Yep. Clearly they do have quite the incentive to starve Americans of basic-cable access to UK content in general, including comedy.
Seems foolish in the long run, though–without a way to easily see that content on ye olde basic cable, American kids growing up won’t develop a taste for it…
I don’t think my kid has watched anything on basic cable for ten years.
Geez, Star Trek on BBC America?
Didn’t watch it much since Eccleston & Tennant yet weren’t you getting Doctor Who’s within a week of BBC’s broadcast? I was still in the USA for that (and up to the start of Capaldi) and they were probably on PBS.
As I said above, I had never heard of David Mitchell till seeing some “Would I like to you”. He may have been on PBS but I missed it. The Ricky Gervais Office and Coupling (besides of course Monty Python and Tom Baker’s Doctor Who) were on PBS. I reckon if BBC had become so privatized in the 70’s I’d never have heard of Monty Python till Holy Grail was on HBO (sure it hit the theaters but I was only about 10 for the HBO showing)
So it sounds like Mitchell’s “Upstart Crow” didn’t make it to the USA and that’s too bad. Also probably means it’ll be tough to get “Ludwig”
At least you have David Attenborough. Has " Secret World of Sound" made it or is BBC America still on Blue Planet I?
Yes, BBC America used to be the home of Doctor Who and the episodes appeared either the same day or immediately after the UK premiere but Disney+ stole it away. So aside from Graham Norton, the channel is worthless as far as UK shows.
I heard an interesting discussion on a podcast this summer, where someone asked “Why doesn’t the BBC just let people from outside of the UK pay for access to the BBC iPlayer, which could just be another streaming service?” The answer was that the BBC makes loads more money individually licensing shows to the highest bidder. Like, Doctor Who on Disney would not have happened if we could all just tap in to iPlayer.
Anyway, I’ve got Ludwig ready to go. Hope to watch it soon! I’ve been a big fan of Mitchell since the Peep Show days and have seen most of what he’s been in.
I was in the USA till mid 2015 and I’m almost certain I’d see a lot of British shows on PBS. As I recall, BBC America was more than basic cable, like A&E would get a + channel and even the more-premium channels like Stars would get a +. I can get Disney here yet dunno what Disney+ would get me (if it’s available). When “Andor” returns it better damn well be on Disney regular or I’m sailing the High Seas to get it.
Huh, the Andor wiki says it was released (in the US) on Disney+. In the UK is was on “Disney” and if there was a + they’d have been pushing/advertising it - and if I had to have Disney to get Disney+ it’d have been “Yaargh” for me (trying not to run afoul of mods). I’m not a seven year old who wants to watch “Mulan” four times a day.
Getting a bit OT, tonight BBC Four has a 8 episode program “Corridors of Power: Should America Police The World?”. Glad we’ve gotten around to asking that question after 70 years. Tonight is Syria and nope, they are not going to touch Israel. I hope it’s as good as PBS’s Frontline (which I’d like to think has done Israel)
Andor is on my Disney+ in the UK, and I don’t have any Disney Channel subscription.
Finally got the chance to watch the final ep of the season, and it was fantastic. I loved how many loose ends got tied up and how many threads are still hanging. Such a fun show, exactly my kind of jam. I hope it gets a bit more love and recommissioned with a few more episodes than just six next time (though that is quite unlikely).
I’m still on the third or fourth episode. I’m enjoying the series a lot, particularly because, like Ludwig, I’m also a puzzle setter. (I’ve been writing all sorts of them since I was a child, and have got them published regularly for the past ten years.)
I’m eagerly awaiting the appearance of Karl Pilkington, who I know only from An Idiot Abroad.
Dont await it too eagerly, its basically a cameo.
If there’s a second series, it’ may be the character - a missing detective the PD hasn’t given much thought to reappears. And though some seem to suspect James “no middle name yet” Taylor isn’t himself maybe John “Ludwig” Taylor will meet him (either as Ludwig or Amadeus/Wolfgang/Sebastian).
Has this series not been shown in the USA yet? BBC America USA perhaps? Starring David Mitchell as sortof a detective in the title role.
Great show and there will be a series two. When I don’t know. Do try and see it if you can.
It’s available on Britbox.
Finished watching the first season on Britbox over the weekend. Nice to know there will be a second season. I do have one question about the last episode which I don’t think they ever addressed, but maybe I missed it.
Why did the “boyfriend” come back the next day? It’s convenient as far as solving the murder goes, but it doesn’t make any sense otherwise. Was there something in the apartment he was trying to recover, and he thought he could do it with a bunch of cops milling around?
Prompted by this thread I signed up for the free trial of Britbox and just finished episode four last night. Love it, but it’s a pretty light confection of improbable scenarios so I’m not expecting airtight logic or plausibility.
But the characters are absolute magic.
It’s been a while since I watched but I think
he returned to appear innocent. I have a feeling this happens in real life a lot, they create this elaborate lie and then volunteer too much info that makes them suspicious.
That was my theory for it anyway.
My wife has much better memory than I and that is her take on it. She’s his girlfriend and not showing up would raise suspicion.
I’m 5 episodes in and like it, but don’t love it.
Cute show, though.
Many of the seasons are on YouTube. I often listen to it to help me fall asleep, but don’t take that as a condemnation. It’s very funny and full of interesting and generally accurate trivia – of course not counting the explicit lies that are part of the format.
Graeme Garden, like Mitchell a former Cambridge Footlights president, co-created the show and he is a frequent panelist, as are some other past presidents like Sue Perkins and Phil Wang. I’m still waiting for Eric Idle and Richard Ayoade to take a turn though. (IANABritish, just a big fan of their humor.)