# Suggest some good recent British TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118 "2005-11-02T18:26:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118/21 "2005-11-03T18:14:13Z")
I can second Spy - really very surprisingly intense. Spaced and Black Books are my two new favorite British comedies, and they’re both quite recent. If you liked Shaun of the Dead, Spaced is pretty much the same team. > [@](#): > > “The first rule of Robot Fight Club is don’t talk about Robot Fight Club. The second rule is don’t talk about…no, wait. Sorry. The second rule is No Smoking.” > > “Why can’t we smoke?” > > “We can’t talk about it.” Little Britain, on the other hand, is one of the worst shows I’ve ever seen. IMHO, of course. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118/22 "2005-11-07T13:41:08Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > And **[QI](http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/qi/)** is another HIGNFY humour/panel show which will appeal to SDMB types, given its focus on urban legend, old wives tales, and little-known and wrongly-known facts. Good call - I haven’t caught it in quite a while (I think a new series has just started?) so didn’t think of it… Little Britain can be very funny on first viewing, but gets stale almost at once - most characters are one-gag ponies… Grim ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118/23 "2005-11-07T14:13:07Z")
What about [Coupling](http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/coupling/)? ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118/24 "2005-11-07T14:20:41Z")
I strongly recommend [Help](http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/h/help_999050224.shtml) if any U.S. station picks it up or BBC America shows it. The series was written by Chris Langham and Paul Whitehouse, who also are the main actors. Langham plays a psychologist, and Whitehouse plays all of the psychologist’s different patients. Very, very funny, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Tevildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Tevildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tevildo)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118/25 "2005-11-07T15:30:49Z")
If you’re a fan of Chris Morris style black humour, I can recommend [Monkey Dust](http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/m/monkeydust_1299003547.shtml) - a few culturally-specific references, and definitely not for kids, but still perceptive and entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118/26 "2005-11-07T18:46:17Z")
> [@grimpixie](#): > > Good call - I haven’t caught it in quite a while (I think a new series has just started?) so didn’t think of it… Yep, started a couple of weeks ago 🙂 > [@Tevildo](#): > > If you’re a fan of Chris Morris style black humour, I can recommend [Monkey Dust](http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/m/monkeydust_1299003547.shtml) - a few culturally-specific references, and definitely not for kids, but still perceptive and entertaining. Ooooh yes!! How did I forget!! Brilliant show. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118/27 "2005-11-07T18:48:47Z")
One more - [Marion and Geoff](http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/m/marionandgeoff_1299003541.shtml). So understated it’s almost _not_ a comedy, yet it’s also heartbreakingly funny. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118/28 "2005-11-07T19:00:36Z")
I’ve also been watching MI-5 recently, known in the UK as “Spooks”. Normally I can’t stand precinct shows (doctors, lawyers, cops), but this one grabbed me. The first few episodes were pretty “eh,” but once they deep-fried one of the main characters’ faces before shooting her I figured I should watch the rest. I haven’t been disappointed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggest-some-good-recent-british-tv/329118.md?page=1)