I love British TV. But I’ve run out of things to watch, so I need some suggestions. To keep this manageable, I’m more interested in current stuff. Things that are either within or between series at the moment, or have finished up in the last year or two.
(What would go on my list: Coupling, Peep Show, Spooks.)
I’ve been watching Nighty Night of late and I think this is easily one of the funniest, darkest comedies I’ve ever seen. Season 2 isn’t quite as good as Season 1 but nonetheless, I’m watching it over the usual US televisual crapfest…
I recently went through a Steve Coogan kick, and ordered the I’m Alan Partridge DVDs. Hilarious!
Some friends in the UK suggested Bo Selecta. They’re not my friends anymore.
We enjoy Footballers’ Wives - rather trashy, but it’s a fun show. First few episodes were a little slow, and then it started to roll. They’re between Series 2 and 3 on BBCAmerica - starts up again in February, but they’ll probably rerun the first two series between now and then. (Over in Britain, they’ve wrapped up Series 4, I think they’re starting on Series 5).
Little Britain is a hit. I’m enjoying Bodies, although it’s somewhat graphic. I keep meaning to check out Sea of Souls, if only because the actress who played Lexie on Monarch of the Glen is on it, but I keep forgetting. We’re also getting into Viva Blackpool, which just started on BBCAmerica, and Mile High (which is on DVR, but we haven’t yet watched it).
We get EastEnders on PPV, so I don’t think that’ll help, unless you get DishNetwork, and it’s pretty sucky right now.
Oh, and The Robinsons - Martin Freeman’s new show. Just finished up Series 1, but definitely worth it.
I’ll follow your thread, too - we’re always looking for new British shows to watch, too, especially if we can get them on DVD.
E.
Have you heard of the League of Gentlemen? You may like it.
You might like The Green Wing. It’s an off-beat medical drama/comedy without much medicine! There’s been one series (due soon on dvd, I believe) and a second series is due next year sometime. Love Soup is a current programme with the same lead actress, Tamsin Greig (Fran from Black Books), with some of the same dark humour.
Some of the situations, etc. remind me a bit of Coupling.
I understand Hustle is coming to one of the US Networks soon (I forget which one) – stylish, lighthearted caper-type adventures of a team of con-artists; a little like a criminal Mission Impossible. And Robert Vaughan’s in it.
In these kinds of threads, people always forget to mention Look Around You. It’s hilarious, subtle, and often quiet frighteningly surreal. A good introduction to it is the website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/lookaroundyou/
Both seasons are excellent.
Also not usually mentioned: The Catherine Tate Show (some people are meh, but I love it), Catterick, anything involving Vic Reeves and Hex (supernatural gubbins, a bit cheesy, but interesting to compare to US stuff).
You’ve probably seen these but my votes for best series go to:
Blackadder - series 2 in particular
Only Fools and Horses - sitcom. Think it was voted up there with Falty Towers.
Cold Feet - jolly good series
Thats it for the mo.
Two that I have just discovered recently that look to be quite good - although time will be the tester…
Blessed - but that could be because we are expectant parents and the laughter was more nervous than humerous.
Broken News - an excellent satire on 24hr news programmes.
Of course there is also the classic Have I Got News For You - in its 15th year and still going strong, 2DTV is another that I haven’t seen for a while, but I enjoyed very much…
Grim
…I must second this one…
The first two series just finished over here, and it was great!
If you get a chance, check out the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet boys…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/pet/
For a reality programme with a bit of a twist, check out Spy, it’s facsinating stuff, and puts the whole Plamegate affair in perspective, as we see how subtle a “cover” can be, and the consequences of geting “outed.” The series had me on the edge of my seat…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/spy/index.shtml
…and while a bit old, I’ll second watching anything Alan Partridge that you can find:
A Haaa!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/partridge/quotes_generator.shtml
…also old, but if you like comedy and sci-fi, check out Red Dwarf.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/reddwarf/
Not new, but I think it came out in 2001, but PBS is running a show here called “2000 Acres of Skye” that I really like. It only ran for 3 seasons, and has real likeable characters. Takes place on a fictional island off the coast of Scotland. Not having cable, I have to get my Brit fix on PBS.
Is this something currently on? I’m very interested in it but didn’t see anything about it on the PBS website. (Alas, no listings on Netflix or Amazon, either.) I realise that different PBS stations may broadcast different programs, but I looked through the listings of some of the Wisconsin stations and didn’t see it, either.
As to the OP, I was really enjoying a series called NY-LON on BBC America, about a trans-Atlantic romance. Unfortunately it got unexpectedly cut off several weeks ago, but after a huge outcry on the BBC America forum it sounds like they’re going to re-start the series Saturdays at 6 PM beginning this Saturday.
I agree that this was very very funny, but may not have staying power, due to the obviousness of the humour.
Vigorous nods for both of these. And QI is another HIGNFY humour/panel show which will appeal to SDMB types, given its focus on urban legend, old wives tales, and little-known and wrongly-known facts.
Another vote also for The League of Gentlemen - IMHO one of the two best creations from British TV in the past decade, the other being Brass Eye.
they just ended season 2 a couple months ago. I asked our station why they ran season 1 & 2 in the spring, then reran them in the summer without showing season 3-where eveything gets tied up neatly-or not so neatly. They replied and said they would rerun all seasons 1-3 in the spring of 2006. It’s only about 25 total episodes though.
Little Britain
“I am Dafyd, the only gay in this town.”
No thanks.
(Well, it *was * a question!)
We’ve been walking around saying “Yeah, I know.” and “I don’t like red.” for three months now. (We both think we’re Lou, apparently.)
It’s actually starting to get old. We need new catchphrases.
And I’ve put Viva Blackpool on my must-see list now (I think it’s just called Blackpool in the UK, though). It’s really odd, and the sex scenes interspersed with singing really creep me out, but damn if I wasn’t completely enjoying this week’s episode.
I really wish we could get the ‘real’ British networks over here instead of what BBCAmerica deems ‘proper’ to show us.
E.
What? Surely you’re not sick of Cash in the Attic, Changing Rooms, and Benny Hill?
I have a question about Blackpool (or Viva Blackpool). The main character owns an arcade, but wants to transform it into a casino. Here in the US, arcades usually just have children’s video games. So what types of games are in British arcades? I thought I saw slot machines in the Blackpool arcade.
As for British TV, I enjoyed watching State of Play over the weekend.
Oh, never :rolleyes: .
Actually, we watch BBC World News at 6 PM most nights, and then it’s a fight to the remote to see who can change it from Cash in the Attic (or Changing Rooms, still not sure which one it is) the fastest!
Dewey, we wondered about that, too, and our guess was that an arcade has things like the slot machines where you can win money, but a casino has the tables. It seems like the Blackpool casino has a distinct lack of tables for blackjack or roulette (unless it does, and I’m just not paying attention well enough).
E.