Netizens sub the best of the BBC

By Wang Yu

American TV series have enjoyed a strong fanbase in China for the last six years despite very few having aired on Chinese television. But many viewers say these staples of water-cooler chatter are getting boring.

Prison Break went out with a whimper; Lost’s ending made no sense; and the plots of Lie to Me are getting repetitive. General disappointment with big-budget US productions is leading many Chinese fans to discover the BBC.

But Dr. Who may have a tough time penetrating China.

Whereas American culture has already become part of the global mainstream, British culture – and accents – may be difficult for many viewers to accept.

When coworkers banter about The Big Bang Theory – China’s current favorite US sitcom – web editor Charlotte Liu feels left out.

“The acting is good, the idea is creative and the characters are funny. But I’ve been watching American TV since Friends, and the humor is nothing new. The episodes are always really predictable, so I quit watching after the first season,” Liu says.

Her current favorite is The IT Crowd, a British comedy, or “Britcom,” airing on Channel 4 in six-episode seasons. The series tells the stories of a big company’s IT department run by two nerds and a tech-clueless female director. The fourth season was released in July, two years after the last season.

“My friend recommended the series to me, and I immediately fell in love with the characters. US sitcoms rely on silly dialogue whereas British series win with their well-made plots. Usually there are at least three storylines per episode and they cross over often,” Liu says.

“British humor is also different – you have to know the background to appreciate who the script writers are trying to poke fun at,” Liu says.

The Big Bang Theory and The IT Crowd are currently vying for the title of China’s most popular sitcom, even though neither has been broadcast in the country. Newer series such as the BBC’s Sherlock – a Holmes story set in modern London — have received over 12,000 ratings on Douban’s movie page.