Before Channel 4 launched, the ‘best of US’ on British television meant I Love Lucy
, Dallas and Dynasty. Since then viewers have enjoyed hits that give the lie to the old adage about British television being the best in the world: Cheers, Frasier, The West Wing, The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Friends – witty, nuanced and with unmatchable production values, these shows demonstrated that there are some things that the Americans do best. One thing American television lacks, however, is a tradition of serious factual programming: Channel 4 has used its own high-quality documentary skills to shine a light, often an unforgiving one, on life in the USA and the profound impact its politics and policies have on the rest of the world.
In This Chapter
- Introduction
- Television From a New World by Anthony Haden-Guest
- US and Them by Christopher Meyer
- Clash of Personalities by Julien Temple
- Gallery
Chapter Gallery
