In a message dated 2/20/01 7:37:11 PM Eastern Standard Time, avona@jps.net writes:

<< The culture does show through, in more than just the accents. It is part of the show's appeal to me, really. Reserve, dignity, and showing respect are worthy qualties, and much maligned in modern America. My husband has guessed that he prefers British comedy to American because people like Tom and Barbara Good, Mr. Humphries, etc struggle to maintain a certain amount of dignity in often ludicrous situations, whereas on shows like 'Friends', there's no sense of restraint of any kind. >>

I suppose everything's relative to the circumstances of the viewer. Quite a few US viewers adore British shows because they are simply 'different'. The people, the settings, the culture are all far enough off-center to be conprehensible but alien. I'm well aware that these shows have their own cliches, but those cliches are completely *different* from the set we've been watching on American TV for decades, so they seem fresh. And many of the British shows lack the American producer's obession for using nothing but actors and characters who are just past puberty, or as young and emaciated as they can possibly manage. I don't mind if my shows feature characters I can more easily identify with because their shapes and ages are more like the average person; the Roj Blakes, Diana Trents, Hyacinth Buckets, Mrs. Slocums, Jeffrey Ballards, Rene Artois, Dr. Who, Alex Callendars, Lionel and Jean Hardcastle and all the rest.

In order for an older performer to be in the lead on an American show nowadays, he/she often has to hang around long enough to grow into it. That, or be the main character's boss or parent.

Leah