What British TV programmes do you get in the USA?

OMG-Nobody's mentioned "Open All Hours"

One of the finest pieces of television I've ever seen.
Slapstick, ribald,bittersweet comedy. I'd rank it up there with All In The Family.

Wish there were more episodes.

Hi,Pragmatic; By all means,please do mention
Australian tv programs. Not many are shown in
America. I enjoyed "The Damnation of Harvey McHugh". I saw a bit of a few episodes of a program in which Geoffrey Rush was an editor of a
newspaper{have no clue what the name was},and
saw just a few minutes of "Blue Heelers".

lindatw

Heeven: I agree with a lot of your favorites. I've
never seen "Coronation Street",but always wanted too. I looooove "East Enders",but haven't watched since BBC America cable network took it off several years ago. You can keep up with the plots on the BBC America website,in the East Enders section.

lindatw

Sorry for not being around too much on this thread, you guys.
I have had a rough couple of days, so have been in bed most of the time.

I will now take some jollop, and return as fresh as a daisy when the grumblings have ceased.

I will now hunt for my favourite book, and search the fridge for some comfort food.

I shall return.......................

Favorite British tv programs....
Lordy,Lord E; Sounds like you've had your own case of the
barfy-poopys Glad you are back among us. Have some chicken soup, and some toast, and join us for some lively chatter

lindatw

Question Lord Elpus:

There's a new series on HBO here in the states, 'Rome'.

It's filmed in Italy, but most of the characters are British.
Do you get it there.

Now THAT's entertainment.

I love the real version (british version) of Who's Line Is It Anyway? with Clive. The Americanized version is ok but was never as good as the original.

2 all time BBC favs are "Good Neighbors" with the really very hot Felicity Kendal and my all time fav from any network "The Prisoner" a creation of Number Six (Patrick McGoohan).

Dyslexia: I like those shows,too ! Speaking of Patrick McGoohan,have you ever watched "Secret Agent" ? It was good,too. Also the "Avengers"
{w/Diana Rigg as Emma Peel}.

lindatw

Sorry to hear you've been ill, Lord E. Hope that it was a short-term thing.

Over the last five years I've quit watching most American shows and only watch the BBC America channel and CSpan (except for The Daily Show ).

Benny Hill... Yuck. Too annoying for me. Give me AbFab, Kumars, or My Family. I don't care much for The Office, but I am entranced by Graham Norton... he's soooo wicked!

A couple of my other faves, not mentioned, are Hamish McBeth, Ballykissangel and Monarch of the Glen, though I prefer the first year of Monarch. Of course, these are rarely on anymore. Ballykissangel is what got me interested in British offerings -- I'd been watching some ManU game and happened on that. Wow. I was an instant convert.

I like Jonathan Creek, though I think I've already seen every episode... Hate Footballers' Wives. There was an interesting show about a couple in Scotland (Glasgow?) who were meeting each other but not yet realizing they were completely in love. It was on about two years ago... I liked it a lot, but it was too slow for most everyone else, I guess.

I'm also a fan of British "reality" TV -- the "Queen for a Day" aspect of the helper shows appeals to me. It is an interesting slice of British life and I like seeing the views of England. I also like that silly antiquing game-show "Bargain Hunt"; it makes me thirst to go back to the UK and visit some of those big sales.

If you check BBCAMERICA.COM you'll see what is available. All of these are fun to watch:

Bargain Hunt
Cash in the Attic
Changing Rooms
Faking It
Ground Force
House Doctor
House Invaders
Life Laundry, The
Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares
What Not to Wear

I particularly enjoy Gordon Ramsay's shows. He's 'mazing.

well yes lindatw, the Dianna Rigg Avengers and Secret Agent were very entertaining productions, I enjoyed them both, alas I would consider them both in the vein of fun but hardly top-notch.

Dyslexia: In one sense you're right. Both shows were done with a tongue-in-cheek feeling,and not to be taken too seriously. Forty years later, they seem kind of anachronistic when I watch them.
One of my most favorites is "McCallum" with John
Hannah It is absolutely great !

lindatw

as a reviewer once but it "Dianna Rigg lacked a flying buttress" I, on the other hand, enjoyed her flying buttress (especially when donning leather). What I find even more interesting is that in the Avengers Dianna drove a Lotus Elan and in the Prisoner, Number 6 drove a Lotus S-7. Good taste is timeless I suppose.

Ohhhh, feel well soon!

Hope your feeling better soon, and hurry back

Lord Ell:

I know that Are You Being Served was old even when it first came to America in the late eighties or nineties, because one of the episodes featured them trapped overnight in the store, forced to tell each other stories. And Captain Peacock, who looked 60 at the oldest, started telling about how he was a pilot in WW II. I knew right away the episode was early seventies, at the youngest.

PBS carries most of the British series. There might be some in "synidication"-not major network aligned, like the Star Trek series from Next Generation on-but I haven't come across many. I don't think BBC America reallly counts as being shown in America, not that many people get it.

To see the PBS lineup, including those British shows, just go to www.yahoo.com, click TV, then pick a zip code. 11361 will do nicely in a pinch, and you can see the lineup.

Of the British shows, there's Monty Python of course, and the Avengers. Bertie Wooster & Jeeves, (Hugh Laurie is now on a big American hit, playing an American doctor), Rumpole of the Bailey, etc. Upstairs Downstairs created quite a stir, but I never got into it. I thought that show with Urquardt was outstanding. Oh yeah, another little gem I remember-To The Manor Born.

One thing that I am struck with, in watching British TV drama as opposed to American, is this-the American drama show almost always has a happy ending. Some people might die, but they won't be the main character, or usually even one of the top side characters. In British drama, very often the main character fails, or his family gets killed, or something like that.

That never happens in American drama, unless the show wants to kill off a character in a multi-character "ensemble" show like Law and Order. American drama rarely produces sad endings, as far as the main characters go.

I'm enjoying The Avengers on BBC America right at this moment. An Avengers Marathon.

Was it always in color? When I saw it the first time, the family only had a black and white TV, so that is how I remembered it.

I must admit it looks great in color. The young Diana Rigg, in color. Yum.

Father Jack Hackett is an old alcoholic priest from the comedy show Father Ted.

what British tv programmes....
Did anybody see Mystery on PBS last night? It was part 2 of their adaptation of "The Murder Room" by P.D. James. I haven't read the book,but this was quite enjoyable. Whom do you prefer to play the
Insp,Adam Dalgleish character Martin Shaw,or Roy Marsden?

Re: What British TV programmes do you get in the USA?

Drama......Mystery.....crime etc....

1. Morse -- LOVE THIS ONE, no longer on.
2. A Touch of Frost -- Don't know it.
3. House of Cards -- Don't know it.
4. Cracker -- Didn't like it, I think.. more violent than I was used to.
5. Silent Witness -- Again, more violent than expected.


Comedy.......

1. Only Fools and Horses -- ??
2. Auf Wiedersen Pet -- ??
3. Blackadder -- Good.
4. Fawlty Towers -- Good.
5. One Foot in the Grave -- ??
6. Vicar of Dibley -- Good.
7. Father Ted -- Not as good, but sometimes hilarious.

Where are you Lord Ellpus? I hope this long absence just means you are having a wonderful time and not terribly ill.

Best wishes for your health.
Worried,
Piffka

Linda TW -- Didn't see it but I will report even while I think Martin Shaw is dishy, I am still used to Roy Marsden as Dalgleish. Certainly one of the greatest characters ever created... a poet detective... and rivaling Chief Inspector Morse... that opera buff/ criminal inspector.

I saw a British mystery this weekend but it wasn't The Murder Room. It was about an older police inspector who wanted to join the military (WWII era). He has a young woman as his driver. Last night's mystery was solving the seeming death by explosives in a building in London... which took him to "Hastings Hall" and a group teaching what was termed "Misinformation" to the military. I cannot remember nor find the name of this show. Did I see it the night before? Ackkk. My brain has turned to mush.... mush.