American Imports We Love To Watch

While there are plenty of British shows that we love to settle down in front of, there's something to be said for the many American imports that grace our screens. While shows such as Hollyoaks, Coronation Street and The Office offer us a variety of different genres and styles, it seems that our viewing schedule would seem a little bare without the help of our American friends, with shows such as Lost, Ugly Betty and Heroes becoming firm viewing favourites with the British public.

There are several factors that serve to make American shows particularly popular over here and one is the budget. American series tend to attract a far larger budget than their British counterparts and therefore typically enjoy enhanced special effects and production values. While this might not be an important factor when it comes to romantic comedies or family sitcoms it can make a big difference to shows with a sci-fi or magical element.

Big hits such as Heroes and True Blood are hard for people to emulate without a substantial budget, as supernatural scenes need a certain level of polish for today's viewers. However, the UK has had some success with shows such as Being Human which rely on plot and a limited budget yet manage to prove popular despite the competition.

Another thing that attracts the viewing public to American TV series seems to be the cast members, not only does America typically have a bigger talent pool to choose from (it is a much bigger country than the UK after all!) but some of our best loved actors end up working in America too. Just look at the success of medical mystery series House and how it has proved a great vehicle for British actor Hugh Laurie on both sides of the pond.

On the other hand, some American shows are popular in the UK precisely because of their decidedly American attributes. For example, Sex And The City was a massive hit in Britain as well as in America, partly because it offered British women a glimpse into a world they normally wouldn't experience. The same could be said for Friends, one of the best loved American series ever. Although the charm of the show rested in its depiction of relationships both romantic and otherwise, the strong American ethos definitely made it an aspirational choice for many young British viewers.

Keeping up to date with American shows is easy in the UK these days, and with technology like the Sky+HD you can make sure you never miss an episode of the latest American shows rocking British shores.