America's New Trade: Television

While America may be on the outs with the rest of the world, American TV is experiencing a popularity surge across the world. If you can believe it, the last big television heyday was the 80s, when "Dallas", "Dynasty" and "The Dukes of Hazzard" were the big shows. Now, according to The New York Times story here, American TV is experiencing a new life with British television networks.

As much as our shows are racing over there, the number of those watching British television shows in America is growing as well. Starting with The Office, the hit sitcom done as a fake documentary that helped us see that squirm worthy/uncomfortable real life situational material could also be funny, gave us our start, spurring an Americanized replica that has just recently come into its own. Stations like BBC America and imported DVDs are introducing more and more people to shows like Little Britain and Life on Mars as well as the duplication of shows that were hits there, like Coupling and the yet unseen and slightly feared remake of Life on Mars.

This export is growing, with more British stations offering American television than ever before, some even adding additional nights of programming. For the last few years, some of the best comedies on American television has been from Britain. Most notably, I remember watching several hours of Brit-com on my local PBS station and Absolutely Fabulous marathons whenever I could catch them on Comedy Central. It is gratifying to see Americans aren't the only ones noticing how good the last couple of seasons of television have been.

Now, I'm all for importing British shows, but sometimes I think American television writers/producers see British shows that are funny and think that the concept is what makes it funny. Their shortsightedness has been what has traditionally led to failed remakes, like the aforementioned Coupling. This year is the first year where The Office, which has always been funny to me, has had writing that makes me compare it to the British version. The British version was brilliant, more than funny, a great commentary of the cubicle work environment which brought fascination out of the frustration. Originally, the writers of the Office duplicated episodes, hoping to find the funny in the repetition. Then, they came up with their own office antics, which, while funny, did not have the UK Office's brilliance. This year, they are uncomfortably funny and compelling as it picks at the scab of a work experience that we all hope to find humour in. For those who export the drama, Life on Mars, I hope you can look past the interesting premise and see what it really is that makes this show work.

My Veronica Mars Season 3 Premiere Review

How about you try not to piss anyone off this time around.

Oh, but what would Veronica Mars be without people pissed off at Veronica? And this season started wonderfully with Veronica solving a fake crime for a class. The pissed off person in question is the Teaching Assistant, Tim, who thinks a little much of himself (although I'm pretty sure he needs to rethink shaving). I wanted to kick his butt when he started talking about Elementary Education, so it was very gratifying when she said, "I know who did it" with a dismissive glance. The professor was a cutie though and I like how he looked when Veronica asked about using the internet and when she said he helped her pick the blind guy. Pissed off 1, Friends 0

You a bounty hunter boy?

I think this is my favourite Veronica line. I loved the way she said it. I enjoyed the interaction between her and Logan in this scene. Pissed off 1, Friends 1

Wonder Twins power activate.

Vinnie Van Lowe's line to Keith. My favourite line not spoken by Veronica.
I have a continued appreciation for the Vinnie character.

Did you make any friends? Lord No!

My favourite Keith and Veronica scene (or was it the only one? C'mon! More Keith and Veronica scenes!). Keith is after a bounty and Backup is in charge, set to maul Logan if he stays after midnight. I think Backup would do it to. But what about the bitch he's been seeing?

Qu'est ce que c'est? Frak?
Battlestar strikes again. And for you people who don't watch Gilmore Girls, Luke's brother in law brought up BSG at the dinner table. BSG is so in there!

Wallace meets his roommate, Piz, who loses all his worldly possessions in a heinous scheme that only Veronica can solve. Piz wants to go to the police, until he meets Veronica. Veronica gets information from the sheriff's office about other suspects, questions them and is lead by a clue on Piz's car to a concert. With Mac and her "boy-nip" roommate, Parker, they head to a concert. (favourite Mac line? If college was a boy buffet, she has two plates full and boys wrapped in napkins in her purse) Three young boys go up after the show when Veronica asks for witnesses. Their story is that a blonde who seemed fat, but had a slammin' bod and two black guys stole their stuff. A guy who has Piz's Holy Grail Guitar also says he bought it from a blonde with a smokin' bod. Well, it turns out the guy with the guitar, who was part of the criminology department and was a mentor to young delinquents, had used his young delinquents to help rob freshmen of their possessions. Bad mentor! Yes, Veronica found you. Friends 3, Enemies 5


I'll be sure to call unexpectedly again.

I love Keith. Keith, on the other hand, is getting a convict, Cormac, to Kendall. And who saw that ending coming? After Keith gets him there, and he and Kendall seem cozy, Keith goes out to get some papers and discovers Vinnie bugged his briefcase. He runs back to the house to warn that Liam might be near, and finds that Cormac has killed Kendall and is about to come after him. Here's hoping that Vinnie comes in at crunch time.

Well, frak! Give me your keys.

It's official. Veronica Mars loves Battlestar Galactica. She also walks in on Parker with a guy - is it the guy who ends up shaving her head?

Piz was so cute having his crush on Veronica.
And that poor excuse for hackey sack...
And of course, kudos to Kristen Bell for the look she has when Piz asks her if Logan was her boyfriend. I could (and have) replayed that look. It says so much in less than 5 seconds. And the ending is still chilling, even after so many views. Of course, we knew Veronica wouldn't really turn into the Nancy Drew of Hearst, working on small time crimes. She's back in the big girl leagues with the case of the head shaving rapist. And she will get 'em, don't you worry. She will get 'em. Great episode! I love this show.

repost from my tvguide.com blog