Why does America produce amazing shows?

[Madame Adequate]

Examples?

Other than Firefly, I can't remember a recent TV show that I thought was really quality, that was cancelled before it was given at least one or two seasons to find an audience.

Space: Above and Beyond. Those two examples alone make the ratings system a problem. Two of the best shows ever, cancelled. Also, though not cancelled., Millennium was significantly changed after season 1, and became suckier. Which is a very bad thing, because it was amazingly good too. And then it ended up cancelled entirely. So, anywhere which lets something average like The X-Files run from the Creation until Apocalypse, but not Millennium, has some issues to sort out.

HBO rock, though. The Sopranos, Rome (BBC helped.), Deadwood, Oz... all incredible TV. And there's stuff on other networks that's good too, such as Lost, 24, House, Law and Order, and C.S.I.

The only British TV I watch is the news, and various documentaries on BBC 2 or Channel 4. Most everything else is American.

Monty Python is the funniest thing to have ever been on TV, though, not even Family Guy can compete.

Oh, and I'll note that America has produced Babylon 5, Lexx, and The Outer Limits. That pretty much owns the rest of Earth's TV right there.