# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/21 "2015-03-22T15:00:24Z")
Second Being Human. Also not mentioning anything previously listed), Skins and Shameless. (Oddly, all three were adapted for the North American market. Being Human and Shameless did OK, while the MTV version of Skins was cancelled after only one season.) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/22 "2015-03-22T15:18:18Z")
The Young Ones Bottom Spaced Peep Show Flying Circus The IT Crowd Ideal Father Ted Vicar of Dibley Blackadder Red Dwarf The Office Life on Mars Doctor Who Sherlock Jam & Jerusalem Little Britian Royle Family The Inbetweeners The Graham Norton Show Broadchurch Doc Martin Black Mirror Outnumbered Moone Boy Hustle Jonathan Creek Sherlock Holmes (with Jeremy Brett) Jeeves & Wooster That Mitchell & Webb Look A Bit of Fry & Laurie QI Would I Lie to You 8 out of 10 Cats Big Fat Quiz of the Year Never Mind the Buzzcocks Mock the Week Skins (the first series) Shameless (I couldn’t finish it but I made it almost all the way through) Midsomer Murders Inspector Lynley Morse Lewis Endeavor Bletchley Circle Mr. Selfridge I watch a lot of television. ---
**Author:** ![chaika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chaika/32/405_2.png) [@chaika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaika)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/23 "2015-03-22T15:37:07Z")
In no particular order: Brideshead Revisited Morse Danger UXB Prime Suspect All Creatures Great and Small Downton Abbey Call the Midwife The Bletchley Circle House of Cards The Fall Luther An Englishman Abroad (not a series but a brilliant TV film) And many more. I have lived in England at various times, and there are some series that AFAIK have never been shown in the US. But most of the good stuff is exported to the US. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/24 "2015-03-22T15:38:27Z")
In random order as I remember them: _Misfits Doctor Who Monty Python Star Cops Blackadder Fawlty Towers The Book Group Green Wing Outnumbered Sherlock Coupling The Prisoner The Avengers I, Claudius Red Dwarf Hustle_ ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/25 "2015-03-22T16:14:42Z")
Grouped by … whatever. \*Monty Python’s Flying Circus Coupling The Prisoner\* (original) _The Avengers_ (Mrs. Peel era) _Luther DCI Banks_ (More of the last 2 are on their way!) And no doubt many, many others of old that aren’t just coming to mind now. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/26 "2015-03-22T16:43:46Z")
Lots of good ones have been mentioned, but I haven’t seen anyone mention **Extras** or **Yes, (Prime) Minister**. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/27 "2015-03-22T16:57:43Z")
_Upstairs, Downstairs_ remains my absolutely favorite British series, although I have a ton of other shows on DVD: Brideshead Revisited, the Prisoner, Monty Python, the Pallisers, both versions of the Forsyte Saga, Blackadder, Midsommer Murders, and all the Poirots. One UK show I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the last year or so is the archeology show _Time Team_. It’s hardly available in the U.S. and I’ve been scouring Amazon UK and Ebay to get hold of earlier episodes released on Region 2 or 4 DVDs. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/28 "2015-03-22T17:01:08Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > 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.\* Yes! Yes! (for series 1 and 2) She was _gorgeous_, and the dialogue was great. Super acting and writing. We still re-watch. Series 1 and 2. Three–not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/29 "2015-03-22T17:09:14Z")
Canadian here. Most of my favourites have been mentioned: QI Prime Suspect Broadchurch (Series 1) Life on Mars Midsomer Murders (if Jason Hughes is in it) Would I Lie To You I feel very lucky to live in a time where I can watch stuff that isn’t only what PBS shows for British TV, thanks to the, mm, internet. Very fond memories of the original Upstairs, Downstairs on PBS, though! Just started Moone Boy, and I have some _Welsh_ stuff (crime drama) lined up, as I was completely mesmerised by “35 Diwrnod”. Bookmarking thread for further viewing suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/30 "2015-03-22T17:14:49Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Years ago, I ADORED ‘Poldark’ There’s a remake currently being aired on BBC1. Aidan Turner plays Ross Poldark, and it’s pretty much ideal Sunday night viewing - lots of windswept smouldering and riding along cliff tops. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/31 "2015-03-22T21:07:05Z")
Some of them that I’ve loved. All watched on DVD. _Merlin Pie in the sky Monarch of the Glen Cracker Inspector Morse Rosemary & Thyme Inspector Lynley Mysteries Jonathan Creek Midsomer Murders A Touch of Frost MI5 Are You Being Served Being Human Keeping Up Appearances As Time Goes By The Darling Buds of May Robin Hood_ ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/32 "2015-03-22T21:49:19Z")
The various Blackadders (don’t make me pick a favorite) and Red Dwarf, then in no particular order: Absolutely Fabulous Are You Being Served? Monty Python’s Flying Circus The Sandbaggers Keeping Up Appearances The Prisoner the new Sherlock with Cumberbatch That Mitchell And Webb Look. (I need to see more episodes, or I’d put it up top: “Hans…are we the baddies?”) The Thick Of It (same as Mitchell and Webb) Edit: I’m sure I forgot some more, but add Fawlty Towers, Masterpiece Theater, Mystery, and Antiques Roadshow, though I may be confusing shows produced in the UK with the US ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/33 "2015-03-22T22:11:17Z")
Doctor Who Broadchurch Father Ted Sherlock Sherlock Holmes (the one with Jeremy Brett) Considering how much of an Anglophile I am, I haven’t really watched that many British TV shows. I should remedy that. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/34 "2015-03-22T23:46:49Z")
Holy crap, _Flambards_ mention in the OP! Big props for that. _Rolls up sleeves_: In alphabetical order, and only counting series/miniseries w/4 or more episodes. Also I _know_ I’m forgetting things: _1900 House Absolutely Fabulous All Creatures Great and Small The Aristocrats Around the World in 80 Days_ (Michael Palin’s travel show) _The Avengers_ (esp. w/Diana Rigg, but I also liked _The New Avengers_) _The Barchester Chronicles_ _Blackadder I - III A Bit of Fry and Laurie Bleak House_ (2005) _Bramwell_ (first 3 series only… what the hell happened to the writers?!!) _Cadfael Call the Midwife Campion Coupling_ (only first 3 series) _Cranford Daniel Deronda Doc Martin Doctor Who_ (Original version, esp. Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor) _Downton Abbey Duchess of Duke Street Elizabeth R Ever Decreasing Circles Fawlty Towers Flambards Foyle’s War Gavin and Stacey The Good Life_ (aka _Good Neighbors_ here in the U.S.) _He Knew He Was Right Hot Metal House of Cards_ trilogy _I, Claudius I’m Alan Partridge_ (both series) _Island at War The IT Crowd Jeeves and Wooster Kingdom Lark Rise to Candleford Lillie Little Dorrit A Little Princess_ (1986) _Manor House Marion & Geoff Martin Chuzzlewit Mid Morning Matters_ (if you count webseries) _Middlemarch Miss Marple_ (Joan Hickson) _That Mitchell and Webb Look Monty Python’s Flying Circus Mother Love Mr. Selfridge Outnumbered The Paradise Peep Show Poirot Pole to Pole Pride and Prejudice_ (1995) _Prime Suspect QI Red Dwarf Ripping Yarns Saxondale Sherlock Holmes_ (Jeremy Brett) _The Six Wives of Henry VIII The Thick of It This Is David Lander To the Manor Born Upstairs, Downstairs_ (1970s) _A Very Peculiar Practice The Way We Live Now Whose Line Is It Anyway? Wives and Daughters Would I Lie to You? Yes Minister Yes Prime Minister_ Top three are undoubtedly _Monty Python, The Good Life_, and _Yes Minister_. With _The Thick of It_ coming up very close behind. If I were to recommend one series that very few Americans have probably seen, it’d be _Marion & Geoff_. Episodes are only about 10 minutes long, and they’re monologues, just a man (Rob Brydon) in a car. But OMG. Funny and devastatingly heartbreaking. If you’ve only seen Brydon in _Gavin & Stacey_ or _Would I Lie to You_, you will not believe how astonishingly good he is at creating a sympathetic character doing nothing but talking while driving (or parked). Unfortunately it’s not on DVD (Region 1) and it’s exceedingly hard to find online. But worth the exploration if you can. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/35 "2015-03-22T23:56:05Z")
Crap, forgot _The Day Today_. A scabrous satire of a TV news magazine w/Chris Morris, Steve Coogan (the earliest TV appearance of Alan Partridge), Stewart Lee, Richard Herring and Rebecca Front among others, created by Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci of _The Thick of It_ and _Veep_ fame. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/36 "2015-03-23T00:39:02Z")
The Prisoner Monty Python’s Flying Circus Blackadder (by series, probably 2, 4, 1, 3) Mastermind (although only the 1995 season ever aired in the USA) The Young Ones (RIP Rik) Doctor Who Fawlty Towers Dad’s Army To the Manor Born Absolutely Fabulous Blake’s 7 does The Muppet Show count as British? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/37 "2015-03-23T01:10:29Z")
Top Gear Ripper Street Doctor Who and any full 15 match I’m lucky enough to catch. (Throw in past shows and add Monty Python to the list at number one) ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/38 "2015-03-23T01:16:39Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > The Prisoner > Monty Python’s Flying Circus > Blackadder (by series, probably 2, 4, 1, 3) > Mastermind (although only the 1995 season ever aired in the USA) > The Young Ones (RIP Rik) > Doctor Who > Fawlty Towers > Dad’s Army > To the Manor Born > Absolutely Fabulous > Blake’s 7 > does The Muppet Show count as British? I told you how much I hate making lists like this, only to remember something I left off… How did I leave off: Red Dwarf The Goodies ---
**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 23, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/39 "2015-03-23T03:40:30Z")
Still others I’m recalling, with my memory jogged in part from some of the other posts in this thread: Black Books Bottom Filthy, Rich and Catflap The Prisoner Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy The Young Ones All Creatures Great and Small And many more, I’m sure. I do love my British series. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/40 "2015-03-23T04:17:22Z")
Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister Elizabeth R Monty Python Fawlty Towers All Creatures Great and Small Brideshead Revisited Inspector Morse Inspector Lewis I, Claudius Good Neighbors The Jewel In The Crown Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) Adam Dalgliesh (Roy Marsden) Jeeves and Wooster A Bit of Fry & Laurie Whose Line Is It, Anyway? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665.md?page=3)