5 reasons why we love British TV



There’s no doubt that British TV is amongst the most popular in the world, with hundreds of shows being exported across the globe annually. Wherever you are in the… read more
5 reasons why we love British TV
There’s no doubt that British TV is amongst the most popular in the world, with hundreds of shows being exported across the globe annually. Wherever you are in the world, you’re never too far from the Brits.
BritBox is the streaming service bringing together the best of British from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. The service, which offers a 30-day free trial, offers an extensive catalogue of generations of British TV. From the comedy masterpiece that is Only Fools and Horses, to the edge-of-your-seat drama of Broadchurch, it’s all there on BritBox.
What is it that makes British TV so great? Here are five reasons why we can’t get enough of British TV:
1. We’re not afraid to laugh at ourselves
British humour is at the heart of our television shows, even the drama, and it’s something that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. It’s eccentric – think of the unconventional charm of Doctor Who‘s eponymous Timelord. It’s also dark, even tense police dramas such as Prime Suspect have a sprinkling of comic relief. It’s also very tongue-in-cheek. Satirical television flourishes in Britain where it fails elsewhere. Our comedy panel show selection, including long-running hits such as QI, are second to none.
2. We’re not afraid to tackle difficult subject matter
Perhaps it’s not being as reliant on the opinions of advertisers as say, the US, but British TV is totally unafraid of challenging subject matter. Where else in the world would shows as impacting as Little Boy Blue and Broadchurch get made? Even our soaps are at the cutting edge, with producers ready and willing to push the boundaries.
3. We have some of the world’s leading experts on our screens
We also have world leading experts on our screens. David Attenborough is one of Britain’s national treasures, with his wide catalogue of wildlife documentary work acclaimed across the globe. Elsewhere, Professor Brian Cox is winning Guinness World Records for his sold out arena tours across the planet (maybe the solar system in years to come). We’ve got Trevor McDonald. We’ve got Michael Palin. When it comes to cooking, take your pick from Gordon Ramsay, James Martin, Gino D’Acampo, the list goes on…
4. We embrace our history
There’s nowhere that does a better period drama than British TV, and we’ve got stacks upon stacks of history to keep churning them out for years to come. From Dickens’ era tales of rags like Great Expectations to the opulent riches of Downton Abbey and Belgravia, there’s so much source material here. It’s not all fun, either, dramas such as Small Island also examine the historical impact of British imperialism. We have a long, oft-extravagant, oft-terrible, history – and the writing and acting talent to make compelling TV from it.
5. We get to the point
British TV gets to the point, without faffing about with filler episodes or new seasons of shows past their prime. Sometimes it means a series, like Endeavour, only consists of three episodes a season – and there’s a long wait for new episodes – but the quality is guaranteed. We’ll take it over 20+ episodes of a show that’s already been running decades and ran out of good ideas somewhere near the beginning.
Sign up for your 30-day free trial now at britbox.co.uk to watch all these shows and more.
BritBox has the biggest collection of British boxsets compared to other SVOD services. Verify at britbox.co.uk/help. 30-day free trial. Auto renews @£5.99/month unless cancelled.