Why British period dramas suddenly sound American

In partnership with

Hello readers,

Have you noticed this weird déjà vu when watching British period dramas lately?

You hit play expecting damp countryside, repression, tea, and trauma. 

But 20 minutes in, the accents are watered down, the social issues feel oversimplified, and suddenly everyone has straight white teeth and emotional closure by episode 3.

It’s not in your head.

British period dramas have quietly stopped being for Britain.

They're now prestige exports, tailor-made for Americans.

Let’s unpack why.

Post-Brexit, Period Dramas Became Passports

Post-Brexit, the UK’s media economy was desperate to keep its "soft power" alive.

The EU was no longer funnelling subsidies. 

Co-productions with Europe got messier. 

So, UK production houses needed new partners to survive quickly.

Enter: America. Specifically, the deep pockets of Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Apple TV+, which were hungry for global content that still felt "safe."

British period dramas, with their proven global cachet, were a no-brainer.

But according to Ofcom’s 2023 report, 78% of UK-origin dramas commissioned in the last two years had international distribution in mind during pre-production, up from 46% in 2015.

In other words, they’re now written with the U.S. viewer in the writer’s room.

Examples That Say the Quiet Part Out Loud

Let’s talk about a few shows that lowkey show this pivot:

Netflix’s Bridgerton

Yes, it’s a Shondaland project, but it's set in the Regency era. Shot in Bath. Costumed like Jane Austen on steroids.

But the plot structure? Soap opera pacing. American-style romance arcs. Barely any class commentary.

This isn’t Downton Abbey. This is Gossip Girl in corsets. And it worked:

Bridgerton Season 1 pulled in 625M hours viewed in 28 days - the most for any English-language Netflix series at the time.

Apple TV+’s The Essex Serpent

Visually gothic. Cast is British. But the dialogue? Ridiculously modern.

Claire Danes plays the lead. The emotional beats are therapy-speak-heavy.

You can almost feel the script trying to translate British intellectualism for LA development execs.

Amazon’s The English

Reverse angle: a British period drama set in the American West. Starring Emily Blunt.

This isn’t the UK exporting its identity. It’s the UK adapting to America's myth-making machine.

Receive Honest News Today

Join over 4 million Americans who start their day with 1440 – your daily digest for unbiased, fact-centric news. From politics to sports, we cover it all by analyzing over 100 sources. Our concise, 5-minute read lands in your inbox each morning at no cost. Experience news without the noise; let 1440 help you make up your own mind. Sign up now and invite your friends and family to be part of the informed.

Sign up today!

🧠 Prestige ≠ Patriotism

So what's lost in translation?

Honestly — nuance.

British period dramas used to obsess over class, history, repression, and quiet power games.

But now, they often get flattened to three things:

1. A female lead "ahead of her time"

2. A diverse cast (but often decontextualised)

3. Modern emotional resolutions in period costumes

That’s not inherently bad. But it’s telling.

Instead of exploring the British psyche, we’re repackaging it as comfort food with accents for Americans.

🪙 Follow the Money

This shift isn’t just cultural. It’s financial.

- The UK’s tax incentives for high-end TV production are increasingly tied to global saleability.

- Netflix and Amazon have UK production hubs now (e.g., Netflix’s Shepperton Studios deal).

- Even the BBC — long the bastion of British taste — has started co-producing nearly every big-budget drama with U.S. partners.

In short, prestige isn’t what it used to be.

It’s not about national storytelling anymore. It’s about international ROI.

👀 My Take: The Empire Exports Itself

British period dramas used to be about looking inward, at the empire, class, and repression.

Now, they’re about selling the illusion of that past to outsiders. It’s heritage as a brand.

Or as one UK-based showrunner told me off-record last month:

> “We’re not making British shows anymore. We’re making British-looking shows.”

That hits.

---

If you’re in media, watch this space carefully. The "globalisation" of drama isn’t just about casting or location.

It’s about whose cultural lens gets to shape the narrative.

And right now? It’s America’s.

Until next Wednesday,

Vipul Agrawal.

Leeds1888 | Dispatches from the intersection of media, money & myth.

P.S. If you found this thought-provoking, forward it to someone who still thinks Downton Abbey was made for Brits. 😏