Advertising dollars.
Producers in the UK have no incentive to stretch out shows for too long because they are publicly funded. They can also take chances on ideas that may be considered different or risky as long as they get funded. No mid-season cancellation pressure. No advertising CPM pressure.
So these shows have a beginning and an end AND a middle. Most seasons are complete and self containing. Or only last 1 (like the superior The Office) or 2. Masterpieces.
Here in the U.S. there is no established middle. Because the middle is where the producers stretch those advertising dollars by adding extra unneeded seasons. That's why a lot of British shows brought over here are inferior. Because they have to be adjusted for advertising dollars. Ideas stretched out too thin or left on the table because a test group didn't react well to it.
So we get the shytty version of ''The Killing'' that should have answered the question after Season 1. We get ''Homeland'' stretched out way more than it needs to be. We get The Office being taken behind the building and being put out of it's misery (even Carrel won't come back for the final episode).
The closest thing we will ever have to the BBC model is our premium cable model. Where executives don't rely on advertising dollars. So they can take more chances and every season is treated like it could be it's last. (PBS is barely publicly funded and they rely too much on donations.)
Imagine LOST if it was only 2 seasons?
Producers in the UK have no incentive to stretch out shows for too long because they are publicly funded. They can also take chances on ideas that may be considered different or risky as long as they get funded. No mid-season cancellation pressure. No advertising CPM pressure.
So these shows have a beginning and an end AND a middle. Most seasons are complete and self containing. Or only last 1 (like the superior The Office) or 2. Masterpieces.
Here in the U.S. there is no established middle. Because the middle is where the producers stretch those advertising dollars by adding extra unneeded seasons. That's why a lot of British shows brought over here are inferior. Because they have to be adjusted for advertising dollars. Ideas stretched out too thin or left on the table because a test group didn't react well to it.
So we get the shytty version of ''The Killing'' that should have answered the question after Season 1. We get ''Homeland'' stretched out way more than it needs to be. We get The Office being taken behind the building and being put out of it's misery (even Carrel won't come back for the final episode).
The closest thing we will ever have to the BBC model is our premium cable model. Where executives don't rely on advertising dollars. So they can take more chances and every season is treated like it could be it's last. (PBS is barely publicly funded and they rely too much on donations.)
Imagine LOST if it was only 2 seasons?
It's one thing to say that BBC is better than CBS, NBC and FOX (it is.) But it is not seeing FX, AMC, HBO, Stars and Showtime.
at any BBC show seeing "The Wire", "Breaking Bad", "Sopranos", "Madmen", "Game of Thrones", "The Shield", or hell, even "House of Cards" for that matter. And that's just recently.