British dramas on the rise
British TV exports soared to a record high of Rm7.6bil, thanks to hit dramas such as Killing Eve and Fleabag, high-calibre acting, multi-layered stories and an eccentric sensibility.
BRITAIN’S political clout may be wavering post Brexit, but its “soft power” and cultural influence are increasing in at least one domain: the small screen.
British television exports hit a record £1.4bil (Rm7.6bil) in 2018/2019 – a 7% increase from 2017/2018, according to figures published last October.
Dramas made up 48% of that total, followed by “non-scripted factual” shows such as documentaries (23%) and “entertainment” titles such as reality series (15%).
Many of the biggest exports in recent years – the spy thriller Killing Eve (2018 to now), period drama Downton Abbey (2010 to 2015) and comedy Fleabag (2016 to 2019) – have also become international cultural phenomena and critical darlings.
This is especially in Britain’s largest TV market, the United States, where the cachet of these shows has been boosted by big Emmy and Golden Globe wins.
What is the secret sauce behind this success? A spokesman for BBC Studios, which produces many international hits, and the creators of the Emmy-winning Killing Eve point to the unique and often eccentric sensibility of British culture.
Ryan Shiotani, BBC Studios’ senior vice-president and general manager for South and South-east Asia, also believes it is “the high quality of actors and writers” working on British shows, as well as stories with wide-ranging styles that are “multi-layered, with authentic and nuanced characters”.
British crime dramas – such as BBC Studios’ acclaimed Sherlock (2010 to now) and Broadchurch (2013 to 2017) – have done especially well, he says.
And while sexy crime thrillers such as Bodyguard (2018) and Killing Eve hog the limelight, old-fashioned detective tales get lots of eyeballs too.
“During this time of uncertainty, viewers are flocking to the whodunits and softer crime dramas like Midsomer Murders (1997 to now). They find comfort in the characters and there is ultimately resolution to the stories,” Shiotani says in an email interview.
And he reveals that while Britain’s dramas dominate TV exports overall, in Asia, it is BBC Studios’ natural-history shows that are the most watched, particularly in India and China, its fastest-growing Asian markets.
Another explanation for the popularity of British TV is that viewers everywhere are simply more discerning and British creators have risen to the challenge.
So says Sally Woodward Gentle, who runs the production company that makes Killing Eve for BBC America, a network co-owned by BBC Studios and a US broadcaster.
In a telephone call from London, the producer says: “There’s just such a demand for good content and as viewers experience shows that are strong and intelligent, they continue to demand it and the bar keeps being raised.”
Also speaking from London, Suzanne Heathcote – the lead writer for Killing Eve – adds that “there’s a uniqueness to the voice – something in British culture that’s so specific and slightly eccentric”.
“And there’s a very dark humour that gilds a lot of the drama. It’s unusual and it really fills a void.”
“Killing Eve is a prime example,” adds Heathcote, who has written for the zombie series Fear The Walking Dead (2015 to now) and science-fiction drama See (2019 to now). “It has a very specific British flavour that is so enjoyable and different.”
But even a veteran such as Woodward Gentle – who worked for the production houses behind Downton Abbey and crime hit Broadchurch – is taken aback at how well some British shows travel despite their idiosyncrasies.
One of these is competition show The Great British Bake Off (2010 to now), which BBC Studios has licensed to 33 countries, with locally produced versions often ranking first in their time slots.
Gentle was baffled by the audience this has found abroad. “I wondered whether it was going to resonate that, after the eight weeks of emotional turmoil you put yourself through to make a cake, you only win a bunch of flowers.”
Heathcote was not surprised it has done well, though.
“It was because it was so different. A lot of reality shows in America are kind of overproduced and there’s something about Bake Off – there’s no major emotional backstory for contestants, no catfighting or underhand play. It’s just about nice people making cakes.
“A lot of British reality shows aren’t that way either and there’s a real gap for that,” she observes.
“So there is something just really redemptive and it makes you feel good about being human when you watch other humans being good.”