I don’t fully agree.
I get your point and sort of semi-agree, but the UK still produces some great comedy like Toast of London. As to TV in general, again sort of. In fact, US vs UK tv is a bugbear of mine, esp the sneery UK critics who fawn over everything US.
Yes, US tv has been very good to superb over the last 20-25 yrs, but before was either poor or disposable, with the occasional gem. Britain had the best TV in the world, and we made the US raise its game, just as the US has made us raise ours. Also the sheer quality of European TV has made the UK raise its game, some might argue its been more influential than the US. Personally I think both the US and Europe has done so, add to that some superb Canadian and Aussie series.
Its worth remembering that we see only the best of US tv, whereas we see all the dross and the gems of our own. They have just as much if not more dross than we do. IMO we still overall have a better standard of television in the UK. Across drama, comedy, documentaries and all genres of TV. Also some of the US shows, although most do, don’t catch fire here. House, Seinfeld and others being classic examples.
As to quality, sorry but imo, whilst the quality of UK tv dropped a few years ago, it has raised its game again, esp in drama. And there is a long list of current and ‘recent’ (which can mean anything from last year back to the 90s/00s) British shows that I would put against any American show.
Britain still make some brilliant TV, brilliant drama. I agree the comedy quality has dropped, but I still love Toast of London, Inside No 9 (and anything by the League of Gentlemen group) and Plebs (which is crude but very funny) and one of two others.
I still tend to love old Brit shows to modern....Just relaxes me so!
You make a fair point about the fact that we only see the best of US TV and vice versa, and I haven’t actually seen a great deal of UK TV lately but I have to say that what I have seen (with the exception of the BBC’s Sherlock Holmes) has left me distinctly underwhelmed.