Well, the only bits of the British versions I've seen are the truly remarkable ones that make their way through YouTube. I don't think I can join in this fest until I see a more representative sample of the British show -- i.e., I can't come to the conclusion that it's not just as bad. Could be. There's probably a reason these clips make the rounds, and it's because they're so exceptional.
My wife's cousin was on New Zealand Idol (not totally sure how far she go), and then did featured interviews for it, and she said the show was about the same there as it is here, in terms of the silly and embarrassing stuff.
I remember listening to NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," and the resident Brit Sue Ellicott (who, by the way, isn't half as witty and clever as she thinks she is) was haranguing about how bad American TV is and how good British TV is, and Paula Poundstone chiimed in immediately with "Yeah, you know, like Benny Hill." Stunned silence, then uproarious laughter after that.
I think some of this is driven a bit by the other man's grass being greener. Not that shows like Idol, etc., aren't awful -- they are -- but I think they're probably awful everywhere.
My wife's cousin was on New Zealand Idol (not totally sure how far she go), and then did featured interviews for it, and she said the show was about the same there as it is here, in terms of the silly and embarrassing stuff.
I remember listening to NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me," and the resident Brit Sue Ellicott (who, by the way, isn't half as witty and clever as she thinks she is) was haranguing about how bad American TV is and how good British TV is, and Paula Poundstone chiimed in immediately with "Yeah, you know, like Benny Hill." Stunned silence, then uproarious laughter after that.
I think some of this is driven a bit by the other man's grass being greener. Not that shows like Idol, etc., aren't awful -- they are -- but I think they're probably awful everywhere.
