British People Have Television Too

I'm English. And American. I have dual citizenship, and I was raised in both countries. This means that I don't just watch U.S. television shows, but British ones too. Doubly important, I can understand all the accents!

What I've noticed recently, that I somehow managed to completely miss as a child, is that there is a stark difference between British shows and American shows, even after you remove locale and accents. That difference is attractiveness.

American television stars are, more often than not, attractive. Sometimes they're really, really attractive. Plus, even when they're not traditionally 'good looking', they still get perfect make-up, and proper lighting, and intense post-production. This happens even when the show is trying to show that the character is slovenly. Take 'The Middle' for instance, Patricia Heaton's character doesn't have good hair or good clothes, but damn does she look good on film.

If you don't watch a lot of British television you'll have no idea what I'm talking about. Because for people raised on U.S. television a character like Doug Heffernon isn't 'attractive'. I hate to tell you all, but you're missing out on what real on-air unattractiveness is. Maybe that's a little harsh, what I mean is that American television's version of a normal person is horribly skewed.

In the U.K. television shows are often filmed with a more realist approach (I use the word 'realist' in the loosest possible sense; I'm not trying to relate to Ray or Rosellini, because luckily this isn't a film class). What I mean by 'realist approach' is that everything looks more...real. Their lighting isn't as good, their actors aren't always chosen because they looked best in a screen test, and their post-production isn't as snazzy. The closest thing that American TV has are its soap operas. But, that's not to say that those British shows aren't brilliant.


Which is why American television ideals sometimes make me sad. There are so many great British shows that I want my U.S. friends to enjoy. A lot of them are even on Netflix Instant (so you don't have to suffer through a six-hour plane ride!). My favorite, slightly-older British show at the moment is 'Gavin & Stacey'. It's absolutely brilliant; it's funny, it's heart-warming, and it's just as quirky as 'Arrested Development'. Unfortunately, when I tried to persuade a group of American friends to watch it with me, it was quickly rejected because "no one in that show is attractive". Are we really at the point where we can't watch a show if the main characters aren't hot? My British friends are able to easily acclimate to the gorgeous Americans on their screens, but my U.S. friends can't see the beauty in the British-style of TV. The sad thing is, they don't know how much quality television they're missing.


So, if you're American (or any nationality, I'm really not picky) go to Netflix Instant and give a British TV show a try. Accept that the accents are different, and the footage is often grainier, and enjoy the quality of the plot. I promise, it's there.


I highly recommend: 'Gavin & Stacey', 'Peep Show', and 'Doc Martin'. 

The cast of 'Gavin & Stacey'

New Lifetime Cop Show 'Against the Wall' Stars Australian Actress

I don't really know what this show is about (okay, it's about a female cop who comes from a family of cops but decides to accept a job in Internal Affairs, so they all think she's no longer "protecting her own" or something). Regardless. That's completely unimportant. Because who cares about plot when it stars Rachael Carpani, who played Jodi in the Australian hit dramasoap 'McLeod's Daughters'. I would only be more excited if it was Bridie Carter instead.

Anyway, apparently when 'McLeod's Daughters' ended she moved to LA to try her hand at acting in American television. I haven't seen her in any of the bit parts she's had, so it looks like this starring role in a Lifetime show could be her big break. My one concern is that her accent in the previews doesn't sound quite as "Portia de Rossi can successfully drop her Australian accent and act American" as I would like. Guess we'll see, because you can be sure I'll be watching!

I can tell they have accents...

Foreign Actors Who Have Bad American Accents

Lisl: Me nightie's slippin'
Bond: So is your accent, Countess.
--For Your Eyes Only


I was watching "Private Practice", a show that I normally choose to avoid (I like "Grey's", but for some reason I find the drama in "Private Practice" grating, and their focus on psychiatrists completely unrealistic), and I happened to see that Alex Kingston was in it. Now, I am a fan of Kingston. I was a loyal "ER" viewer, and really enjoyed her performance as Elizabeth Corday. I also enjoyed the fact that she had a lovely and realistic (because it is real) English accent. My biggest problem about her performance on "Private Practice"? Her accent sounded wrong. She was playing an American, and spoke with an 'American' accent...but there was something slightly wrong about it. I can't even explain it, but every third or fourth word sounded off.





My friend H, who reads my blog but chooses to verbally give me comments instead of writing them (write some comments, people!) also pointed out that Simon Baker's accent in "The Mentalist" is pretty shoddy. Since I don't watch that show, and have only seen previews, I didn't realize that. So, I retract him from my prior post, and am now including him here instead.



Click HERE for the Boston Globe's grading of American accents.

They have accents?

Wait, What Accents?

There are a shocking number of foreign actors and actresses who appear on American television using American accents.


Often we know who these people are, but occasionally it's shocking.


For instance, did you know that Kevin McKidd (who plays Owen on "Grey's Anatomy") is Scottish? Well, I had no idea...until I saw him being interviewed for the "Greys" musical episode.



Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who played Vivian Johnson on "Without a Trace" for 8 seasons, is also British. I discovered that (with a great deal of shock) when I watched the special features on the series DVD.







Oh, and lets not forget "House". Hugh Laurie is also a Brit. But they're not the only ones invading.

"Without a Trace" barely qualifies as an American television show. Poppy Montgomery and Anthony LaPaglia, the shows other two leads, are both Australian. But you wouldn't know it.






"Fringe", currently airing on Fox, has an Australian lead (Anna Torv), and so does "The Mentalist" (Simon Baker).





And, Portia de Rossi, who I've previously mentioned for her roles on "Ally McBeal", "Arrested Development", and "Nip/Tuck", is yet another Australian.







Here are the following shows that have foreign actors playing American leads different television stations:
1) "Fringe" and "House" on Fox
2) "The Mentalist" on CBS
3) "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC
So, that's the two out of the Big Three plus the 'newcomer' network!

I guess I really can't complain about an Australian/British invasion on "our" television. After all, I have British citizenship too, and I'm not planning on moving out of the U.S. anytime soon.

Check out this fun story about foreigners playing Americans that was first heard on NPR in 2008.