John Cleese Mode]
THAT'S A BUNCH OF ARSE THAT'S WHAT THAT IS!!!!!
[/Rant]

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-01-11 08:07am

Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:Brit TV has Monty Python, Black Adder, Mr. Bean...
American TV has the Simpsons, Everybody Loves Rayond, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Becker...

Therefore American TV beats out Brit TV.... At least until I see more Brit TV shows.

Were you watching the first two with your eyes closed?...Mp and Black Adder beat the hell out of any of those. hands down

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-01-11 08:24am

Rathark wrote:
Robert Treder wrote:Unfortunately, other than WLIIA? and Monty Python, the British stuff that Americans like is utter bullshit. Examples: Are You Being Served?, Fawlty Towers, AbFab, Benny Hill, etc.
So you don't like Fawlty Towers????

[Rant = John Cleese Mode]
THAT'S A BUNCH OF ARSE THAT'S WHAT THAT IS!!!!!
[/Rant]

Yeah, fucking hell. Fawlty Towers and Benny Hill were great.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2003-01-11 08:51am

german privat tv is pure shit. boring game shows, stupid german and american series and unwatchable movies (because they´re sliced into 7 pieces because of the commercials) and then these god awful talkshows ala jerry springer. the only things i watch on privat tv are the simpsons and futurama and stuff like that.

then there are the state owned tv channels, and there are a lot of them since nearly every bundesland (state) has one of them and there are 3 germany wide channels (ard, zdf, 3sat). they´re fairily good, eventhough they show a whole bunch of crap as well. they dont have commercials, they dont go for profit, but air a lot of serious stuff, like documentaries, good new (as opposed to the action news crap on the privat stations), good political talk shows, and stuff like that.

privat = crap
state owned = good

Archaic` · Post by **Archaic`** » 2003-01-11 08:57am

Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Which they stole off the Brits, who had the show hosted by Clive Anderson. You have not lived until you see the original.

Seriously, can't you Americians have any variety in your games? They were the same ones over and over. Same goes for the people you had on your show for that matter.

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-01-11 09:27am

Archaic` wrote:
Evil Sadistic Bastard wrote:Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Which they stole off the Brits, who had the show hosted by Clive Anderson. You have not lived until you see the original.

Odd, that. One would think that if they stole it, the production company would complain. They didn't steal the show, they adapted it.

Archaic` wrote:Seriously, can't you Americians have any variety in your games? They were the same ones over and over. Same goes for the people you had on your show for that matter.

Kindly do not blame the viewers for what the executives choose to show us.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2003-01-11 09:42am

Dalton wrote:Yeah, fucking hell. Fawlty Towers and Benny Hill were great.

ARE great

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-01-11 10:53am

Fawlty Towers kicked ass. I have all the episodes.

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-01-11 10:57am

Fawlty towers is great. One of the few comedies I actually like.

Can't believe no-one has mentioned Red Dwarf, most people I know who watch it think it's great.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2003-01-11 11:09am

Oh yeah, Red Dwarf rocks

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-01-11 11:10am

The advantage to American TV is that there is SOO MUCH options that even with a lot of shitty stuff, there is also a lot of good stuff to watch. In countries that have prohibition or limitations on American TV to give local TV a chance, you can always switch to Satellite TV.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-01-11 11:10am

His Divine Shadow wrote:Oh yeah, Red Dwarf rocks

Red Dwarf is the best thing on Brittish Television since Monty Python. I wish they would put Red Dwarf on DVD so I could buy the damned series.

His Divine Shadow · Post by **His Divine Shadow** » 2003-01-11 11:14am

Alyeska wrote:
His Divine Shadow wrote:Oh yeah, Red Dwarf rocks
Red Dwarf is the best thing on Brittish Television since Monty Python. I wish they would put Red Dwarf on DVD so I could buy the damned series.

And I wish... eh, feck, too much internet on a saturday makes HDS go something, something...
I'm leaving now.

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-01-11 11:16am

Series One is on DVD now and they're in the process of releasing the rest I think Alyeska. I know my brother has series one on DVD.

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European vs. American television

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