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Making It To International Scenes: UK TV Shows Take The Leap

Popular UK TV Showsvia
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You may have come across numerous UK TV shows on television and streaming platforms. UK TV industry takes pride in its numerous formats and shows that have made their way to different parts of the world. In fact, statistics from Betway suggest that the United Kingdom made $1.97 billion from export sales in 2020 alone. Below are some of the shows that TV producers outside of the UK remade.

 

Scripted UK TV Shows

The Office US
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Though certain sitcoms, period dramas, and series originally did well in the UK, some have outperformed their initial UK version after being remade to the world stage. Once shows such as Misfits, Doctor Foster, His Dark Materials, Chernobyl, The Office, Doctor Who, and Luther have succeeded worldwide.

On the other hand, some shows like Skins, The Inbetweeners, and Broadchurch did not fare as well in the US. Their UK counterparts were much better in comparison. The failed attempt on US screens was partly because the audience could not relate much to the content. Another factor that resulted in the failure of these shows was because the UK and US versions shared the same script.

 

Unscripted UK Formats

UK TV Shows
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The world has enjoyed some famous formats such as Planet Earth and Who wants to Be a Millionaire? However, most people do not know that the original versions of these formats were actually from the United Kingdom. Other formats that follow a similar pattern include Love Island, Got Talent, Strictly Come Dancing, Great British Bake Off, Come to Dine with Me, First Dates, and Google box.

Though Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? began in the UK, the show has 100 other versions. The show has attracted millions of viewers in the US, with the 2020 finale having nearly 7 million viewers. The UK version in 2018 had 5.06 million viewers led by Jeremy Clarkson.

UK TV exports mostly rely on the sale of scripted drama, but the added revenue from the unscripted formats makes a considerable difference. For instance, 42% of the global exports in 2020 were from the UK unscripted formats.

 

What Awaits the UK TV Industry?

UK TV Shows
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In the next five years, the UK media and entertainment field’s collected revenue is estimated to be £87.9 billion. This will be a £6.6 billion jump from the current revenue figures. That means you can expect more exports from the UK TV industry. It also means that the producers will be working to ensure viewers get quality content plus a wide show selection.

The use of over-the-top (OTT) media services still plays a key role in ensuring global subscribers get access to their preferred UK content. These platforms continue to increase by the day, with the estimated total being 1.495 billion by 2026. UK TV industry stands to gain a lot from this boom since 38% of the worldwide sales are from these platforms.

At the moment, UK exports a large part of its television content to Europe. However, this trend will likely shift in favor of other nations such that smaller shows from countries outside Europe can market their products. This can be better explained by the Brexit concept that is already taking shape.

The European Union (EU) takes active measures to ensure that the UK television relieves part of its dominance in this continent. These steps will also consolidate the relationship that exists between the export markets of UK content and the United Kingdom. Cultural diversity is also a concept that is emphasized by these moves.

Export markets of these UK content include France, the USA, Canada, and Australia. These are just a few in the English-speaking sphere. However, UK has also exported its content to other markets in Latin America, such as Brazil and Asia. Streaming platforms in Brazil and China have supported this export deal.

 

Final Word

Streaming platforms have also brought people closer to their favorite sport. Football fans can now experience an immersive experience watching their stars on TV. By doing so, fans can get the latest updates on the players. For instance, the Messi autism reveal was a huge part that caught the attention of many football enthusiasts.

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Anushka Jain
the authorAnushka Jain
Founder
'Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.'