Great British television.

[Baron Kurtz]

Oh, I almost forgot: Lovejoy. Unbelievably Ian mcShane is now winning awards for some western thing. Lovejoy sucks so much that it's actually enjoyable. McShane was in the title role as 'Lovejoy' A crime solving antiques dealer. I can't imagine a worse premise!

I never saw the American "The Office". What i saw was trailers which highlighted a certain slapstick element which is so far from the original that it isn't even worth talking about. Again, i didn't see the American version. The british one was done in such a way that you could be watching for 5-10 minutes before you realised that it was comedy and not documentary. And was so subtle that many people i know in Britain still don't get it.

bk

 

[swinggal]

My favourite British TV is in two categories:

Drama
-The House of Elliott - if you love the 20s and 30s, get these DVDs. About a fashion house and its rise to the top and the costuming is awesome
-The Cammomile Lawn - witty drama about life in WW2 London. A side of life that is not always seen
-The Cazalets - life during WW2 for one family. Great costuming
-This Life
-The Forsythe Saga - set from the 1900s to the 1930s
-The Avengers
-Wings - drama abot WW2 pilots
-Spitfire Ace - doco
-Battleships - doco
-People's Century - best doc about world history ever. Goes through each decade
-Airships - doco

Comedy
-Jeeves and Wooster - set in 1930s London, a butler and the man he serves get in and out of amazing situations. Stephen Fry is Jeeves and Hugh Laurie is Woodley. The costuming and settings are faultless and its bloody funny.
-Teachers - bawdy and funny
-Little Britain - just ridiculously funny skits
-Goodnight Sweetheart - guy goes back in time to WW2
-The office
-Dads Army
-Father Ted
-Blackadder - pure gold, especially the WW1 series, my fav
-Blackbooks

 

[CherryBombRock]

Little Britain is fantastic (which is made even better by one of my friend looking like Matt Lucas!)
I find the office cuts a little close to home - having worked in offices, and hated it and the people, it's far too realistic!
House of Elliot was wicked, jeez...I haven't seen that since I was little!
'Never Mind the Buzzcocks' is a music quiz show that's hilarious! If you can check it out for our British cutting wit and sarcasm!
xXx

 

[swinggal]

I didn't know there was a British version of "The Office," but from what I've read it seems to be less over-the-top than the American version with Steve Carell.

The British version IS the only version as far as I'm concerned and it's beem around a while now. The American version is a lameass copy of it.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

My favourite British TV is in two categories:


Comedy
-Father Ted

-Blackbooks

Father Ted....Mmmmm Blackbooks....I am currently whinging about the fact that BlackBooks isnt being released on US region DVD's....I am berift.

And Spaced.....

And while we are at it...not exactly show shows....but Countdown is the best show ever, although I havent seen it since I moved back to the US in 2002. RIP Richard Whitley.

 

[Mycroft]

I love the BBC documentries. I just saw a great one on Martin Luther King Jr. personal life and how he was a relutant hero. Also, one on the Menphis Mafia (Elvis's Possy) and the Chrismas Truce of 1914. Great stuff. I also love comedies like Blackadder (yea, the WWI is sweet), The Thin Blue Line, and Monty Python. I also love The Saint, The Avengers, The Prisoner, and The Pretenders. Have any of you alll seen Kumars at Number 42, its great stuff? The Brits make "tele."

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Have any of you alll seen Kumars at Number 42, its great stuff? The Brits make "tele."

Never heard of it. Is that one of those terribly un-PC 70s sit-coms?

RIP Richard Whitley.

Too right! Whitley was the man. I used to watch that show when i was making my grandmother's dinner every day through high school. She took perverse pleasure in getting more points than me every day. Learned an awful lot of 9 letter words, though.

bk

 

[nightandthecity]

Kumars is modern Baron, it's about a British Asian family. I've never seen it mind you, as I rarely watch TV, but a lot of my friends think its a hoot.

Best British TV? Father Ted (oh, but that's Irish, never mind)

Mycroft - Yes, we still do good documentaries (mind you, we've made some crap ones as well...). If you get a chance see some of Steve Humphries Oral History documentaries: his "Forbidden Britain" series about the seamier side of the "Golden Age" should be required viewing for everyone on this site!

 

[Mycroft]

Kumars is modern Baron, it's about a British Asian family. I've never seen it mind you, as I rarely watch TV, but a lot of my friends think its a hoot.

Best British TV? Father Ted (oh, but that's Irish, never mind)

Mycroft - Yes, we still do good documentaries (mind you, we've made some crap ones as well...). If you get a chance see some of Steve Humphries Oral History documentaries: his "Forbidden Britain" series about the seamier side of the "Golden Age" should be required viewing for everyone on this site!

I'll keep that in mind next time I am across the pound or watch BBC America.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Kumars is modern Baron, it's about a British Asian family.

By the Goodness, Gracious Me crew? If so it should be pretty funny. That was a good show ...

bk

 

[Mycroft]

Aren't they from India? (The Kumars). Baron it's part talk show, and comidy show too. Donny Osmin naha naha naha (kisses) (kisses) naha naha-Grandma Kumar.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I just did what i should've done in the first place. Google search. The Kumar's at No. 42 looks pretty good. It is from the Goodness Gracious people. Those guys loved basically reproducing what the racist british comedy of the 70s did regarding immigrants (see Alf Garnett et al), but did it with indian/pakistani actors. Brilliant!

I hope to see The Kumar's sometime.

bk

 

[BellyTank]

"Goodness Gracious Me!" began as a radio show, then went to TV. I saw a live, stage performance of the show at the Hackney Empire in London... which was nice...

Yes- 'The Kumars..' is an off-shoot of GGM- Sanjeev Bhaskar as the TV show host who lives at home with his family.

They're all actually Indians but portray Pakistanis too... of course.


Oh Blimey!

B
T

 

[vespasian]

We get these things by the bucket load here. There are some thoroughly enjoyable ones but we do get a bit sick and tired of costume dramas because they are so over produced.

Try some of these, most have already been covered.

Sharpe
Cracker
Morse
Shoestring (80;s private detective)
Sapphire and Steele (damned awful)
Foyles War
Miss Marple investigates (period 1920's)
Last of the Summer Wine (filmed where I grew up, my Dads local pub is where they film many of the episodes and he knows many of the cast who are all really pleasant people. The longest running British series of any kind.)
If you can find it, get the "Booze Cruise" A one off drama thats very funny.
Avoid like the plague, The Vicar of Dibley
Hetty Wainthrop (cant stand it myself, similar to Miss Marple)
Midsommer Murders
Ultimate Force (SAS series, should be called Ultimate Farce but its good in its way)

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Last of the Summer Wine (filmed where I grew up, my Dads local pub is where they film many of the episodes and he knows many of the cast who are all really pleasant people. The longest running British series of any kind.)

Aren't all of the Last of the Summer Wine folks dead? I stopped watching when Compo died ... They didn't replace him, did they???

bk

 

[BellyTank]

Last of the Summer Wine was supposed to be set in or near Huddersfield but I heard that it was actually filmed elsewhere..?

Longest running..? try Coronation Street-

Yeh- Compo WAS that show.

B
T

 

[Baron Kurtz]

RIP - he had a great tweed jacket.

bk

 

[Brad Bowers]

Sci-Fi gets Doctor Who

Thought I'd post this here, as quite a few might be interested...

The Sci-Fi Channel has picked up the newest Doctor Who series from the BBC, and it's supposed to start this March.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/

I'm looking forward to it, as the new series seems to be very well done, from what I've read.

Brad

 

[vespasian]

Last of the summer wine is still being made and Compo was replaced by his son. A number of the characters have been changed over the years but most are still there and still going quite strong. The series is filmed in and around Holmfirth which is between Huddersfield and Barnsley. Most of it I think is now filmed in the Barnsley area as one of the main pubs is actually called The Monkey and is at a place called Thurgoland where my Dad lives. You will see quite often a huge television tower called the Emley Moor TV Mast.

I forgot Coronation Street, but it has little value for costume as its very every day and to me not at all entertaining.

 

[rick5150]

All the mainstream comedies.

"Dave Allen at Large", "The Two Ronnies", "The Goodies", "Mr. Bean","One Foot In The Grave", "Chef" and my all-time favorites "Monty Python" and "Fawlty Towers."

Once you get accustomed to the accent, the rest is gravy

Never cared musch for "Are You Being Served?"