[DanaC]

I love Sherlock. I love good tv, British or American. I love shows that merge and meld those sensibilities and styles. Though, I actually think Sherlock is much more British in tone than American. I think possibly what makes it seem more American in style is its production values. Most British tv is produced on a shoe string compared to American shows. Sherlock is a little different. It has a budget - but probably only because they do three 90 minute eps a series :p They have a similar budget to other shows that have 6-8 hour long eps a series.

Its energy and pace is possibly more American. That sort of energy is usually to be found in the experimental, very low budget and raw stuff (Being Human, 1st series original Life on Mars, Utopia etc). Usualy the big ticket stuff lacks that verve and raw energy.

I like the way our two tv cultures inform and borrow from each other. So, for a time, the really good shorter series dramas tended to come from the UK, and mainly from the BBC because they weren't dependent on adverts and sponsors. Then the cable revolution in America, with HBO and the like being able to push the boundaries and take risks changed that landscape. Now, and for maybe the last 10-15 years, the really good dramas are nearly all coming from the US.

And, as I mentioned above, even though I was annoyed about the Being Human remake (given it went into production whilst the original was still on air) I actually ended up loving it. I will always have a special place in my heart for the original, and in particular the first three series. But I also love the remake. They are such different beasts, and yet they clearly share some of the same dna.



What's nice is that now, instead of being all sniffy about the BBC being the bestest drama in the world, we're taking lessons from that cable creativity and risk taking. There's an energy and dazzle about American drama that makes a lot of traditional British drama seem stale and po-faced.

I like this cultural exchange. Some American dramas seem to have taken on something of the brit sensibility (dark humour and grotesques) and British dramas seem to be taking on some of the American sensibilities (visual literacy and energy).

It's all good.