"What are we going to do tonight, Supernanny?"
"Same thing we do every night, Kim. Try to take over the world."
And what a glorious defeat it is.
More and more British television shows are making the transition into U.S. television to the delight of many U.S. viewers. The shows offer humor, entertainment and education on things like parenting, cleanliness and wardrobe styles.
Some of the American versions of the shows are still hosted by the original British cast +â-¡- such as ABC's "Supernanny" and Lifetime's "How Clean is Your House?" With the original British hosts, these shows offer a unique form of entertainment.
Supernanny Jo Frost has made the words, "Your behavior is very naughty," a national catchphrase in Britain, according to executive producer Nick Powell. She became the hottest television star in Britain after only three episodes were aired in the summer of 2004. The show debuted in the United States in 2005 to the raves of The New York Times and Newsweek, and it now airs in 47 countries.
What makes Frost so successful is the amount of time she has worked with children throughout her life. She worked as a babysitter as a teenager, and after college started a career as a nanny - a career that lasted for 15 years. During that time, she mastered the child-rearing techniques she now passes on to millions of viewers.
According to ABC's Web site, Powell was "struck by her skills, sincerity and candid style," which persuaded him to cast her.
As a viewer, I find it refreshing to watch someone who is so genuine with the parents and children she works with. It's wonderful to watch a television host who actually knows what she is preaching.
Not only is this show good for its entertainment value, but it can also help current and future parents know how important consistent disciplining is.
"How Clean is Your House?" on the other hand, is fun to watch simply for the hosts' ingenious cleaning secrets - and to see a disgusting home become beautifully clean.
The show's fun loving hosts, the English Kim Woodburn and Scottish Aggie MacKenzie, both came from families with cleaning-obsessed women, according to the Lifetime Web site. Woodburn's grandmother cleaned schools for a living and spent her free time scrubbing Woodburn's family home. MacKenzie's mother is the one who inspired her to learn and practice tidy habits.
Their cleaning secrets are helpful for homeowners but can also be helpful for college kids who have trouble keeping their houses, apartments or residence halls clean.
Woodburn's secret to sparkling computer keyboards, for instance, is to clean them with a small paintbrush dipped in a mixture of warm water and mouthwash. According to the Lifetime Web site, Woodburn also uses vodka to sanitize kitchen cabinets and counter tops, and MacKenzie suggests washing comforters with tennis balls to avoid lumps. Seriously, how weird and interesting can this get?
The steady increase of re-made shows might be unnoticeable for some, but there are shows that have been on U.S. television for a long time that I didn't even know were originally made in England. It's easy to forget that shows like "What Not to Wear," "Whose Line is it Anyway?" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" were originally made in England, when they have soared to such popularity in the United States. "American Idol" and "Trading Spaces" were also re-made from British shows originally called "Pop Idol" and "Changing Rooms."
Shows like "Supernanny" and "How Clean is Your House?" are priceless forms of entertainment that give Americans a glimpse into different cultures - including words like "smashing" and "naughty," which are hardly ever heard on American television programs, unless "Austin Powers" is on.
So hopefully, the English will continue to pass on their wonderful entertainment and continue to "take over" American television.
Write to Melissa at
mmwhiten@bsu.edu
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