A Brief History Of British Television And Tv Reviews

British television programmes have been charming audiences across the globe since BBC TV was officially launched in 1932. Today, TV in Britain is arguably more creative and diverse than any other country in the world and consequently receives rave TV reviews. Recently celebrating its 50th birthday, ITV"s Coronation Street is one of the most popular programmes in the country and has managed to withstand the test of time. With its gripping storylines, the long-running soap opera has seen off would-be rivals and spawned others, such as its biggest competition, BBC"s EastEnders. It has tackled many delicate issues throughout its history and has survived accusations of racism.

Britain has become world-renowned for its serious television documentaries, although timeless and indestructible comic creations reflect the British way of life even more convincingly. Programme"s such as George Cole"s Arthur Daley in Minder, Nigel Hawthorne"s Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister, the Steptoes, Arthur Lowe and co in Dad"s Army, John Cleese"s Fawlty Towers and the classic Only Fools and Horses reflect this.

An important element throughout the history of the British TV schedule is comedy. In the Seventies and Eighties, the Monty Python series became a global legend, while comedian Ricky Gervais recently managed to win the hearts of the American public after achieving great TV reviews in Britain. Controversial talent shows such as The X Factor and Britain"s Got Talent, which British TV and Simon Cowell can be credited (or blamed) for, continue to absorb the whole planet, however Britain has given the world Jacob Bronowski"s The Ascent of Man, Kenneth Clark"s Civilisation and epic nature series like Life on Earth and The Blue Planet, wonderfully created by David Attenborough, which we can be proud of.

Classic drama series like Edge of Darkness, Our Friends in the North, The Jewel in the Crown, State of Play, the original Upstairs Downstairs and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy have made a huge impact on British TV history, although single plays like Ken Loach"s Cathy Come Home and Mike Leigh"s Abigail"s Party are much less frequent today. A surprise recent hit for Julian Fellowes came in the form of Downton Abbey, which has heralded a new wave of the iconic British costume drama, as well as striking new dramatisations of 19th-century classics by Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

The BBC"s successful re-launch of Doctor Who in 2005 made the TV news, although British sci-fi is often in the shadow of iconic Hollywood series such as Battlestar Galactica. Remaining influential after over 60 years are British screenwriter Nigel Kneale"s Quatermass stories, while Agatha Christie"s Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple have never been more popular as TV detectives. A subliminal influence on Hollywood movies was exerted by landmark British Sixties TV series such as The Avengers, Patrick McGoohan"s The Prisoner and The Saint (featuring a young Roger Moore) and in recent times the spy thriller has resurfaced in the BBC"s enduringly successful Spooks.