From: rassilon@infopls.chi.il.us (Michael Quintero)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.drwho
Subject: RE: AMERICANISING OF THE 
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 22:20:21 CDT
X-Maildoor: WaflineMail 1.00r


DSY (Dave Yadallee) sez:
>Sorry to do this, but if someone could cross-post this article to
>alt.fan.monty-python,alt.tv.red-dwarf and alt.fan.dougls-adams and let these
>lads and lassies have their say along with us, I would appreciate this, and
>their contibution to this sub-thread!
>
>
>neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil Postlethwaite) writes:
>
>- In article <ko1FPB3w165w@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca> yadallee@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca
>- >
>- >Wtih this thread about "Americanization" of the Britannia, I must rebuff thi
>- >
>- >It seems to me that it is equal.  British shows like "Doctor Who", "The
>- >Avengers", "Blake's 7", "Monty Python", "Fawlty Towers", "Butterflies", and
>- >other shows, "The Secret Agent", and "The Prisoner" included, I say that
>- >the USA is being "Britonized". In fact, in rec.arts.drwho, the Doctor Who
>- >newsgroup, there are more American entries than British.  Anyone awake.
>- >Now if Britain could only do a series on Kingdoms and REpublics.
>- >
>-
>- There will be more US posts on 'cult' UK originated UK TV because you will
>- get it shown more often (or at all).
>-
>- BBC Enterprises (the commercial arm of the Beeb) is making vast mountains of
>- money selling video's of stuff like Dr Who, Blakes 7 .... The reason a
>- lot of people are buying them is because these shows haven't been broadcast
>- on TV for AGES and they want to watch them.
>-
>- Blakes 7 hasn't been shown in the UK since about 1982/3.
>-
>- Dr Who (apart from a one off series of about 7 stories featuring each Doctor
>- which died about half way through and doesn't seem to be coming back) hasn't
>- been shown for years either. Not since the last Silvester McCoy one :
>- The last Dr Who made - so far.
>-
>- Similarly due to problems with rights over Star Trek: TNG series 4,5,6
>- won't be shown for a year or to (BBC v Sky TV) and the video's of series
>- 4,5 .... are constantly in the top ten Sell-Through Video Charts.
>-
>- Neil
>-
>  Just in reacting Neil, I know we get re-runs of good British comedy and
>drama.  Read Dwarf for starters has been show twice in my area and I did catch
>a bit of a rerun on BBC2 in early June, namely "Camille".  One cannot blame the
>BBC for their sales tactic considering how they can exploit fan effections for
>their favourate shows.
>
>Also, to you and the chap who posted on this,  most N.A Doctor Who Fan CLub are
>more or less  Britsh telefantasy Clubbes with emphasis on DW + shows like
>Blake's, Red Dwarf, Python, Red-Dwarf, Hitchhiker's Guide.., Secret Agent/ The
>Prisoner, et al.
>
>But my point is that thanks to TV, we are beginning to influence North
>American culture.

Well, I think the cross-posting was a little uncalled-for, but here goes:
American culture, fortunately or unfortunately, is the most pervasive
in modern  history.  You can ask any one, in any developed country, who
Mickey Mouse is and get the right answer.  Ask someone who Asterix the
Gaul is and you will get the answer, "Who?"  The fact remains, that in
this new world of instant communication, the whole world is tending to
become more like everyone else, in  a recursive fashion. (That is,
Country A is becoming more like Country B which is becoming more like
Country A, knocking over several trash bins and upsetting two apple
carts in the process)  This is an unarrestible trend.  Personally, I
think that American culture is more wide-spread than British culture,
by the mere fact that we've got a lot more people to spread it around.

Also, Dave, the Americans you meet on Usenet aren't exactly a
representation of the average Joe on the street.  They're a little
more literate on the average, since it's a college-based network.
They are all more techincally oriented, since they are, of course,
using a UNIX or advanced MS-DOS (or VAX, sorry) system to post.
Most people I know couldn't give a load of fetid dingo's kidneys
about Doctor Who, the Prisoner, etc.  And this's in Chicago, the
heart of DW fandom in this country.  While these are all good
and worthwhile shows, most Americans just don't like British
humor or even SF in general.  That's why, in the US, DW-carrying
stations are dropping like flies.  There is no interest any more.
They aren't picking up new viewers, and the old ones have stopped
watching because they have them all on tape and there are no new
episodes.

Mike Quintero ( rassilon@infopls.chi.il.us )
___
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