by Renee Asher

Created on: March 13, 2007   Last Updated: November 28, 2009

As of late, I have become a bit of a British sci-fi geek, which means I've grown to love several British actors, and as a result, have become a bit of a BBC geek in general. No one will argue if you say that British television and American television vary greatly, but what are the real differences? The important ones?

Over and over again on American television, we see the same thing, and it never occurs to any of us that it is wrong, or even different. While taking in British television I have noticed some drastic differences, that don't only show a different "taste" in humor and drama, but a different attitude toward life in general.

As an American viewing Doctor Who for the first time, I noticed that the Doctor's "lovely assistant" had a black boyfriend. Living in the city I live, this isn't unusual to see at all, but on television? I can't actually recall a time where a Caucasian person and a black person were seen in a relationship where the fact that they were interracial didn't occupy some part of the story, but Rose and Mickey were just Rose and Mickey, not white Rose and black Mickey. And it's not just Rose and Mickey, either, in my journeys into British television, I see it over and over. It seems that maybe our neighbors across the pond are a bit more accepting of race relations than we are. When is the last time you saw a television show that even had an interracial cast?

But let's take this one step further, in the television series Torchwood, we see lesbian/gay/trans-gender themes through out. Again, the plot of the show doesn't revolve around "Oh my! He's gay!" or "Oh my! She's dating a girl!" the relationships we see between same sex couples are just relationships. It is no more focused on that the boss has a same sex partner than it is that the lead female has a partner of the opposite sex. Not only do we see the characters engaging in homosexual romance as people, but they aren't afraid to show a 'hot" kiss between two men, either. Now I know, you're thinking of Will & Grace aren't you? I say that's different, and this is why: the entire show revolves around the fact that Will and his friend Jack are gay. We laugh at them, but rarely do we feel empathy for their characters. The British seem to have no problem watching a drama unfold, biting their nails in suspense, or just empathizing with characters that just happen to be gay.

I find it interesting that America's puritan roots are still showing this far out in the game. Am I suggesting American television show as much nudity and swearing as British television allows? Maybe not (it would make it more interesting though!). I am suggesting that in this day and age, art is imitating life, and we could learn a lot about how our "diversity" and "tolerance" measure up to our foreign friends by taking a look at what's on the telly.

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