# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/61 "2015-03-24T10:33:12Z")
I remain wary that, as a Brit, I could be accused of threadshitting if I just start naming obscure British shows but… A lot of what would be considered in Britain the best (or best known) shows aren’t being mentioned. Since _ **Monty Python’s Flying Circus** _ is getting almost universally name checked… It was an early 1970s comedy sketch show. Later comedy sketch shows that were big but are being ignored in this thread included: _ **Not The Nine O’Clock News** _ in the late 70s. A main cast of four included Rowan Atkinson (later to do _ **Mr Bean** _ and _ **Blackadder** _) and Mel Smith and Griff Jones (who did _ **Alas Smith and Jones** _ - another popular sketch show) _ **The Fast Show** _ from the late 90s although it made a come back in 2014. Some say dismissively the content is primarily just repeated catch phrases. Wikipedia suggests it was retitled _ **Brilliant** _ in the US. One of Johnny Depp’s favourite shows apparently. He demanded the chance to do a cameo. Do Americans like Spike Milligan of the Goons - where Peter “Pink Panther” Sellers started? Spike had his series of Q TV shows (Q5, Q6 and so on) Away from sketch shows there’s some missing classic sitcoms. I haven’t noticed anyone mentioning: _ **Porridge** _ the great Ronnie Barker (from _ **The Two Ronnies** _) as a pragmatic petty criminal in jail. He was a great writer and massively under rated actor. His later show _ **Open All Hours** _ was a gentler comedy more like the long lasting _ **Last of the Summer Wine** _ which had no Barker connection. _ **Rising Damp** _ about a sleazy landlord and _ **The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin** _ about a disillusioned middle class businessman who eventually fakes his own death. Both shows, which were otherwise unconnected, starred the comedic genius actor Leonard Rossiter. He had a few film roles including _ **2001: A Space Odyssey** _ and _ **Barry Lyndon** _ although they were minor roles. There are plenty of other sitcoms but those three were, and are, particularly highly rated. I suppose I could have added _ **Citizen Smith** _, _ **The Likely Lads** _ and _ **To Death Us Do Part** _. Plus for successful 1990s comedy you have _ **Men Behaving Badly** _ which was apparently remade for the US. Since Americans are aware of cruder stuff like _ **Are You Being Served** _ I am surprised no one appears to have mentioned the _ **Carry On** _ franchise. Basically a series of about 30 low brow comedy films. Starting in the late 1950s they were originally released in cinemas but they are still, to this day, permanently on TV in both their original form plus they get edited into chunks and put out as compilation shows. I note that while every British viewer is familiar with dozens of US cop shows, the US viewers seem less aware of the multitudinous British cop shows. Just a single mention of _ **The Sweeney** _ here and a _ **Prime Suspect** _ (Helen Mirren) there. British soaps don’t seem to travel. Occasional _ **East Enders** _ mentions but nothing from the “flagship” soap _ **Coronation Street** _, the third place _ **Emmerdale** _ or the lesser youth orientated _ **Brookside** _ and _ **Hollyoaks** _. Children’s shows? The vast Gerry Anderson puppet Sci-Fi output of _ **Thunderbirds** _ but also _ **Captain Scarlett, Joe 90, Stingray** _ were childhood favourites and, ironically, shamelessly aped US shows. Then he moved from puppets to actors and churned out \*\*\*Project UFO \*\*\*and _ **Space 1999** _. Then there is Ardman Animation pushing out kids shows like _ **Shawn the Sheep** _ but also the _ **Wallace and Grommit** _ films. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/62 "2015-03-24T11:29:56Z")
No love for any of our documentary series? Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation? David Attenborough’s Life on Earth? Jeremy Isaac’s World at War? Prof. Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Universe? I suppose they don’t fit into the category “shows”, but still, I’d be interested to know if they’re shown / how they’re received. ---
**Author:** ![Donegal\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Donegal\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donegal_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/63 "2015-03-24T12:55:07Z")
Agree with so many of the shows already mentioned. Have to add one more " **The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin"** ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/64 "2015-03-24T20:31:41Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > T2R is still funny, but not good enough to make my list. However, I saw their “four candles” video on YouTube (for the first time in my memory) and it was great. Sadly, Ronnie B. is gone but not forgotten. Have you seen Ronnie C.'s more recent [Blackberry sketch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAG39jKi0lI)? ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/65 "2015-03-24T20:36:26Z")
BBC Horizon, Hands down my favorite show ever. Sherlock is also great. ---
**Author:** ![TexCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/texcat/32/9041_2.png) [@TexCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TexCat)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/66 "2015-03-24T20:38:57Z")
No one has mentioned _Ballykissangel_ which I enjoyed tremendously. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/67 "2015-03-24T20:43:59Z")
Broadchurch Sherlock Moone Boy Faulty Towers Black’s Books Green Wing Coupling Dr Who ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/68 "2015-03-25T05:36:00Z")
Rosemary and Thyme ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/69 "2015-03-25T15:19:25Z")
Haven’t seen a huge amount, but: Monty Python The IT Crowd Top Gear Fawlty Towers Survivors ---
**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 25, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/70 "2015-03-25T15:55:12Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > Since I am British it would be threadshitting if I just pointed out the shows you’ve all missed. > > However, and bearing in mind many of you are referring to Monty Python which originally broadcast back in the 1970s (1969 to 1974), there are some shows which were massive in the UK none of you have mentioned and I wonder whether they are unknown or just unpopular. > > _ **Monty Python’s Flying Circus** _ was innovative and clever. It absolutely deserves it’s fame but here’s a dirty little secret. For simple laughter _ **The Goodies** _ (which running from 1970 to 1982 went directly against Monty Python) was actually far funnier. One person upthread has mentioned it. No one else? > > _ **Benny Hill** _ No one has mentioned Benny. Is this political correctness or is it simply not funny to Americans today? I still laugh when he slaps the little bald man (Jackie Wright) on the head but am I condoning bullying? > > But the really big beasts of British Comedy through the 1970s and 1980s were the comedy variety shows by _ **Morecambe and Wise** _. They did a little singing, dancing and acted out comedy sketches. I guess the US equivalent would be Bob Hope (yes, I know he was British born). Their 1970s Christmas shows DEFINED Christmas for the UK. Literally it would be the top rated show on TV. Also worth mentioning is the similar _ **The Two Ronnies** _. Another ratings smash year after year in the 1970s and 1980s. > > Finally for comedy the recent big hit has been sitcom _ **Only Fools and Horses** _ 1982 to 2003 although after 1996 the occasional specials decreased in quality. At it’s peak one third of the UK population would sit and watch this. I know it has been mentioned by Americans on these boards before but I haven’t noticed it in this thread. > > TCMF-2L American now living permanently in the UK here – a number of the shows on your list weren’t shown or really wouldn’t be known in the US. I notice that quite a number of the shows people are listing are fairly old, but had success on PBS in the US in the 70s and 80s (when PBS could afford them), but have also had runs on A & E and BBCAmerica. The shows that I listed, such as Toast of London, Snuff Box, Uncle, etc., as far as I know haven’t been shown in the US, and would be hard to find except for the hardcore Anglophiles who use proxies to get onto iPlayer or 4oD. ---
**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 25, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/71 "2015-03-25T16:01:22Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > I remain wary that, as a Brit, I could be accused of threadshitting if I just start naming obscure British shows but… A lot of what would be considered in Britain the best (or best known) shows aren’t being mentioned. > > Since _ **Monty Python’s Flying Circus** _ is getting almost universally name checked… It was an early 1970s comedy sketch show. Later comedy sketch shows that were big but are being ignored in this thread included: > > _ **Not The Nine O’Clock News** _ in the late 70s. A main cast of four included Rowan Atkinson (later to do _ **Mr Bean** _ and _ **Blackadder** _) and Mel Smith and Griff Jones (who did _ **Alas Smith and Jones** _ - another popular sketch show) > > _ **The Fast Show** _ from the late 90s although it made a come back in 2014. Some say dismissively the content is primarily just repeated catch phrases. Wikipedia suggests it was retitled _ **Brilliant** _ in the US. One of Johnny Depp’s favourite shows apparently. He demanded the chance to do a cameo. > > Do Americans like Spike Milligan of the Goons - where Peter “Pink Panther” Sellers started? Spike had his series of Q TV shows (Q5, Q6 and so on) > > Away from sketch shows there’s some missing classic sitcoms. I haven’t noticed anyone mentioning: > > _ **Porridge** _ the great Ronnie Barker (from _ **The Two Ronnies** _) as a pragmatic petty criminal in jail. He was a great writer and massively under rated actor. His later show _ **Open All Hours** _ was a gentler comedy more like the long lasting _ **Last of the Summer Wine** _ which had no Barker connection. > > _ **Rising Damp** _ about a sleazy landlord and _ **The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin** _ about a disillusioned middle class businessman who eventually fakes his own death. Both shows, which were otherwise unconnected, starred the comedic genius actor Leonard Rossiter. He had a few film roles including _ **2001: A Space Odyssey** _ and _ **Barry Lyndon** _ although they were minor roles. > > There are plenty of other sitcoms but those three were, and are, particularly highly rated. I suppose I could have added _ **Citizen Smith** _, _ **The Likely Lads** _ and _ **To Death Us Do Part** _. Plus for successful 1990s comedy you have _ **Men Behaving Badly** _ which was apparently remade for the US. > > Since Americans are aware of cruder stuff like _ **Are You Being Served** _ I am surprised no one appears to have mentioned the _ **Carry On** _ franchise. Basically a series of about 30 low brow comedy films. Starting in the late 1950s they were originally released in cinemas but they are still, to this day, permanently on TV in both their original form plus they get edited into chunks and put out as compilation shows. > > I note that while every British viewer is familiar with dozens of US cop shows, the US viewers seem less aware of the multitudinous British cop shows. Just a single mention of _ **The Sweeney** _ here and a _ **Prime Suspect** _ (Helen Mirren) there. > > British soaps don’t seem to travel. Occasional _ **East Enders** _ mentions but nothing from the “flagship” soap _ **Coronation Street** _, the third place _ **Emmerdale** _ or the lesser youth orientated _ **Brookside** _ and _ **Hollyoaks** _. > > Children’s shows? The vast Gerry Anderson puppet Sci-Fi output of _ **Thunderbirds** _ but also _ **Captain Scarlett, Joe 90, Stingray** _ were childhood favourites and, ironically, shamelessly aped US shows. Then he moved from puppets to actors and churned out \*\*\*Project UFO \*\*\*and _ **Space 1999** _. > > Then there is Ardman Animation pushing out kids shows like _ **Shawn the Sheep** _ but also the _ **Wallace and Grommit** _ films. > > TCMF-2L Sorry – didn’t see this before I answered your other post. Many of the shows you mention haven’t travelled to the US for one reason or another, especially the more current ones. They just didn’t travel to the US as they’re ‘too British’ in many cases. I cannot imagine what Americans would make of the Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, for example 🙂 On the other hand, there are shows in the US that are part of the cultural context, such as The Andy Griffith Show or Gilligan’s Island, which as far as I know never ran in the UK (ITV had a lot of US sitcoms in the 60s like Beverley Hillbillies and that, but they could afford them, and, according to the viewers’ surveys I’ve read in the BBC Archive, kids preferred them over the more family and educational stuff the BBC had on offer at the same time). So Mr Boods, who is British born and bred, knows Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham, but can’t understand why I call RH Opie. He finds the premise of Gilligan’s Island fascinating, and would like to see it (had to explain it to him while watching the MST3K episode Giant Spide Invasion) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/72 "2015-03-25T16:13:11Z")
Are You Being Served? Keeping Up Appearances Fawlty Towers Broadchurch The IT Crowd ---
**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 25, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/73 "2015-03-25T16:40:41Z")
I can’t believe I left _The Avengers_ and _Rumpole of the Bailey_ off my list. My list was pretty 70s-80s-PBS heavy, but that was when I watched a lot of TV. It was the age I was then-- that is, too young to drive, and it was before you had more control over what you watched, starting with VHS, and going on to computer files. Finally, IMHO, American TV was just _awful_ in the 80s, and has been improving ever since. It’s better than ever, if you ask me (albeit, I’ve been watching some stuff from the 70s I didn’t watch as a kid because I was too young, and it was pretty good too). I considered not putting _No, Honestly_ on my list, because that was never on American TV, and never even released on DVD for the US (I watched it on a regionless decoder on my computer and PAL DVDs I got from [Amazon.uk](http://Amazon.uk)). I think anything is fair though, if you’ve seen it, even if you saw it because you were living there. ---
**Author:** ![One\_More\_Time\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@One\_More\_Time\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_More_Time_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/74 "2015-03-26T21:09:44Z")
hmm in no particular order, an I’m SURE to leave off some but here goes: **Keeping Up Appearances** I’ve been searching garage sales for hand painted periwinkle china for years… **Robin Hood** {hangs head in shame} ONLY because I ADORE Richard Armitage **MI5** –see above **AB FAB** –early shows are pure perfection **Six Wives of Henry VIII** –Still one of the best **Elizabeth R** with Glenda Jackson–see above **Graham Norton** **East Enders** –I wish it were one very night instead of just two epis once a week. I’m sure list will be updated when my brain re engages… oh Jeez, how could I leave off **Monty Python?** ---
**Author:** ![parkona\_driveway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d26b3c/32.png) [@parkona\_driveway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parkona_driveway)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/75 "2015-03-31T03:01:41Z")
**Only Connect.** Teams of contestants are shown four clues and must figure out the connection between them. How difficult could that possibly be? Fiendishly difficult. The show’s austerity is distinctive (especially for US viewers), and possibly refreshing. There are no prizes, no audience, and the players rarely laugh at presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell’s jokes. (I think she’s hilarious.) ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/76 "2015-03-31T03:39:20Z")
Doc Martin has been listed twice. But, it is the only British show that I will list and so I think it’s really worth watching for anyone who is interested in British TV shows - especially Britcoms. I won’t list any other Britcom and so I think it’s really worth your time taking a look at this show. Moreover, I’d like to recommend the star of that show, Martin Clunes in some other show: > **[A Is for Acid (TV Movie 2002) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327392/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_22)** > > A Is for Acid: Directed by Harry Bradbeer. With Martin Clunes, Keeley Hawes, Richard Hope, Celia Imrie. John George Haigh, the notorious "acid bath murderer" in 1940s England, becomes the subject of this dramatization. It’s a stark change from Doc Martin - not a comedy but a very dark and nasty drama. If you can believe it, he plays a very nasty fellow - a murderer, if you can believe it. And why wouldn’t you believe it? After all, he is quite an excellent actor. He kills people and then disposes of their bodies in a vat of acid. How does that go with your breakfast? I bet it’s not very appetizing. A is for Acid. [A Is for Acid (TV Movie 2002) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327392/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_22) Oh well. Enjoy yourselves! ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/77 "2015-04-01T20:47:10Z")
Prime Suspect Call the Midwife Broadchurch The Fall The Office (UK) Bletchley Circle ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/78 "2015-04-01T20:58:00Z")
**ROGER AN VAL HAVE JUST GOT IN** I’ve only seen series 1 but it is some of the best stuff on TV. Episode 4 is really the best 26 minutes of television I have ever seen. Stop what you are doing and go watch it on HULU for FREE! yeah yeah yeah, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Allo Allo, Sherlock, Doctor Who, yadda yadda, I really liked Super Skinny Me. Or was terrified by it. ---
**Author:** ![TheInimitableMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TheInimitableMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInimitableMaven)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/79 "2015-04-01T22:30:34Z")
_A Bit Of Fry And Laurie Absolutely Fabulous_ all Alan Partridge shows _Antiques Roadshow Are You Being Served As Time Goes By Bargain Hunt Benny Hill Blackadder_ (Preferably the second (Elizabethan) and third (Regency) series/seasons.) _Butterflies Cash In The Attic Department S Doctor Who_ (Preferably Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker (OR third and fourth Doctors :p).) _Father Ted Fawlty Towers Harry And Paul Jeeves and Wooster Keeping Up Appearances Monty Python’s Flying Circus Mr. Bean Not The Nine O’Clock News Poirot Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)_ (FAR AND AWAY the original…strangely enough, my intro to the franchise was the Reeves and Mortimer remake being shown on BBC America in 2004, and although I actually liked it then, cue five years later AND finally having a taste of the original, and I then absolutely abhorred the remake.) _Sapphire and Steel Sherlock Holmes_ (Jeremy Brett) _The Comic Strip Presents That Mitchell And Webb Look The Avengers_ (Preferably the Emma Peel episodes, of course…but I will admit that a couple of the Tara King ones weren’t too bad.) _The Office The Prisoner The Saint The Vicar of Dibley Whose Line Is It Anyway_ ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665/80 "2016-10-10T01:21:32Z")
Doc Martin (watching on DVDs) Eastenders (been a long time since I’ve had access) Benny Hill Prime Minister’s Questions As Time Goes By Never got into Monty Python or Are You Being Served [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-what-are-your-favorite-british-shows/715665.md?page=5)