The world is invested by brilliant television, and there are few countries that can roll out the amount of hit shows that the United Kingdom has. The interest in British shows is increasing every year, with 2018-19 figures showing an increase of seven per cent from the year previously.
However, it wouldn’t be able to achieve this continued growth if it wasn’t for the high-quality television that is being put out in the United Kingdom. Over the past five years, there have been titles that have gone on to achieve critical acclaim from around the world. It isn’t just one specific drama that has achieved the growth either, as all sectors are thriving.
Drama
Since 2018, there has been a string of top television dramas that have engrossed the globe. The most prominent of which was Bodyguard. The BBC smash hit dominated sales in 2018-19. The drama sector contributed to 48 per cent of the growth, but it wasn’t just the Bodyguard that excelled. Peaky Blinders is one of the most successful British exports according to WeLoveBrum, and with the star-studded cast, it isn’t much of a surprise.
As well as that, there are dramas such as Sherlock, Luther and Downton Abbey that have excelled. The Bodyguard didn’t just win UK admiration, as it was also nominated for a Golden Globe, while Richard Madden did take home an accolade at the award’s bash
Factual
The factual sector also saw an increase of 23 per cent according to the 2018-19 figures, with much of that down to the success of Blue Planet II. David Attenborough presented the show, which looked into all the elements that are warming the planet. The show took over four years to put together and was immediately a huge success around the world.
It went on to win four awards in 2018, with the show also honoured at the NTAs as it won the Impact Award. Other Attenborough shows have also been huge hits around the globe, and one of the many reasons why the British exports in terms of factual shows are so great.
Entertainment
The entertainment sector of television also saw a 15 per cent rise in sales during the period of 2018-19. One of the biggest successes during this period was Love Island. The British version is a huge hit with the United Kingdom, but there were also international editions. There are now editions in the USA, Australia and Sweden, but the UK version still gains the most traction of all of them.
Simon Cowell has also had his hand in some of the most popular entertainment shows, with X-Factor and Britain’s Got Talent also extremely popular. The latter of those also has international version around the world. The Great British Bakeoff has also been a huge success for Britain, as it is now showcased in 20 countries around the world, including Australia, Denmark and India. There is also a French and Turkish edition of the show that have been hits in their native countries.