# Americans, what are your favorite British shows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2015, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665 "2015-03-22T05:38:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/1 "2015-03-22T05:38:25Z")
Mine: Upstairs, Downstairs Flambards No, Honestly Fawlty Towers Prime Suspect Absolutely Fabulous Pride and Prejudice (1995) The Duchess of Duke Street Broadchurch South Riding That’s just a small sampling of what I’ve seen, and I admit if I had to rank every show I’ve ever seen, which there are some good American shows, on the whole, the Brits definitely have a knack for the short season structure. About the only thing I can think of that Americans seem to do really well is the cartoon for adults, and I don’t mean pornography: I mean _Home Movies_, _Daria_, _King of the Hill_, _Futurama_, _South Park_, and on and on. I’ve never seen a non-kids cartoon from the UK, although that could be my ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/2 "2015-03-22T05:50:17Z")
Sherlock Father Brown Are You Being Served Fawlty Towers Absolutely Fabulous Homes Under the Hammer Escape to the Country Miss Marple Prime Suspect Rising Damp And lots more. I have to think. ---
**Author:** ![rock\_party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@rock\_party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rock_party)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/3 "2015-03-22T05:53:53Z")
Sherlock Peep Show Foyles War Downton Abbey Vicious Broadchurch ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/4 "2015-03-22T05:54:05Z")
In no particular order (save for the first show mentioned): Monty Python’s Flying Circus Ripping Yarns Are You Being Served? Top Gear Doc Martin Misfits Cracker Fawlty Towers Two Fat Ladies Any of Keith Floyd’s cooking shows The Jonathan Ross Show Blackadder Parkinson Red Dwarf Spaced Doctor Who Sherlock …to name a few. EDIT: Can’t forget The Office. And Man Stroke Woman. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/5 "2015-03-22T06:01:29Z")
Hamish MacBeth The Irish RM Doctor in the House Red Dwarf Blackadder and that thing with Francis Urquhart ETA All Creatures Great and Small ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/6 "2015-03-22T06:12:30Z")
Primeval The Vicar of Dibley Call The Midwives Ideal Pramface 24Seven Honestly, I don’t get into more British shows because the seasons are so short and the odds of them doing more than a season or two (oh, I suppose I should say “series,” sorry) are so low. Why Brits put up with so many shows that are good but only have a handful of episodes is completely beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/7 "2015-03-22T06:17:29Z")
I’m sure there are more, but off the top of my head and in no particular order: The Office Gavin & Stacey Little Britain Benidorm Life on Mars Ideal I’m Alan Partridge Saxondale Blackadder Peep Show And of course Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. Does Father Ted count? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/8 "2015-03-22T06:26:53Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’m sure there are more, but off the top of my head and in no particular order: > > The Office > Gavin & Stacey > Little Britain > Benidorm > Life on Mars > Ideal > I’m Alan Partridge > Saxondale > Blackadder > Peep Show > > And of course Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. > > Does Father Ted count? Just remembered Nighty Night. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/9 "2015-03-22T06:30:54Z")
Damn, forgot _Coupling_, that was one well-put-together show. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/10 "2015-03-22T10:17:12Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’m sure there are more, but off the top of my head and in no particular order: > > The Office > Gavin & Stacey > Little Britain > Benidorm > Life on Mars > Ideal > I’m Alan Partridge > Saxondale > Blackadder > Peep Show > > And of course Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. > > Does Father Ted count? > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Just remembered Nighty Night. And I can’t believe I forgot Mr. Bean! ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/11 "2015-03-22T11:17:30Z")
Currently: \*\*Toast of London Uncle Casualty Holby City\*\* There’s others that we revisit, especially during the winter for tea time viewing. This past winter we went through **Spaced, Black Books, Snuff Box. Garth Merenghi’s Dark Place** , and **Nighty Night** again. The **In-Betweeners** was fun, and every once in a while we’ll dig out **Mighty Boosh** and **Mongrels**. Series 1 of **Modern Toss**. There’s a bunch of others; if Mr Boods is flicking around idly, he’ll watch an old \*\*Sweeney \*\*or **Minder,** and sometimes **Dad’s Army.** Sometimes we’ll watch \*\*University Challenge. \*\* He watches way more TV than I do; I’ve seen and enjoyed a number of the programmes in this thread, but simply don’t have the time to revisit the same things repeatedly these days. ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/12 "2015-03-22T11:45:21Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Primeval > T Why Brits put up with so many shows that are good but only have a handful of episodes is completely beyond me. Because in general you have maybe one or two people writing them, rather than a huge team of writers. It’s knackering. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/13 "2015-03-22T12:46:41Z")
> [@Ms\_Boods](#): > > Because in general you have maybe one or two people writing them, rather than a huge team of writers. It’s knackering. And as I get older I find I like the short seasons much more. Time is too valuable to be investing 20 odd hours a year in a TV show. Sometimes I will see old shows that I used to watch religiously each week and I am horrified at the time I spent on them. I find now that I am very quick to give up on long form series and am happier with stuff like _Fargo_, _True Detective_ and _The Returned_. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/14 "2015-03-22T12:53:07Z")
All of the above! Well, whatever is shown on our PBS station. Years ago, I ADORED ‘Poldark’, ‘Upstairs Downstairs’, ‘Dutchess of Duke Street’. Today ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Call The Midwife’, which are very enjoyable but not as much as the former. I watch two episodes of ‘East Enders’ every Sunday. We are 5 years behind current episodes and there is no way we can catch up, according to PBS (which is constantly threatening to take it off unless we the public keep paying up). I’ve watched ‘East Enders’ for at least 20 years now. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/15 "2015-03-22T12:57:40Z")
_I listed by age of show not my order of preference. I think almost all know of the first 4._ Doctor Who Monty Python’s Flying Circus Fawlty Towers Red Dwarf Black Books (lesser known but awesome Britcom) Coupling (Really strong Britcom, one of my favorite sitcoms ever) IT Crowd (Some eps were awesome but about half were just generic sitcom fair) Sherlock (Perfection in a small sampling) _Not as good, but good:_ [Jekyll](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497298/) Steven Moffat wrote the 6 episodes, 2007 ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/16 "2015-03-22T14:08:46Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > And as I get older I find I like the short seasons much more. Time is too valuable to be investing 20 odd hours a year in a TV show. Sometimes I will see old shows that I used to watch religiously each week and I am horrified at the time I spent on them. I find now that I am very quick to give up on long form series and am happier with stuff like _Fargo_, _True Detective_ and _The Returned_. It’s funny, as Mr Boods, who is British, likes American shows way more than I do. We’ve been working our way through Parks and Recreation since February, and it’s like a million series long. The only positive side is how short the actual episodes are. That said, Casualty has been running since the 1840s (if you can find it on youtube, the episode where Charlie has a confrontation with Florence Nightengale is amazing) and Holby started shortly thereafter, but long-running stuff like the soaps (with The Archers being the champions; Magna Carta is so long because part of the document is in fact a script from the show) are going to have many different writers over the years anyway. Uncle clocks in at 30 minutes as a BBC programme; P & R (or anything off Channel 4, such as Black Books, Toast, etc) are much shorter to give way for the adverts. I swear I don’t think each episode of P & R is more than 20 minutes long… ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/17 "2015-03-22T14:19:36Z")
Monty Python (goes without saying) Are You Being Served? CHEF! Ever since I’ve seen this show, I’ve had a hankering for Stilton. The actress who played Janice, his wife, was, IMHO, the most beautiful actress on TV, on either side of the pond. Come on, sing it with me:\* Serious, serious profession. Serious, serious profession.\* ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/18 "2015-03-22T14:29:44Z")
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy both a radio and tv show Monty Python’s Flying Circus Fawlty Towers ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/19 "2015-03-22T14:44:46Z")
Luther Being Human ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/20 "2015-03-22T14:46:38Z")
Green Wing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665.md?page=2)