Unpacking British Shows’ Enduring Appeal to American Audiences

How does a British four-episode limited series not based on any pre-existing intellectual property, with no aliens, magical sorcerers or action sequences become one of Netflix’s most popular shows ever? March’s Adolescence—which follows a family after their young son is arrested for the murder of a classmate—did exactly that, landing behind only Stranger Things and Wednesday despite the absence of any marketable stars (with all due respect to Stephen Graham’s talent) or franchise recognition. 

While the U.S. is famously the largest exporter of entertainment, the U.K. follows closely behind. Streaming has globalized audience tastes, with certain British imports consistently capturing American attention. 

Let’s explore how the U.K. funnels top-tier programming to the U.S. and identify the genres and formats that keep wrangling American hearts and minds. 

British TV and film premieres have more than doubled between 2020 and 2024, according to media research firm Parrot Analytics. Yet this surge primarily rode the wave of the early streaming boom which enjoyed a full-force money hose of resources that have since been pulled back a bit. 

From 2018-2024, the supply of British TV series and films outweighs the audience demand for such content in the US, per Parrot. This suggests investment could be slightly pulled back. The average annual American audience demand share for British TV (5.6 percent) and film (6.7 percent) has remained steady in that span, proving the enduring appeal of British storytelling, acting talent and production quality. But there are specific styles that boast more breakout potential in the U.S. than others.

Scripted dramas and thrillers

We Americans love juicy drama dripping in titillating thrills (and, yes, I’ve appointed myself spokesman for all Americans here). Our content preferences follow suit, particularly with historical and suspense-driven dramas. 

Netflix’s British romantic romp Bridgerton (which debuted its third season last year) claimed the title of the most-watched streaming original in the U.S. for 2024, according to Nielsen. Older series still remained relevant to U.S. audiences, too. Peaky Blinders (gangster drama) and Downton Abbey (period family drama) were both among the top 15 most in-demand U.K. series in the U.S. last year, per Parrot. 

Long-running sci-fi series such as Doctor Who (an optimistic time-and-space galavanting adventure show) and Black Mirror (a bleak dystopian exploration of humanity’s abuse and over-reliance on technology) both maintained high demand. Crime drama Fool Me Once ranked as one of the most-watched U.K. shows on Netflix last year globally, according to the streamer’s engagement reports and FlixPatrol, and the seventh most-watched streaming original in the U.S., per Nielsen.

Clearly, we’ve developed an affinity for British “prestige” dramas with familiar settings, historical connections, genre elements and a heaping helping of quality intrigue. 

Reality and competition formats

Unscripted programming serves as cost-effective, laundry-folding content that ups engagement without breaking the bank. This trend continued last year with shows such as Love Island UK and The Great British Bake Off ranking among the 12 most in-demand U.K. series in America. These programs also featured in Samba TV’s Top 10 weekly streaming charts whenever new seasons launched, indicating a loyal high floor of returning viewers. 

Netflix—the Kansas City Chiefs of streaming—has strategically invested in unscripted British programming. Love Is Blind: UK pulled in a healthy 141.8 million global views in 2024. Game and panel shows contributed as well, with Paramount+’s comedy competition Taskmaster ranking fifth in demand. 

Simply put, American audiences flock to unscripted British series that combine distinctive British humor, romantic competition and gossipy goodness. We’re very simple creatures. 

Kids and family programming

Children’s animation forms an integral genre for the entertainment industry and yet another source of resonant British programming. Long-running preschool franchises such as Peppa Pig, Thomas & Friends and Little Baby Bum all ranked in the top 20 for U.K. content demand in the US. Globally, Peppa Pig generated more viewing hours than any Netflix kids series in 2024, British or otherwise, with Season 6 alone logging nearly 50 million views. Pretty good. 

It’s worth noting that Nielsen’s most-streamed show of 2024 was Australian export Bluey (Disney+), underscoring the general popularity of animated family content. When it comes to U.K. flavors, globally recognizable kids brands continue drawing young U.S. viewers. 

Quirky comedies and other formats

Brits boast a distinct sense of humor and a singular ability to blend the morbid with the joyful. This stretches deep into legacy libraries, where classic hits like Mr. Bean continue to rank highly. It also bodes well for contemporary pop culture. Recent hits such as The Gentleman (crime comedy) and Baby Reindeer (dramedy/black comedy) delivered meaningful viewership in 2024. Both series were among the five most-viewed U.K. Netflix titles globally. The Gentleman enjoyed a seven-week run on Nielsen’s U.S. streaming lists while Baby Reindeer lasted five weeks. 

Even docuseries gained traction, with Netflix’s long-running sports-doc Formula 1: Drive to Survive ranking among the 25 most-watched U.K. series globally and as a top 65 in-demand British import in the US.

Genre blends that lean on humor as well as engaging docuseries (ideally tied to major IP) can help attract U.S. engagement to British entertainment. 

Major takeaways

The U.K. market has long produced high-quality dramas, kids animation, comedies and documentaries with compelling narratives and strong characters. Recent breakout series have demonstrated a unique ability to remix familiar intellectual property, revisit historical time periods with striking creativity, or deliver achingly human stories that are simply outstanding.

Scripted series like Sherlock, Peaky Blinders, The Crown, Fleabag, Doctor Who and Downton Abbey, alongside winning recyclable unscripted formats like Love Island and Love Is Blind: UK, provide roadmaps for other markets hoping to develop and deliver globally resonant programming. Adolescence perfectly exemplifies how quality and innovation collide to produce huge results.