I’ve noticed recently a number of UK and Australian actresses taking on leading roles in the newer American shows - some of these have been successful, some well, not so much.

I wasn’t sure about Yvonne Strahovski (AUS) in Chuck for the first few episodes of season 1. She was extremely stiff, like reinforced cardboard, but I’ve warmed to her somewhat and now in season 2 she seems to have settled into her role as Sarah Walker. Gone are the awkward pauses in dialogue and the squinty eyes to signify happy, sad and angry. She’s also got the cutely geeky Zach Levi and wonderful Adam ‘Jayne’ Baldwin to play against.

Lena Headey (UK) is another actress who had a rocky start. The pilot episode of Sarah Connor Chronicles had me cringing as she grimaced her way through a variety of emotions - fear, anger, rage, with naught but a furrowed brow. She’s still a bit bolshie in season 2 and I’m not sure she’s entirely at ease with her body or the physiciality of the role as she walks like a man - all shoulders and crotch - wearing high heels. However she too has settled into her role and maybe one day I’ll forget Linda Hamiltons’ excellent Sarah. Ok, no I could never forget Linda-Sarah. (Aside - is anyone else HATING the voiceover guy at the beginning of each ep who explains the role of each of the main characters?)

Anna Friel (UK) is possibly the only one who has jumped right into her role as Chuck in Pushing Daisies in an entirely natural way. Pushing Daisies is more fantasy that sci-fi and maybe that’s part of the charm. Friel trips through the candyland coloured world of Daisies like she belongs there. That’s in stark contrast to Michelle Ryan (UK) in the very short lived remake of Bionic Woman. The premise of the new BW was darker than the Jamie Sommers we all remember (and not just her hair colour) and could have been good but Ryan wasn’t strong enough to carry it off. Every line she uttered seemed like a fight in her larynx, the ‘North Atlantic’ accent just didn’t suit her. Added to the fact she was playing against Katee Sackhoff (BSG’s Starbuck) and the girl just didn’t have the acting chops to hold the viewers interest.

The most recent Non-American Female in a Leading Role is Anna Torv (AUS) as Agent Olivia Dunham in the hilariously terrible Fringe. Torv is a complete automaton in the role, her eyes are dead and her lines are delivered in a low-pitched monotone that makes her sound like a post-op trannie. That’s the least of her problems with the role though. Where the other ladies have the benefit of decent writing and support cast the dialogue and plotting in Fringe is cringeworthy. Her cast-mates are equally abysmal - Joshua Jackson is making a career out of being Pacey Witter, John Noble is playing Denethor again and I can only assume things are slow after The Wire to have Lance Reddick involved in this muck.

Finally, oh finally there is Gabrielle Anwar (UK) in Burn Notice. I had to replay the first scene I saw her in a couple of times to convince my ears I was hearing what I thought I was hearing. Could someone PLEASE tell me where she got that atrocious Irish accent? She is a decent enough actress but is so focused on getting the accent right that you lose sense of her character. (If ‘Oirish’ actors don’t speak like a lead in an Irish Spring or Lucky Charms advert, Hollywood - and America - won’t believe they are Irish) For shame Gabrielle, an ex-IRA ‘operative’ who sounds like she just fell off the back of the turnip truck on its way from Limerick to Cork via Tyrone. The last time we heard such a mismatched abomination was the family from ‘Cork, Ireland’ in season 2 of Heroes.

Contrast UK and AUS Actresses - er, sorry Actors - with their male counterparts. I was in season 3 of BSG before I saw an interview with Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama) and realised he wasn’t American. So too with Idris Elba (Stringer Bell) and Dominic West (McNulty) in The Wire. The guys seem to fit in a lot easier than the women. Why is that? It can’t be just the accent can it? The women are competent actors in their own country. Why do they tend towards cardboard when they jump the Atlantic?