What British TV programmes do you get in the USA?

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.

Piffka:It was "Foyle's War", w/ Michael Kitchens.

mrs h would suffer serious withdrawal symptoms if "coronation street" would no longer be shown in canada. problem is our shows are about nine months behind schedule - just celebrated new year's , isn't that funny ! i've had to set up the link to "c street" as the first item under favourites, so mrs h can check ahead and be prepared. i enjoyed the old "c street" shows - 10- 15 years ago - find the new ones simply not very enjoyable any more - not enough laughs.
we usually watch "heartbeat" on friday night.

going back some 40 years or so, i enjoyed the peter sellers radio shows that were broadcast here on sunday mornings - ehbeth was hardly out of the "pram" when she started listening to peter and his companions. she later gave me a book with quite a few of the episodes of the shows, and just recently i found a cd with a compilation of some crazy peter sellars broadcasts - such as : father trying to find school for his "sensitive" boy, interview with a rockstar - just priceless !
another favourite radio show dealt with unsuspecting people being phoned and being "lead up the gardenpath" - such as : phoning an old lady living in a small aprtment and telling her that a friend had recommended her for boarding his horse; another dealt with a gardener who had some unwanted animals in his garden (moles, i racall), to get rid of them, the caller told the frightened gardener that he would be coming over shortly to plant some dynamite charges in the garden - "i'll guarantee you, no more moles ! just make sure you cover your windows with plywood."
i miss such crazy but harmless stuff ! hbg

H : Sorry to say I'm not fond of Peter Sellers.
I've seen him in the Pink Panther movies,and just didn't think he was funny.

Thanks, Linda.. Foyle's War sounds right! Yay, you're my hero.


Hamburger -- Graham Norton does a similar schtick of calling the unsuspecting person over the phone. He's done everything from leaving a cell phone in a cab with a hidden camera -- this was one of my favorites -- to calling people with strange websites. It is one of the funniest segments on his shows, I think.

Graham Norton is ok,but I prefer situation comedies:Royle Family,Are You Being Served,etc.
Also dramas i.e. Manchild,Love Hurts,etc.

linda : the peter sellers of radio days was much different from the one we see in the movies.
of course, peter sellers needed spike milligan and harry secombe to be able to put on the "goon show". some of my favourite characters were : major bloodnok, kurt krutchwarmer(the swiss lawyer who would end his letters with : "yours with yodel unt respect") and good, ole' moriarty. much of their banter on radio was not fully rehearsed and would result in a lot of mayhem. just what i like. hgf

british tv
if you are as crazy as i am, visit...THE GOON SHOW...

Anybody ever seen any of Michael Palin's travel
programs? To have been so silly with Monty Python,
he does a really good job with more serious tv.

Anybody ever seen any of Michael Palin's travel
programs? To have been so silly with Monty Python,
he does a really good job with more serious tv.

I have not seen any of Michael Palin's travel shows, but I have read very good reviews of them.

Frankly, I am uncomfortable seeing any Pythons in roles that are too far removed from the show. I tuned in a Gilbert and Sullivan show on TV once because it had Eric Idle in the cast. I was assuming it was a spoof, but no, it was a regular production. I turned it off. Also, Idle was in a short lived TV series where he played a ghost. Although the role seemingly had possibilities, he never did get the chance to be his cloyingly smug but absurd character on the show, and it soon got cancelled.

If anyone doubts that Monty Python is right up there with the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, and all the rest, they might consider this. A few years ago I was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the characters were quoting the "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" skit. Although adults can enjoy it, Buffy was primarily aimed at teenage girls who were not even born when Monty Python produced their shows. Yet they are still known by these kids. That says a lot.

I'm sure you're right,Keltic,but I just happen not
to care for the absurd comedies. That's just one girl's opinion. Whether the person is English,or anything else,I'm always curious to see how versatile an actor is. I'm always curious if a comedian can do well at drama,or musicals,or whatever. For example:Wendy Richard did really
well in "Are You Being Served",and has been good on "Eastenders" for 20 years.

Hellooooooo!

Back from the bed, and ready to catch up on this (what has turned out to be) very busy thread.

Thanks to all, and I will now try to catch up with the bits and pieces.


Where do I start......I know, I'll get the spicy stuff out of the way first.

Prag....if that is a true likeness of you on your avatar, you must carry a big stick around with you, in order to beat off the queue of suitors that must follow you around.
I will say here, once and for all, that you are far better looking than Dys.


Right, onto business......Chai, you asked about "Rome"....is that the one with some naughty bits in it. If so, then yes, it is a Brit production, and quite an entertaining way of learning all about the Romans.

Dys....I think you meant "the good life" with Felicity Kendall. I agree....she was HOT when that was first shown on TV. In actual fact, she is a pretty damn fine woman now, all these years later.
Felicity helped me through puberty.
.....and the prisoner? exceptional, in its day. Quite unique. If you search for "portmeirion" on google, you will find the little coastal town where it was all filmed. Interesting and weird history.

How could I not mention "Open all Hours"?....sorry Pan, my omission.
Wonderful stuff.

Keltic gave the link for PBS, but I couldn't find any mention of "Only fools and horses" still.......I wonder why? Maybe the BBC wants to charge too much for the rights, as it still reigns supreme.
If I were you Keltic, I would email or phone PBS and DEMAND that they put it on. Nobody in the English speaking world should be deprived of this gem. The main character (Del boy Trotter) was Arkwright's shop assisitant in Open all Hours (David Jason). What a brilliant actor.
......and the thing you mention about the happy endings, Keltic? My sentiments entirely, and that is why I very rarely watch a Hollywood movie, because there is a 99% chance that you know how its going to end up. All smiles.
Give me an unexpected tragedy anyday, to keep you wondering, right up until the end.

Gordon Ramsay IS very good, and I don't normally like that sort of thing.
Apparently, he has a series just about to come out in the UK (it may have already aired in the USA), re him training a crew of apprentice chefs in a New York restaurant.
He certainlt doesn't mince his words, does he!

All the other classics that I didn't include on the original list......Heeven covered most of them, and I tend to agree with most of her thoughts re. good and bad, cos after all, she does originate from this side of the pond.

Rising Damp (brilliant), Yes minister....one of the cleverest programmes to go on air, and so true to life.

One question......I note that you have the original Brit versions of Ab Fab, and The Office. I have seen the American "Office", and think they did a pretty good job, but haven't seen the American Ab Fab.

Those of you that have seen both versions of these programmes.....how do they compare? Have they watered down Ab FaB at all? What did you think of the David Brent character in "Office"......haven't we all worked with someone like that in the past? I certainly have.

...and finally..............

MY TIP FOR THE FUTURE

We have just seen the two part programme on Elizabeth the First over here. The brand, spanking new production from our "Channel 4", starring Helen Mirren as Queen.
Now....I don't normally go for costume dramas, but the quality of this production is absolutely stunning, the costumes must have cost a fortune, and the acting is faultless.

Possibly the best thing I have seen all year......keep an eye out for it, as it is bound to come your way..........

I will look through in greater detail in the near future, but if I've missed anything, please give me a nudge.

Cheers everyone.............s'cuse the possible typos, I'm hurrying because the football is about to start.

one outstanding british production is the series were individuals are being interviewed every seven years starting at age 7(don't know the original title; one was called "28 up" , that would have been the fourth interview). while it was certainly not a comedy. it did contain its share of funny but also very sad parts.
currently there is a british program on TV-ontario
were teenagers of about age 16/17 are put back into a school environment circa 1950-1960. it sure is interesting to see how schooling has changed.
while quite a few absolutely detested being in the program, there are also quite a few who were happily surprised that they were able to succeed in shop-programs. several of the young fellows were very proud having been able to construct something with their own hands. they felt that they had not been happy in acedemic programs at all and had given up all hope of having a career. now they felt that becoming a bricklayer or entering some other trade program gave them great hope.
we are certainly enjoying the program. hbg

Hamburger; Several years ago,I saw a bit of "28 up". It seemed interesting. Some shows from your native Canada get down here to America,too,i.e.:
Traders,North of Sixty,Trailer Park Boys,the Lonesome Dove tv series.are the first to come to mind.

Hamburger....The series regarding the return to old fashioned schooling is called "That'll teach 'em", I believe.....and can be found here.

http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/teachem/index.html

One student's comments.......


Q...What did you get out of going back in time last summer?

"I think the best part of the King's School experience was dissecting a rat and an eye! I was mostly left to dissect the rat by myself, and although I thought it was a little cruel, I was glad of the opportunity to dissect an animal without being sick, and that's something I've been happy to tell everyone!

I think the worst part was the work. I'd been looking forward to my summer holidays, but instead I spent them working and getting stressed. I somehow felt I had to do well in the exams, even though I knew they weren't real, but I was waking up at 5am to revise for history tests and for some of the exams. I felt run down by the amount of work we had and also the physical education lessons we had, since I hadn't done sports for two years and it was a shock to the system.

I lost half a stone, which is something I got out of the experience. I can also now empathise with what my poor grandparents had to endure when they went to school, and realise that they weren't exaggerating after all! "



Fascinating!


The "7 up, 14 up, 21 up, 28 up etc" is also a fascinating programme, and I saw MOST of the latest one a couple of weeks ago, when it was on telly over here.

The part I missed, however, was the bit about the girl who used to live in Poplar, East London....who wanted to become a model, when filmed during the "14 up" programme.
She was the cousin of my then Girlfriend (we were all fourteen at the time) and I used to go round to her home quite regularly. I remember the film crew going there, but we weren't allowed near the place at the time. I seem to remember that she basked in the glory of being on TV, and got quite bigheaded about the whole thing.
She had a very high opinion of herself, and I wanted to see how she had turned out. Can you remember that part, by any chance?

your lordship : sorry, i can't remember the episode you are referring to.
the two parts that i remember best are :
- the small wiry kid who always got himself into some kind of trouble. i think a great scene was when he was at a zoo somewhere - his mischivious grin was just almost infectious. didn't he become a jockey and eventually had his own taxi ? did he also become a pub owner or was that someone else ?
- the rather sad fate of one of the fellows who became very depressed and went to live in some kind of a hovel (?) on an island of the coast. did he not eventually pull out of it ?
it was also interesting to see the couple that had become rather "posh" - imo.
some had decided to drop out of the study; i wonder how many are left ?
the show hasn't been on tv here for some time - two years ?
right now mrs h is watching "c street" (7 to 8 pm local time). i think young chesney has become a pretty good actor since he started about two years ago. i also have a soft spot for "les" - fellow just can't win, but keeps plodding on. and "fred" - priceless ! enjoyed him on "yes , minister" - in re-run here.
i'm glad we have access to many of the british tv productions; most of them are well crafted.
a show that started recently and that we also enjoy is : rosemary and thyme - felicity kendall and pam ferris (?) are two very good actresses.
greetings from the colonies. hbg

Lord E.

The American version of The Office does not compare to the original. Simply two different worlds of comedy. Also, the original had two writers. The American version has a team.

I think the original is a masterpiece. And I could go on forever. But it is so much more layered than the American version. The original Office is certainly hilarious--the bafoonery and awkward silences. But it is also humiliating and at times excruciating. A character you love and sympathize with at one moment will do something completely disturbing the next moment. It is unpredictable. And each episode is a complete narrative with an arc. It's just damn good writing.

I love how David Brent is always getting caught lying, and then unsuccessfully tries to squirm his way out with more lies until there is nothing left but silence and discomfort.

Sometimes I wonder if the original would ever have aired in the U.S. Some of the risks it takes with race and gender might not be palatable to the likes of the FCC.

Hamburger and others;Has anybody seen "The Vice" police/crime drama series? What about the
"Messiah" series of tv crime movies? Both are starring Ken Stott,and very good,imo.

linda : no , haven't seen them advertised, but i don't keep up-to-date on tv-shows. i usually just catch them by good luck. have you seen "rosemary and thyme" ? it's a low key crime show/social study, imo. i like the low key style - no police chases. hbg