Dr Alessandro D’Arma, Reader in Media and Communication at the University of Westminster, has worked with researchers at King’s College London who found that the unique and ironic British sense of humour was a key reason why young Europeans watch UK-made television shows and films.
The final report of the AHRC-funded research project Screen Encounters with Britain, led by Professor Jeanette Steemers from King’s College London as Principal Investigator, found that “humour” was the most commonly associated word with UK television shows and films among 16–34-year-olds in Denmark, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. This was especially true in the Netherlands and Denmark where British humour came out as the top reason, while in Germany it came second. In all four countries, interviewees described British humour as “unique”, “ironic”, “eccentric”, “black”, “subtle”, “irreverent” and “intelligent”.
The report also found the UK’s sense of humour was seen as better than that of America, even though US content was the most watched across all four countries. The consensus across those surveyed was that American humour was more “basic” and “simplistic” in comparison to British humour.
One respondent, 29-year-old Didier from Germany, said: “I really, really love the English humour. It's like one of the best in the world [...] It's a very unique thing.”
Another, Benedetta, 24, from Italy, said: “I am very passionate about irony, the famous British humour that can be seen in films.”
The research also revealed how humour-driven social media posts are now key for spreading the word and aiding discovery of British shows. This is especially true of 16-19-year-olds, who are drawn to niche shows like Northern Ireland sitcom Derry Girls, and mockumentary Cunk on Earth by user-created memes that create a buzz.
The BBC’s Sherlock was the most frequently mentioned and remembered British TV show, while Sex Education, The Crown, Peaky Blinders and Doctor Who followed in the top five. In all four countries, the top 20 most-remembered films were dominated by older film franchises like Harry Potter and James Bond, as well as classic romantic comedies like Notting Hill and Love Actually.
The report did however find that humour was not the only reason for watching UK shows and films. In Italy the top reason was to learn English, while others tuned in because they enjoyed the settings, landscapes and people.
The report found that nearly half of survey respondents felt they could relate to themes and characters in UK content. However, interviews revealed that these perceived values are almost entirely driven by a small number of scripted shows available on streaming services, which are seen as more youth-oriented and different to what is offered on domestic platforms.
Dr D’Arma said: “Contributing to the final phase of this research on Italy has been a fantastic experience, and I’m grateful to Professor Jeanette Steemers for inviting me to join the project. Its findings – confirming the dominance of Netflix and other global streaming services among young Europeans, and the declining appeal of domestic content and platforms – are of high relevance to my research on media policy and the sustainability of national public service media.”
Through cross-university collaborations such as this the University directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
This work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Read the full report.
Find out more about studying Media and Communications courses at the University of Westminster.
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