Question for British women

[Anonymous]

Are Masterpiece style British period costume dramas really popular over there?

The British seem to pump them out with amazing regularity, often with the same actors in multiple series. Austen, Victorian everything, Dickens, Downtown Abbey type shows, servants vs lords, etc, etc.

Or is it the case that every time the British studios need some money, they rent a manor, open the costume closet and throw one together to send to America so we can all lose ourselves in your british-ness?

I always wondered if those period dramas are just so popular over there that you produce them nonstop, or if you are doing it as a very popular export.

[Anonymous]

These are probably what companies like PBS and Britbox decide to present to US audiences.

There's a lot of junk TV in the UK that never gets shown in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are probably what companies like PBS and Britbox decide to present to US audiences.

There's a lot of junk TV in the UK that never gets shown in the US.

I have always wondered this.

A lot of them have rotating casts of the same actors. They seem to pump these period dramas out at a very rapid rate, like westerns in 1950s America.

I know the brits have their share of modern and trashy TV shows, but it just seems like they produce a disproportionately high amount of costumed period pieces. I am asking, are these British period dramas are as popular in England as they are in the US, so they keep producing them for the home audience? Or are they not actually popular in England, and are really just seen as something they can make and export to the Americans, who just devour their latest version of Downtown Abbey or Jane Austen?

[Anonymous]

Not sure why only women are qualified to answer this question.

[Anonymous]

I’m British and I think they are popular but as PPs have said, when you are the there it is actually only a small proportion of the TV that is produced. It’s just a high proportion of what makes it over here. Though I would also say that the number of crime dramas seems even higher than the number of period dramas!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m British and I think they are popular but as PPs have said, when you are the there it is actually only a small proportion of the TV that is produced. It’s just a high proportion of what makes it over here. Though I would also say that the number of crime dramas seems even higher than the number of period dramas!

The number of murrrrrdaas on the TV show Shetland make it appear a very scary place, when in reality its crime rate is very low.

[Anonymous]

Here's the current TV guide for the UK.

tvguide.co.uk/?view=grid&hour=20

There are lots of cheap real estate shows, antique shows, repair and renovation shows, soaps and game shows. Not much Jane Austen.

[Anonymous]

Many UK period dramas are able to get some up-front investment from US video outlets (Acorn, WGBH, or whichever others).

As others have noted, period dramas are not a huge percentage of television programmes shown in the UK. They have lots of other programmes that never make it over here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many UK period dramas are able to get some up-front investment from US video outlets (Acorn, WGBH, or whichever others).

As others have noted, period dramas are not a huge percentage of television programmes shown in the UK. They have lots of other programmes that never make it over here.

Right

I am sure they have a lot of normal and trash TV too. When we visited there, the limited time we spent in the hotel with the TV on, all that I saw on TV was sports and the type of shows we have in the USA, no period dramas.

The ulfront financing from the US makes the most sense and basically answers the question, with yes, they are producing these copious amounts of costumed leriod dramas for US audiences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why only women are qualified to answer this question.

Can't a woman have conversations with the ladies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many UK period dramas are able to get some up-front investment from US video outlets (Acorn, WGBH, or whichever others).

As others have noted, period dramas are not a huge percentage of television programmes shown in the UK. They have lots of other programmes that never make it over here.

Right

I am sure they have a lot of normal and trash TV too. When we visited there, the limited time we spent in the hotel with the TV on, all that I saw on TV was sports and the type of shows we have in the USA, no period dramas.

The ulfront financing from the US makes the most sense and basically answers the question, with yes, they are producing these copious amounts of costumed leriod dramas for US audiences.

I lived in England for a few years so I can confirm there is lots of trash tv (that is very fun to watch!!). I don’t think these period dramas are made specifically for US audiences. I know many women who loved Downtown Abbey and Jane Austen remains incredibly popular among women of all ages and all cultures. Although, all women gravitate back to the BBC Pride and Prejudice adaptation…if you know you know.

I can say that when I visited my older in-laws, they enjoyed the comfiness of period dramas. Younger people aren’t confined to satellite TV so they tend to branch out into other genres up to and including trash tv. I don’t know if period dramas are made with Americans in mind, but like PP said, whatever is show on TV is curated to what broadcasters think America will like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m British and I think they are popular but as PPs have said, when you are the there it is actually only a small proportion of the TV that is produced. It’s just a high proportion of what makes it over here. Though I would also say that the number of crime dramas seems even higher than the number of period dramas!

Agreed.

[Anonymous]

Amazon Prime live TV is showing a lot of these cheap British shows like Bargain Hunt and Repair Shop.

[Anonymous]

Great thread OP!

[Anonymous]

My husband is waiting for the day they start showing Shed of the Year here, where they select the best converted backyard man cave.