Monday, August 1, 2011

America Lacks Intelligent Programming...

I'm coming to the realization that American TV is generally not all that intelligent and the few shows that are, Pushing Daisies, Firefly, Terriers to name a few, hit the floor within two seasons. I have been watching a lot more UK television lately and I have to say that I am impressed. There is a level of intelligence that you don't see on American TV.

Why is this? Cause honestly, beyond the stereotype, I don't think Americans are stupid. I mean most of the Americans I turn on to UK TV shows love them. I have yet to see anyone say they hate Misfit's or Peep Show but for some reason we don't see show's like that on any of the big networks.

It's not to say that there aren't some intelligent shows on American airwaves, Dexter and Justified are smart well written shows that consistently deliver, I'm just saying that a large majority of programming is stupid. You don't realize it until you watch shows that force you to pay attention or get lost.

So are we just so acclimated to stupid sitcoms and dramas that we don't care? I think part of it is that seasons for most shows in America are 24 episodes long and in some case the writers are going for quantity over quality. Most UK shows are only 6 to 10 episodes long at the most. That leaves a lot of time for writing each season, which allows for a higher quality programming.

It's not to say American television isn't popular in the UK, in fact most of my UK readers constantly remind me of how good TV is in America which makes me ask one other question? Is this just a case of the grass being greener?