# British TV Shows That Have Been Popular In The U.S **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2023, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018 "2023-01-11T08:35:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/81 "2023-01-12T07:14:04Z")
On the way to a costume party: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/93bAdEf0pzc/maxresdefault.jpg "Batman and Robin | Only Fools and Horses | BBC Comedy Greats") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93bAdEf0pzc) Brilliant, indeed! šŸ¤£ I find it hard to believe Del Boy (David Jason) was also the eponymous detective in _ **A Touch of Frost** _. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/82 "2023-01-12T08:28:28Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > If Felicity is in it, Iā€™ll put it on my bucket list! šŸ™‚ Are any US channels taking _Rosemary and Thyme_?[Rosemary & Thyme - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_%26_Thyme) Just recently she was in a stage musical _[Anything Goes](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0012y8)_, which was shown on TV over here. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/83 "2023-01-12T08:32:28Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > _Only Fools and Horses_, which was mostly utterly brilliant, One of the most popular moments: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/63rcdLeXiU8/maxresdefault.jpg "Del Boy Falls Through the Bar | Only Fools and Horses | BBC Comedy Greats") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63rcdLeXiU8) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/84 "2023-01-12T08:36:58Z")
Itā€™s on Vision TV Wednesday evenings, which I believe is a Canadian cable network, but I imagine they can get it in the States too. Iā€™ve watched a couple of episodes, but itā€™s just as far-fetched as _ **Murder, She Wrote** _. Thereā€™s nowhere the two women can go without finding a dead body. If I were a cop, Iā€™d be investigating them. ---
**Author:** ![nofloyd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nofloyd/32/2870_2.png) [@nofloyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nofloyd)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/85 "2023-01-12T09:47:36Z")
Yes! Rosemary and Thyme played here! We enjoyed it. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/86 "2023-01-12T11:15:54Z")
_Orphan Black_ was on BBC America with _Doctor Who_ from roughly 2012 - 2018. _Life on Mars_ was very good. A modern day detective wakes up in the 1970ā€™s. I thought they did a brillant job of recreating the look and feel of that time. I watched a lot of BBC America until it went bad. Classic Brit Tv for me was _Are You Being Served_, _The Avengers_ and _Space 1999_. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/87 "2023-01-12T11:35:08Z")
I borrowed the videocassettes of _Lucia and Mapp_ from the public library but I donā€™t know whether it was actually aired on TV here. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/88 "2023-01-12T13:20:30Z")
_Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends_ (later renamed _Thomas & Friends_) found an audience in the U.S. when it was featured on the American childrenā€™s series _Shining Time Station._ More recently, thereā€™s _Peppa Pig_ā€¦ ---
**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:** [January 12, 2023, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/89 "2023-01-12T14:21:10Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > _Orphan Black_ was on BBC America with _Doctor Who_ from roughly 2012 - 2018. Orphan Black is Canadian. ---
**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:** [January 12, 2023, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/90 "2023-01-12T14:31:33Z")
When I was a kid, we got Count Duckula, The Famous Five and Super Gran. Not to mention 800 million episodes of Coronation Street. (This was in Canada, not the U.S. though.) ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/91 "2023-01-12T15:44:50Z")
_Dangermouse_ ran on Nickelodeon in the 1980ā€™s, and a revived version lasted two seasons on Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/92 "2023-01-12T16:09:48Z")
Dutchess of Duke Street. Upstairs, Downstairs. Poldark (in the 70ā€™s, better than the recent remake). Three of my all-time favorite tv viewing experiences. ā€¦ I followed EastEnders for YEARS, the PBS station here kept moving it around until they pulled it for ā€˜costing too muchā€™ā€¦I know it was ā€˜just a soap operaā€™ but there are scenes and performances that stay in my mind to this very dayā€¦ā€˜The Onedin Lineā€™ about a shipping dynasty was on for, what, ten years? and is never mentionedā€¦and I donā€™t know if it was a one-episode or a series, but ā€˜Moll Flandersā€™ - rather grim, starred Alex Kingston as a hooor. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/93 "2023-01-12T16:46:55Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > More recently, thereā€™s _Peppa Pig_ā€¦ For the win. Thereā€™s a whole generation that would agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/94 "2023-01-12T16:58:47Z")
There was even a mini-scare among American parents that watching Peppa would make their kids start speaking like her: > **[ā€˜Peppa Pigā€™ effect has kids speaking in British accents during pandemic](https://nypost.com/2021/07/18/peppa-pig-effect-has-kids-speaking-in-british-accents-during-pandemic/)** > > I guess you could call it a ā€œBrentranceā€ into American cartoon culture. Kids are now developing British accents after watching so much of ā€œPeppa Pigā€ during the pandemic. ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/95 "2023-01-12T17:14:18Z")
Seen that a million times but it is still funny ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/96 "2023-01-12T17:23:39Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > One of the most popular moments: Really? Thatā€™s considered one of their best moments? Wasnā€™t like Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin doing that joke a century ago? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/97 "2023-01-12T17:48:30Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Were _ **'Allo, 'Allo** _ and _ **The Thin Blue Line** _ aired in the US? I saw them when I was living abroad in the '90s. I remember watching _ **'Allo, 'Allo** _ in college, so it ran in Olympia during the '80s. I loved the gimmick of having the characters use exaggerated accents; all the actors were speaking English, of course, but the two airmen with English accents couldnā€™t understand anyone speaking with a French accent. I donā€™t remember which station it was on. I donā€™t think it was PBS, but might have been. Iā€™ve seen _ **The Thin Blue Line** _ once or twice, but I donā€™t remember it making much off a splash. One that I havenā€™t seen mentioned yet is _ **Star Cops** _. It was a police/detective show set in the near future, there are space stations and an early base on the moon. I think there were only a dozen episodes or so. Not popular in the U.S., but interesting. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/98 "2023-01-12T17:52:56Z")
> [@salinqmind1](#): > > ā€¦I know it was ā€˜just a soap operaā€™ but there are scenes and performances that stay in my mind to this very dayā€¦ ā€œYouā€™re not my mother!ā€ ā€œYes I am!!ā€ Pawleen whacking Arthur with the frying pan Etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/99 "2023-01-12T18:18:09Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > [Batman and Robin | Only Fools and Horses | BBC Comedy Greats](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93bAdEf0pzc) > > Brilliant, indeed! šŸ¤£ > > I find it hard to believe Del Boy (David Jason) was also the eponymous detective in _ **A Touch of Frost** _. If these are examples of the best of this show, I will not be seeking it out. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2023, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018/100 "2023-01-12T18:28:01Z")
Iā€™m surprised there hasnā€™t been an American version of _ **New Tricks** _ created yet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tv-shows-that-have-been-popular-in-the-u-s/978018.md?page=6)