# What's some good British television? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2008, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053 "2008-04-27T06:05:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/41 "2008-04-28T09:10:10Z")
[QUOTE=Smeghead] I’ve been a huge fan of British TV and, lately, radio for a long long time now. Mostly radio these days due to lack of TV watching time [/QUOTE] A lot of BBC drama is on the radio or audio books, certainly Doctor Who has had a great outing in this media. I’m appreciating this thread too, there are quite a few comedies I’ve forgotten about. Since someone mentioned “Big Train”, I’ll go further and mention [Jam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam_%28TV_series%29) and [Blue Jam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Jam), and why not throw in [Brass Eye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Eye) and [The Day Today](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_Today). ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/42 "2008-04-28T09:28:02Z")
Yeah, The Day Today is good — [bomb dogs](http://youtube.com/watch?v=_nvfQw8UCDE). PS, **Pushkin** , post #17🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/43 "2008-04-28T10:56:21Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] [Brass Eye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Eye) [/QUOTE] Hehe.. suggesting **Brass Eye** to someone alongside recommendations of **Jeeves and Wooster** and **Open All Hours**.. it could only happen here. _Paedogeddon_ the brilliant Brass Eye special is available on YouTube, but it’s most certainly not safe for work (so I won’t link it). ---
**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:** [April 28, 2008, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/44 "2008-04-28T11:08:56Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] Hehe.. suggesting **Brass Eye** to someone alongside recommendations of **Jeeves and Wooster** and **Open All Hours**.. it could only happen here. [/QUOTE] True. I think this board is likely to be more internationally-aware than perhaps some other places, but I still think some of the selections here are likely to raise some eyebrows for some American audiences. _League of Gentlemen_, for example - it’s brilliant comedy, but very dark and disturbing in a way that might just offend or fall flat in some other cultural contexts. (I’m not trying to suggest American audiences are unsophisticated or anything, just different in a way that might generate some interesting reactions) ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/45 "2008-04-28T11:40:33Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] _League of Gentlemen_, for example - it’s brilliant comedy, but very dark and disturbing in a way that might just offend or fall flat in some other cultural contexts [/QUOTE] The only comparison I can make with any US television show is that episode of the X-Files where some horribly inbred Americans have sex with their mother, a legless, armless woman kept on a board under a bed to produce their own siblings/off spring. ---
**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:** [April 28, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/46 "2008-04-28T14:20:33Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] The only comparison I can make with any US television show is that episode of the X-Files where some horribly inbred Americans have sex with their mother, a legless, armless woman kept on a board under a bed to produce their own siblings/off spring. [/QUOTE] Not sure I saw that episode, but the thing with The X Files is that it presents itself as a show where spooky things jump out and go ‘boo’, whereas tLoG is, on the face of it, just a show about everyday goings on in a sleepy little village. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/47 "2008-04-28T14:37:25Z")
My Dad used to be an assistant bank manager in one such sleepy town in the hills of Tyrone, I get that vibe off it. Perhaps its more like American Gothic, but with more of a droll sense of humour, but that’s a bit of a stretch too. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/48 "2008-04-28T17:29:46Z")
[QUOTE=Smokinjbc] I really like **Robin Hood** but if it’s historical accuracy (or even relevency) you are looking for- you won’t find it here. Often, his gang sports modern clothes- camo, sneakers, watches- it’s kinda fun spotting it. I noticed “Jaq” has a cute new hairdo this season. It’s really tongue in cheek and campy- you’ll hear things like “I shot the sheriff, but didn’t shoot the deputy” and other goofy stuff that, if you don’t take it too seriously, really makes the series IMHO. Aside from very few “deaths” (Robin is against killing anyone, apparently, and the sheriff and his man are very good at putting Robin into easily escapable situations when they had ample time to get rid of him) and not much suspense, it is at least action packed and quick moving. Robin, Marian and Guy of Gisborne are all great characters at least with some depth to them. And the sherriff is cheerfully evil and funny…\*\* [/QUOTE] My interest in history & legend initially made me avoid _Robin Hood_. But I’ve got BBCamerica, so I ended up seeing quite a few episodes “by accident.” (Doing housework with the TV on, etc.) I’ve surrendered. It’s great fun. Healthy legends live & evolve. Every generation needs its Robin Hood! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/49 "2008-04-28T17:49:22Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] It’s grown on me. Once I got over thinking of it as a Red Dwarf wannabe, I enjoyed it a lot more. [/QUOTE] I was laughing out loud in the first five minutes. Hyperdrive is brilliant, but maybe you find it less outstanding because you have other funny shows , which we don’t. Using less than perfect people in the roles is something that the BBC does more than the U.S.A. Sitcoms here almost all consist of a skinny attractive smart woman, and matching daughter, with a fat not smart husband and matching son. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/50 "2008-04-28T18:33:36Z")
[QUOTE=Smokinjbc] I really like **Robin Hood** but if it’s historical accuracy (or even relevency) you are looking for- you won’t find it here. Often, his gang sports modern clothes- camo, sneakers, watches- it’s kinda fun spotting it. I noticed “Jaq” has a cute new hairdo this season. It’s really tongue in cheek and campy- you’ll hear things like “I shot the sheriff, but didn’t shoot the deputy” and other goofy stuff that, if you don’t take it too seriously, really makes the series IMHO. Aside from very few “deaths” (Robin is against killing anyone, apparently, and the sheriff and his man are very good at putting Robin into easily escapable situations when they had ample time to get rid of him) and not much suspense, it is at least action packed and quick moving. Robin, Marian and Guy of Gisborne are all great characters at least with some depth to them. And the sherriff is cheerfully evil and funny. [/QUOTE] Cool, I didn’t realize the second season was on. My kids love that show, and I’m pretty amused by it. I particularly like the arrow-whooshing sound effect that accompanies the titles. The whole first season was worth it for that “I shot the sheriff” line, which took me totally off guard. My husband and I fell out laughing, while the kids didn’t get it at all. ---
**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:** [April 28, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/51 "2008-04-28T19:02:12Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] I was laughing out loud in the first five minutes. Hyperdrive is brilliant, but maybe you find it less outstanding because you have other funny shows , which we don’t. [/quote] I think it’s mainly just that I had watched a lot of Red Dwarf, and liked it - so it was sort of inevitable that I would initially receive it as a cheap knock-off of that. In fact, it’s not trying to be Red Dwarf at all - Red Dwarf is about a bunch of folks whose inexperience, personality flaws and general incompetence get them into all sorts of scrapes. In Hyperdrive, it’s their overwhelming cultural _Britishness_ that makes them inept and funny. > [@](#): > > Using less than perfect people in the roles is something that the BBC does more than the U.S.A. Sitcoms here almost all consist of a skinny attractive smart woman, and matching daughter, with a fat not smart husband and matching son. I think you’re probably right - and this is partly why I think some people are going to raise eyebrows at some of the suggestions here - flawed, dirty, stupid, evil, self-centred and conniving characters are the norm in modern Britcom - and it’s often the case that remade American versions of the same shows are substantially sanitised. Take _Men Behaving Badly_, for example - it’s a sitcom about the adventures of a couple of lager-swilling bachelors and their on-and-off, more respectable and civilising girlfriends - half of the action consists of the characters burping, farting, scratching their genitals, talking about sex, having sex, eating messily, falling over, breaking things and having stupid, inane conversations, then following them through into action. But it’s funny. I understand an American version was made, but they cut out a lot of the unsavoury stuff, so it wasn’t really _Men behaving Badly_ any more - it was _Friends Lite_ - and it fell completely flat. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/52 "2008-04-28T19:17:06Z")
I must be the only person in the world who has watched or enjoyed Peep Show. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/53 "2008-04-28T20:24:14Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] I must be the only person in the world who has watched or enjoyed Peep Show. [/QUOTE] Dammit trumped again! I loved that show in the third season and got a fair laugh out of the first two, glad to see there’s another season coming up. With regards less than perfect characters in British comedies, someone once said that British comedy is mostly about people trying their hardest to get out of their rut in life, before finally realising they’re stuck there forever. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/54 "2008-04-28T21:40:25Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] With regards less than perfect characters in British comedies, someone once said that British comedy is mostly about people trying their hardest to get out of their rut in life, before finally realising they’re stuck there forever. [/QUOTE] Did any other Peep Show viewers get as upset as me at the end of series 4? The wedding scene where Sophie and Mark start crying in the middle of the wedding ceremony - it was horrible! All I could think about was all the people who’ve gone into their marriages not actually sure it’s what they want and all the years of misery that come after it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/55 "2008-04-28T21:56:37Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] I must be the only person in the world who has watched or enjoyed Peep Show. [/QUOTE] New series starts this friday! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/56 "2008-04-28T23:50:02Z")
I’m a fan of Peep Show, too. Spaced and Black Books are my current favorites at the moment. Oh, and Green Wing! How could I forget Green Wing? Man, that is the kick-assingest comedy ever! Hour long episodes, set in a hospital, and utterly hysterical. Brilliant, brilliant show. ---
**Author:** ![Daffyd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daffyd/32/8923_2.png) [@Daffyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daffyd)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/57 "2008-04-29T03:52:01Z")
Where do I start? I’m totally addicted to **Coronation Street** - but soaps aren’t for everyone… This is the third season of **The Apprentice** I’ve watched - and I’ve loved em all… I’m almost ashamed to say I’ve watched a couple of seasons of **The X Factor** … considering I hate **American Idol** , I have no idea why I like it… And love all the send-ups in **Harry Hill’s TV Burp** … That show must take a ton of work to put together… The **I.T. Crowd** had some great moments… Anything with Dawn French - **French and Saunders** , **The Vicar of Dibley** , and her interview shows - **Girls Who Do Comedy** and **Boys Who Do Comedy** **Gavin and Stacey** - I can’t always understand all the references to life in Essex and Wales, but absolutely love the characters… I’m not even sure what the actors’ names actually are, but… Gavin was on the **Catherine Tate Show** … Gavin’s mom was the mother on **The Worst Week of My Life** Gavin’s mom’s depressive friend was from **Nighty Night**. Nessa was in **Nighty Night** and **Little Britain** And speaking of **Catherine Tate** , I loved her show… I can think of all kinds of catch phrases without even trying… “Did I tell ya, our son’s a Gay man now!”… “Am I bovvered”… “What a fucking liberty!” …and of course, there’s always\*\* Doctor Who\*\*. **Peep Show** has always been fun… **That Mitchell and Webb Look** was good too… I’m starting to get the feeling I watch too much British TV… ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/58 "2008-04-29T08:46:20Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] Did any other Peep Show viewers get as upset as me at the end of series 4? [/QUOTE] Not upset, but it was briefly one of those awkward moments you can’t quite stand watching. The rest of the last episode was great. I forgot there were four series too, I watched them in short order on catch up TV and at my sisters on DVD, the whole thing went in a blur. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/59 "2008-04-29T09:12:46Z")
Hooray! There _are_ more Peep Show fans! Alas! There’s apparently a new series coming out and my only means of watching it right now would appear to be piracy (shamefully, my means of exposure to the previous series as well). I remember actually being a bit upset over something about the manner or tone of the end of series 4, but I can’t remember exactly what over; I don’t think it was exactly over what had upset you, **Illuminatiprimus** , but perhaps it was related. I suppose I’ll have to watch it again to jog my memory. (Which I suppose means I should buy the DVDs at some point; are they available with U.S. region codes? [Goddamn, I hate the region code system]) ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053/60 "2008-04-29T09:15:59Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] **Coupling** - a sitcom with immensely clever scripting/writing (I think it may have tailed off after the first couple of seasons, but the early ones are simply brilliant). [/QUOTE] Seconded. Season 1-3 are great. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-some-good-british-television/447053.md?page=4)