I think Williams' persona hasn't really translated to the states.  The 
closest comparison I can think of is...remember back when Craig 
Kilborn was the host of the Daily Show before Jon Stewart, and his 
whole thing was "I'm playacting at being a smug, sexist creep so 
thoroughly that you can't tell if I'm REALLY a smug, sexist creep or 
just pretending to be one"?  Robbie's persona is very similar: he's 
playing at being an arrogant, vain egotist, but there's a kind of a 
nod and a wink behind it.  And I think that twist has been overlooked 
by a lot of folks over here because he's not so omnipresent in the 
media that it's clear that it's an act.

Also, I just don't think he's done much that's as good as "Millennium" 
recently.

Another UK import that I'm surprised didn't translate: Atomic Kitten, 
whose Svengali was Andy McCluskey of OMD.

S