Friday, April 27, 2007
US TV
When I moved up to secondary school at 11/12 I received my own TV, which I had in the bedroom. Over the next couple of years I had some favourite TV shows. The real treat was being able to "stay up late" to watch a few shows that my parents wouldn't have let me watch. I say "late" but it was probably only 9pm, it was a different time back then though. A show that was regarded by my parents as "borderline" watchable for my age was SOAP. I haven't seen it in years but I did find it funny and daring (for my age). It would be interesting to watch again to see what I feel about it today. The other show that was OK by my parents for me to watch was WKRP In Cincinatti, I loved this show more than SOAP. I've always wanted to work at a radio station like that. I love the way that the shows were based around characters, just like Friends is really. My other favourite US show as a kid was Mash, I loved the theme song and I thought it was witty, intelligent and was certainly not your straightforward comedy sitcom. I was surprised a few years later to learn that the show aired with canned laughter in the US, it doesn't work with canned laughter. It would be interesting to know which (if any) British shows were popular in American homes a few years back.
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5 comments:
I think Coronation street was a big fav many years ago.. I use to watch it every Sunday.. But it got to be tiresome and I stopped watching it..but it still is on here..
I remember my parents watching "Soap" and I think I watched a few episodes. Loved WKRP, especially the theme song.
"Baby...if you ever wondered...Wondered, whatever became of me. I'm livin' on the air in Cincinnati, Cincinnati WKRP.." Hehe!
Anyway, the bold show my parents would occasionally let me watch was "Saturday Night Live". Oh and sometimes "Monty Python".
We were just used to M*A*S*H having a laughtrack. That was just the way it was. If I remember correctly, they shut the laughtrack off in the operating room.
Actual British shows in the US? I know that Monty Python and Dr Who were shown consistently enough to get a large enough cult following, but I don't think any were really shown nationally.
The real success the British shows had was when they were adapted/changed. "All in the Family" and "Sanford and Son" were merely adaptations of British sitcoms. Those two are in the top 10 of US comedies of all time (or if not, very close to top 10).
I loved Soap, WKRP, and M.A.S.H. too!
The only British show I ever remember seeing as a kid was Benny Hill. It made me laugh.
I liked Benny Hill, it was a silly but funny show. I agree with dmarks that there seems to have to be a translation of some kind before British shows become popular in the States, I find that interesting. Monty Python seemed amazing when I was growing up but I look at the shows now and just think "how bizarre"!
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