Britain Follows America’s Lead on TV Crime Drama

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   Ask any British TV viewer about American TV crime dramas & they will be able to reel out a list of programmes they like & watch. CSI, in all its forms, ditto Law & Order, 24, Shark, The Sopranos will all be mentioned & praised. If American viewers were asked about British TV shows, though, what would the reaction be?

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 Would anyone have watched, (or even heard of!) shows such as Rebus, Wire in the Blood, Waking the Dead or The Bill? It would be a pity if this is the case, as the influx of the afforementioned US series have had a massive & beneficial effect on our shows. As a keen amateur scriptwriter I have noted the improvements brought about by our writers who have noted the “Bruckheimer/Wolf effect”, named in deference to the creators of CSI & Law & Order. I first heard of this about 6 years ago. I watched with interest how the US shows did not waste one second of airtime. If a character in a show moved, say, a pen 5 inches on a desk, it would be totally relevent to the story.

  Luckily, many of the professional British drama writers are now doing the same, & the standard of the programmes is far better for it. One of the UK’s favourite drama series, The Bill, has recently had a complete change of format, taking it much closer to an American style of show. Personally, I think it is far better for it, but many people don’t like change, & viewing figures have dropped slightly. In its new format I believe it would appeal to an American audience.

  I never cease to be amazed at the storylines US writers manage to fit into what is effectively a 38 minute show, (1 hour minus ad breaks & titles). Some of the Law & Order SVU plots would make a gripping full length movie. Over here, we haven’t got that good yet, but we’re heading in the right direction. So, if you get the chance to have a look at some of our shows, give them a try – you may be surprised.

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