British Television Today

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

British television today is more prominent internationally than ever before. Indeed, many Americans today are bigger fans of series like Sherlock, Downton Abbey, Top Gear, Black Mirror, Planet Earth, Peaky Blinders, The Crown, and Catastrophe as they are of anything on NBC. What's behind the popularity of such shows and their global circulation? How does commercial success affect the public service orientation of outlets like the BBC? Through watching recent British TV programs and covering the economic and cultural contexts behind their creation, this course will explore the state of British television at a time when many traditional practices are transforming due to new digital platforms like Netflix and new competitive pressures are being brought to bear on the world's most influential public service television system.