Colin Firth mops up Best Actor Oscar for 'The King's Speech', but this acclaimed British actor made a big splash first on British TV in notable period dramas like Pride and Prejudice

Iconic master detective Sherlock Holmes is back on the small screen and transported to the 21st century

Shameless has successfully transferred to the States on Showtime, having debuted on 'alternative' British Channel 4 in 2004. Its unlikely mix of familial devotion with parental neglect, drunkenness, drugs, ducking and diving and the sheer ingenuity it takes to just get by has been a surprise hit.

British teen drama Skins sets out to shock, and it has succeeded on both sides of the Atlantic! Firstly shown in the States on BBC America - with strong language and violence edited out - it has since been rewritten for an American audience and premiered on MTV in January 2011.