LONDON, April 19 — British TV shows are enjoying a resurgence in popularity with American viewers, after a slump in recent years. According to one study, such content now accounts for 27 per cent of demand for international programming in the US, compared to 24 per cent in 2023. And the BBC is faring particularly well.
From Fleabag to After Life to Doctor Who, British TV shows seem to have reconnected with US audiences. As of 2020, British shows had been losing popularity with Americans, according to a study by Parrot Analytics, reported by The Wrap. With the proliferation of streaming platforms offering content increasingly tailored to an international audience, shows from the UK have suffered somewhat from competition, particularly from Korean productions. In January 2020, British series accounted for 33 per cent of demand for international programming in the USA. This fell to 24 per cent in 2023, before rebounding to 27 per cent in January 2024.
The BBC is faring particularly well, since 2.7 per cent of demand for all shows in the US in the first quarter of 2024 was for original series produced by the British group. And that’s a respectable score, given the dominance of streaming giants and American networks such as Netflix (8.9 per cent), NBC (5.7 per cent), HBO (4.4 per cent) and Disney (4.1 per cent).
One of the most popular British series is Doctor Who. The famous Doctor tops the list of shows that were most in demand among US audiences in the first quarter of 2024 on BritBox (the BBC’s online digital video subscription service, featuring British programmes for overseas audiences). The craze is such that demand for the show was 33 times higher than the average series demand in Q1 2024, according to Parrot Analytics. Other popular shows on BritBox include programmes that have long since come to an end, such as Mr. Bean, Downton Abbey and Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, not to mention Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, hosted by British chef, Gordon Ramsay. — ETX Studio
