British sense of humour draws young Europeans to UK shows and films

18 February 2025

British sense of humour draws young Europeans to UK shows and films

The ‘unique’ and ‘ironic’ British sense of humour is a key reason why young Europeans watch UK-made television shows and films, new King's research has revealed.

Andrew Scott, Fiona Shaw & Phoebe Waller Bridge at the "Fleabag" season 2 screening, at the BFI South Bank in 2019 - the show features in the new report. Image: Steve Vas/Featureflash

Andrew Scott, Phoebe Waller-Bridge & Fiona Shaw at the "Fleabag" season 2 screening, at the BFI South Bank in 2019 - the show features in the new report. Image: Steve Vas/Featureflash

Researchers in the Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries have revealed that British humour and the ‘ease of watching’ in English are the top reasons why young Europeans watch British TV shows and films.

Screen Encounters with Britain — a AHRC supported project — explored how streaming services, like Netflix and Prime Video, influence the ways young European audiences find and consume British screen media. The project took place from April 2022 to January 2025 and focused on audiences aged 16-34 in four countries: Denmark, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

The project was led by Professor Jeanette Steemers and Professor Andrea Esser from the Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries and supported by Dr Matthew Hilborn at King’s, and Dr Alessandro D’Arma from the University of Westminster.

In two countries, Netherlands and Denmark, British humour came out as the top reason (70 per cent and 68 per cent respectively) for watching UK shows and films. In Germany it came 2nd (64 per cent) as a reason for watching UK content. In Italy, by contrast, the main reason for watching UK shows was learning English.

The report stated young Europeans enjoy a wide range from comedy dramas such as Sex Education, Fleabag, Skins, and After Life, sitcoms like Derry Girls, and mockumentaries such as Cunk on Earth, as well as stand-up and classics like Monty Python and Mr. Bean.

There is clear evidence that British screen content furthers interest in Britain and its people and positively influences attitudes towards it. The power of screen content lies in how pictures are interpreted. Young people know that what they are watching is ‘not real’, but subconsciously they process these pictures as representations of British reality.
Professor Jeanette Steemers, Principal Investigator, Professor of Culture, Media & Creative Industries

‘Ease of watching in English’ and ‘British humour’ are leading reasons to choose UK shows

The idea that humour doesn't travel well due to cultural differences doesn't hold true for many young audiences. Those proficient in English especially appreciate UK screen content for its humour. Young viewers, spurred on by social media, crave humour and increasingly watch with the original English-language soundtrack to ‘get the joke’.
Professor Andrea Esser, Co-Investigator, Professor Emerita of Media & Globalization

The ease of watching in English is the top reason for choosing British shows overall, because of the popularity of English among young Europeans – a position created by education and reinforced by social media.

Humour, however, closely follows. According to interviewees, it is the defining characteristic of UK shows and films, often missed in home-grown productions.

In all four countries, interviewees described British humour with the same words: ‘unique,’ ‘ironic,’ ‘eccentric,’ ‘black,’ ‘subtle,’ ‘irreverent,’ and ‘intelligent’.

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” while 18-year-old Sofia from Denmark said: “British humour is cool and sarcastic.”

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.

“There was a broader consensus across countries that British humour is preferable to American humour. Many described American humour as more ‘basic’ and ‘simplistic’ ‘less subtle,’ and less ‘intelligent’ than British humour,” the authors noted.

Social media discovery

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 to 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.

While recommendations from streaming services remain the most important sources of discovery for 20 to 34-year-olds, social media clips, especially on TikTok, lead among those aged 16 to 19 with many respondents stating they trust the advanced algorithms of YouTube and TikTok more than the recommendations of streaming platforms.

Sherlock, Sex Education and The Crown are the most mentioned British TV shows

The BBC’s Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman was the most frequently mentioned and remembered British TV show. Sex Education, The Crown, Peaky Blinders and Doctor Who followed in the top five.

US production Bridgerton was often misidentified as British because of its UK settings and UK cast. The Office was well-known, but interviews revealed that it was mostly the US version that people had seen.

Harry Potter, James Bond and Notting Hill are the most mentioned British films

In all four countries, the top 20 most-remembered films are dominated by older film franchises like Harry Potter and James Bond, as well as classic romantic comedies like Notting Hill and Love Actually, broadcast frequently at Christmas.

While TV series are primarily accessed via Netflix, films in each country are distributed more equally via Netflix and Prime Video. Older titles and franchises are generally more watched and easily remembered by young European audiences.

Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon at the Primetime Emmy Awards Arrivals at the Microsoft Theater on September 20, 2015 in Los Angeles, CA

Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon at the Primetime Emmy Awards Arrivals at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, 20 September 2015. Image: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock.

Ricky Gervais is the most recognised British actor

When asked to name ‘British actors and celebrities’, Ricky Gervais was mentioned the most. According to the report, Ricky Gervais’ profile has risen largely because of his presence on social media as much as in After Life (2019), comedy specials, and comedy specials such as Armageddon (2023), and and SuperNature (2022) on Netflix, as well as his presence on social media. and comedy specials.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Grant and Idris Elba followed as the most frequently mentioned British actors.

The full report is available on King's PURE here.

This work was supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council [grant number AH/W000113/1], part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It also involved the following range of academic and industry partners: Aarhus University, University of Copenhagen, Film University Babelsberg, Università di Bologna, University of Groningen and All3Media, BBC, BBC Studios, BFI, British Council, Pact, HMR International.