Taking things from the Brits and making them our own has historically gone one of two ways: the Coupling way or the Office way. America’s Got Talent has taken the middle path on this: It’s a modest, inoffensive summer hit here for NBC, but has yet to take pop culture by storm the way its cousin American Idol clearly does. And now its progenitor, Britain’s Got Talent, has suddenly become an online phenom — last week it was Susan Boyle, this week it’s little Shaheen Jafargholi, and it’s only the first round of auditions — which brings up a whole host of questions: Are Brits inherently more talented than Americans? (Freakishly good Britney Spears impersonations aside, of course.) Has this been going on the whole time across the pond and we just weren’t paying attention? (Okay, we sorta paid attention that one time with that opera singer guy.) Is this just a lucky season for the show, whose ratings are up, and of course, online views have skyrocketed? Probably, but that just brings up the biggest question of all: How fast can BBC America get this season onto the air so we can see the Susan/Shaheen battle play out in all its glory, not confined to tiny YouTube clips?
What do you think, PopWatchers? Would you tune in to Britain’s Got Talent on American airwaves?
More on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ stars:
Music Mix: Susan Boyle: America, what’s your problem?
Ken Tucker: Here’s Susan Boyle’s competition… and he’s 12 year-old Shaheen Jafargholi
Piers Morgan on Susan Boyle: ‘She can do whatever she wants now’
‘Britain’s Got Talent’ breakout Susan Boyle: Why we watch…and weep
Susan Boyle: What’s the big deal?
Susan Boyle on CBS ‘Early Show’: Watch talent triumph over show-biz again this morning
5 reasons why Susan Boyle is different from your usual overnight sensation
Susan Boyle’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ audition gives Simon his second spontaneous ‘O’ of the week
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Given that Brits can watch “American Idol,” I say fair is fair.
NBC shows America’s Got Talent, right? Why not put this on instead of some other not so good tv (i’m looking at Sunday night, no way we need two hours of the Donald, no matter how so-bad-it’s-good it gets)
all these shows are horrible.
No, we should focus on Home-grown talent. The reason the UK gets American Idol is because a US star can be bigger than a UK star.
Don’t believe me? Name one Pop Idol winner.
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/04/20/greys-anatomy-star-pregnant-but-what-about-her-character/
Definately – I’d love to see Britain’s Got Talent. I recently found a great variety/reality show where they are trying to find the next Joseph for Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and love it! I realize that a lot of people don’t have this station if they have limited cable coverage, so better yet if one of the networks could broadcast Britain’s Got Talent. We need more feel good shows these days and this is one.
Britains Got Talent came after America’s Got Talent, not before. AGT is actually great too, and I have a feeling that this season they will also be featuring similar if not better inspiring stories that appeal to the recession-weary world.
Um… because Britian has tlent is a crappy, annoying show (mostly) filled with no talent garbage. It’s total filler – a waste of space. Why? Then again, why are they cancelling all of the best shows running this year? And, God, why are we going to be subjected to five hours of Primetime Leno a week next fall? It’s all terrible – and maybe a sign that thinking people should just stop watching TV altogther.
America’s Got Talent should be sufficient if they get rid of the transvestite acts that everyone knows won’t win and the mediocre but pretty country singers who just aren’t good enough. There’s plenty of real talent in America and plenty of dreck on Britain’s Got Talent.
The problem with the format on both sides of the ocean is that they really don’t want 20 quality acts per show. So instead we get 1 or 2 Susan Boyles or Terry Fadars and a bunch of Vladimr the Magnificants.
That way when the crap acts are votes off, the fanbase hardly shrinks.
Adam: Will Young. I still get excited when I see him doing stuff.
I would love to be able to watch Britain’s Got Talent here. It was sort of the staple of my viewing week last year when I was studying in the UK. Getting it on BBC America might take some wrangling, as it’s an ITV program, not a BBC one, but I’m fully supportive of the effort.
I would so watch it.
Anyone think it’s a little bizarre that Susan Boyle and this Shaheen kid have the exactly same nose and mouth?!?
to Adam: Problem is there were only 2 UK winners on Pop Idol: Matina McCutcheon and Will Young. But I can name 3 X Factor winners, the show that replaced Pop Idol: Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson and Alexandra Burke. (Jackson will go nowhere in the States, but Burke’s terrific) and tow BGT winners: Paul Potts and dancer Geordie Sampson.
Do you really think Taylor Hicks made much of an impact outside the States?
BBC AMERICA needs to jump on this to show it at the same time and improve its ratings…trust it would help. Cus who watches BBCA i know i never have…but i have it.
If they edit it as poorly as they do Any Dream Will Do, I’ll pass.
Until America understands that there is more to life than being a size 4 and drop dead gorgeous we will be stuck with the same shallow garbaget that you see nightly on tv. Interesting and talented people come in all ages, shapes and sizes.
They should definitely put it on BBC America. Not having seen the other acts I can’t say if I’d want it on ABC or FOX. I guess it couldn’t hurt, since I don’t watch shows like Dancing With The Stars anyway.
Um, Britain’s Got Talent wasn’t the progenitor of America’s Got Talent — it was actually the other way around, America’s Got Talent came first.
you will never get it on bbc, the programme is made by ITV.. (direct competitor), but Fox or NBC could run it (cowell connection)… it would be amazed if simon hasnt sniffed this opportunity yet… it will be interesting to see if boyle is mentioned tomorrow on Am/Idol…
crazy to think the brit got talent, could be bigger than Am got talent!!!
put bush up, as a laughing stock!!
Yuck. I find the attention paid to Susan Boyle offensive. Perhaps America IS “too shallow” to put regular people on tv… but the alternative is pretty darn annoying, if you ask me..
I blogged about it, too, if you care to read more: http://squareeyes.blinkx.com/2009/04/world-continues-to-condescend-to-susan-boyle/
I’d like to see it. And I love BBC. Torchwood it one of my favorite series. Can’t wait for that to come back. Britain’s got Talent would be a nice added extra.
Absolutely. I never watched Idol – it seemed so hollywoodish shallow but BGT has real people with real talent and all the beauty, drama that and pathos that goes with their real life stories. Families, kids, seniors, you name it – love it – wish this format was in the USA and they would allow our talented locals to walk on and audition too!
you bet we would watch BGT on American TV vs. feeling our way through you tube clips.
I would imagine that the reason we see American Idol is because of Simon Cowell being on the panel. We also see America’s Got Talent but not until a year after it’s aired. I believe that every country is talented America has just as much talent as Britain, look at how well Terry Fator did, he’s now signed a $100 million and he’s one of the biggest reality show winners in the world.
How about a whole second BBCA? I’m sick of waiting around to get things like Criminal Justice and Blackpool over here.
To Adam: BGT was the original format but was put back a year because the host went to CH4. Also Leona lewis is the biggest reality winner ever and she cam from the X factor which was the show that replaced Pop Idol
BBC America? Oh, please. BBC America recently dropped “BBC World News” in the mornings for more reruns of “Cash in the Attic.” They constantly fill the schedule with reality show crap. As if we don’t get enough American-made reality show crap.
I’m sure BBC America will try to get “Britain’s Got Talent.” Of course, they’ll air it a year from now. Long after everybody has forgotten about Susan Boyle. Everybody has been so impressed by her, and have forgotten about Paul Potts singing “Nessun Dorma.” I’m sure Susan will fade away once somebody else comes along.
No one would watch Britain’s got talent because we don’t know where there people come from. Nottingham? Sherbrooke? We like our trash from the Sticks!!!! And she only got hits because she’s not very attractive and can sing well somewhat…to that I say USA! USA! USA!
While this article and comments bring up interesting points… It’s actually America’s Got Talent, NOT Britain’s Got Talent that produced the biggest reality show winner ever. Terry Fator (Season 2) landed a $100 Million Dollar 5 year contract at the Las Vegas Mirage last year.
America does have it. Don’t we? We have our ways of pumping people up and then doing this to them….
http://jefftompkins.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-susan-boyle-means-to-world.html
That guy is right.
I could not care less who has the most talent, but I DO WISH I could follow this show weekly. I scan YouTube weekly while the contest is going on and have done so since I first heard Paul Potts. I could watch Signature dance over and over (and do thanks to YouTube). Hey BBC are you listening? We would watch this!