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British Shows: Watch all the hot new television before it comes to America!
joshofalltrades
Class TraitorSmoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
Class TraitorSmoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
In a land far, far away, from which few ever voyage to, let alone speak of...
There's some really pretty great TV.
Admittedly, my favorite British shows are all pretty old. But there's an undeniable charm that is unique to English programming and I want to know about some more great stuff.
My absolute favorite, will never be topped:
The highlight of Rowan Atkinson's career. Utterly marvelous. Witty, historical (though with certain liberties) and beloved by anybody who has gray matter between their ears.
Another classic:
Hated by Catholics everywhere, but appreciated by everyone else. I die laughing every time I watch Speed 3. Every single episode has at least one wet-your-pants-in-hysterical-laughter scene.
Also by the creator of Father Ted:
I'm just starting to get into this one. Absolutely marvelous though. Great setups, and I can definitely sympathize with being a misanthropic bastard working in a bookstore.
Finally, anybody who is surprised that there is a British version of The Office should be killed.
The Infamous Dance Scene
Recommend me some more!
There's some really pretty great TV.
Admittedly, my favorite British shows are all pretty old. But there's an undeniable charm that is unique to English programming and I want to know about some more great stuff.
My absolute favorite, will never be topped:
The highlight of Rowan Atkinson's career. Utterly marvelous. Witty, historical (though with certain liberties) and beloved by anybody who has gray matter between their ears.
Another classic:
Hated by Catholics everywhere, but appreciated by everyone else. I die laughing every time I watch Speed 3. Every single episode has at least one wet-your-pants-in-hysterical-laughter scene.
Also by the creator of Father Ted:
I'm just starting to get into this one. Absolutely marvelous though. Great setups, and I can definitely sympathize with being a misanthropic bastard working in a bookstore.
Finally, anybody who is surprised that there is a British version of The Office should be killed.
The Infamous Dance Scene
Recommend me some more!
joshofalltrades on
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It has a terrible name, but the show has had 7 seasons so far (a whopping 42 episodes! wowie!) and it revolves around two roommates Mark and Jeremy, and their failings at life. Almost a more angry version of the Odd Couple.
It's not as venomous as Curb your Enthusiasm, and as mentioned earlier has some excellent writing. Mark (played by David Mitchell) is the smarter one of the two, who often resorts to comparing things to 40's Britain and the War while working at JLB credit, while Jeremy (Robert Webb) cares more about trying to be a musician and getting laid and living off of Mark.
Some clips of the show (some you have to go to Youtube for because Channel 4 are jerks):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQxyyEiy3qg
[url]=
this one should work in embedding though
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdmcjd7kSWE
It looks like seasons 1-6 are up on Youtube to watch, and even on Hulu. Check it out, it's good stuff.
Also worth noting is Saxondale, which I liked even better than Alan Partridge. Only Two seasons but it could have been so many more. It's about an old roadie who has a souped up Mustang who now works as an exterminator and enjoys the suburb lifestyle, yet still tries to be the smart wise party man:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tglVg9_G5nk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWv6-L6V5gg
Loved that show so much.
One show that I forgot to leave in the OP but is nonetheless one of my favorites:
Hey Juuuude
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
Darkplace is presented as a lost classic: a television series produced in the 1980s, though never broadcast at the time. The presentation features commentary from many of the "original" cast, where characters such as "Marenghi" and "Learner" reflect on making the show. Darkplace parodies numerous aspects of '80s low-budget television, including fashion, special effects and music, as well as the widespread practice of including commentary tracks on DVD releases of old films and television shows.
I'm not sure if everyone will find it funny because of it's over the top silliness and dry delivery, but hey, that's what British Comedies are all about.
Oh and someone got raped by a giant eyeball.
Flippy hates that show because he thinks it's trying too hard but I think it's trying too hard just enough
Anyone who likes Darkplace should check out it's spinoff, Man to Man with Dean Learner. It's more of the same, except in talk show format. The whole thing is up on the Youtubes.
Some of what I was going to mention has already been mentioned (Aka, Black Books being the best series ever) but everyone should check out the first two series of Skins. It's kinda like say, The OC if it was about a bunch of substance abusing nihilists who want to live fast and die hard.
Misfits is also worth a watch too.
Here they are taking the piss out of Jens utter lack of technology knowhow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRmxXp62O8g&feature=fvst
And some other good clips.
Tech support.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mTvrWnEWK8&feature=related
But I will also have to check it out.
Which reminds me, Coogan and Rob Brydon just did a show with the delightful Micheal Winterbottom (who directed them in Tristram Shandy), and it's pretty much a continuation of that movie. Them playing slight parodies of themselves.
The concept of the show is that Coogan gets hired to do a travelogue and restaurant review of the north of England, and when his girlfriend leaves him to go work in America he's forced to bring Brydon along for company. Most of every show is just them goofing around, driving through beautiful English countryside, and testing food. It has many references to both of their careers, and is generally nice to look at and watch.
Anyone want to beta read a paranormal mystery novella? Here's your chance.
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And is called...?
I must be tired. I was sure I included the name AND this clip in my post.
Anyone want to beta read a paranormal mystery novella? Here's your chance.
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Black Adder
The Fast Show
The Young Ones
Harry Enfield
Faulty Towers
Misfits
Skins
Gavin and Stacey
How not to live your life
Little Britain (not the USA one)
The IT Crowd
Peep Show
Ben Elton Show (the man from auntie) (Writer on Black Adder and The Young Ones)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxA0a5G6ccg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FTFifA3btU&feature=related
My local PBS stations airs many of the old classic shows. It was there where I saw Hugh Laurie in a comedy role.
It was called "Fortysomething". It was quite funny and threw me for a loop since I'm used to him being a crank.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyCKSGo5RoA
Also, I don't know how it ranks overall, but I love Spooks. I'm a sucker for spy stuff.
Yes, Prime Minister is on my list of British shows to watch
EDIT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iKjkPgVQcE
Actually spoilered for nsfw language/topic:
Streaming 8PST on weeknights
Mighty Boosh. It's weird but awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEle_DLDg9Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0
And this is just fucking inspired:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QACSo5xk3dE
So far there are just two episodes, and sadly, the second episode was about 50% repeat gags from the first. That said, give the first a watch, it really was fantastic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ4-soL4FNQ&feature=related
fuck yeah, life on mars. it's not a comedy, but it kicks ass anyway. lots of lovely 70's tv references too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwOZjvV3JE4&feature=related
Fixing that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSQq_bC5kIw
Yes, and the production values have limited it to 3 episodes. With another 3 scheduled for November this year. Aargh. Each is 90 minutes long though, and so feels more like a mini-movie. It's Sherlock Holmes updated to the present day in a way that is both mildly believable and not awful.
Incidentally, there's a theme running through a lot of the above suggestions - overlapping writers. Graham Lineham wrote or part-wrote Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd (I'd recommend the first two far over the latter, by the way). Steven Moffat wrote Coupling, was head writer/lead producer on the 5th series onward of 'new' Doctor Who, and wrote Sherlock. And watch 4 or more of the above series, and chances are you'll see a fair bit of actor overlap - budgets have been slashed hugely since advertising collapsed, and original sitcoms or sketch shows tend to not get made in favour of ghastly reality TV or (frequently quite good) panel shows.
The Alan Partridge saga (Knowing Me knowing you, and I'm Alan Partridge 1&2) are definitely worth watching if you enjoy grounded character comedy combined with watching a fundamentally repellant person sinking lower and lower.
Well not wanting to be too picky, Airport is / was based at Luton (although it did go to Manchester and Bristol) and mainly followed EasyJet (this show does anything but paint them as a good company).
Black Adder goes forth, is one of my favorite series, and the last episode always makes me cry. I'd have to say though, that the first series is very different to how the other 3 series went, so treat it as stand alone really.
Skins I never got into (I do enjoy Misfits though). Alot of the cast in seasons 3-4 seem to have got in on how they look.
No love for Spaced (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost)? Horribly underrated (in the sense that Channel 4 stuck it on at silly o'clock at night, so nobody really watched it) show. I don't know how to describe it. A sitcom I suppose, about 2 people pretending to be a couple so they can rent a flat, but as you'd expect, there's lots of geeky references throughout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sqSQ5Vu8vM
(there's another one later on in the same episode)
Big Train (a sketch show)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JibxHpXqAfc
The Inbetweeners (a show about being 4 boys being incredibly socially awkward (strong language)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ddcHpKwT9s&feature=channel
If you're going to be picky, then you should at least be correct
Airport was just what I described: A documentary about day to day life in Heathrow and it is what Come Fly With Me is parodying.
You are getting confused between this and Airline, which focused on Easyjet and so was based in the airports they fly from.
Indian
Also, from way back in the day, The Two Ronnies. They had a lot of duff sketches, but the occasional truly magnificent one.
Four Candles
Also, Cracker, Morse, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Talking Heads, House of Cards, numerous fluffy costume dramas (including the recent and very good Downton Abbey), Victoria Wood's shows, Absolutely, Our Friends In The North, Phoenix Nights, The League Of Gentlemen, Psychoville, Spaced, Men Behaving Badly, blah blah blah.
And my personal favourite, Morecambe & Wise.
Grieg, with him and him
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
I second the mentioning of Green Wing.
It's simultaneously incredibly clever and incredibly stupid. And has a very touching ending.
Like many general rules, this one is terrible. Is Attenborough's stuff depressing? Or Sherlock? Or Doctor Who? Or Top Gear? Etc, etc.
The second season was pretty iffy.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
That'll teach me for being a smart arse!
Dude he's going to die soon. How depressing is that
I remember him going up a tree when he was like 70 and thinking how sad will it be for him when he can't go to the places he's commentating about any more Q_Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SliF64OIdcw
COME THE FUCK ON GUYS
Also I think it's funny that the Americans will make a thread about British TV but the British won't make a thread about American TV. Way to dominate world culture guys.
edit; that's a start
Yes, that was creepy.
Also, you should watch the David Tennant episode "Blink".
Yeah a friend of mine told me about it ... wasn't that where some statues/gargoyles or aliens or some such only moved when you blinked? Sounds creepy as fuck ...
I won't say anymore, for fear of either spoiling it or tainting your expectations, but I'll just reiterate my recommendation.
In non-Who news, Knightmare was a great show to watch as a kid.
STONEYBRIDGE!
No mention of the Ubiquitous Panel Shows? Have I Got News For You is on the wane somewhat, but QI is always enthralling, and over on the radio I'm a huge fan of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue and The Unbelievable Truth.
(And if we're speaking Radio, I also have to nominate Bleak Expectations. Loosely speaking, a Dickens parody, but utterly glorious. Also, has Anthony Head).
Knightmare is a show I find immensely hard to actually explain to anyone who didn't see it first hand. Such a brilliant concept. Loosely speaking "D&D (without the stats), as a kids' gameshow, done right.". And, for that matter, The Crystal Maze could be "Myst, as a gameshow, done right".
Wiki
It didn't work quite as well as the radio show, since so many of the jokes were based on language, and the visual rhythm of the TV show was quite lulling.
I believe there are a lot of episodes up on youtube. This episode, The Actor, stars everyone's favourite 10th Doctor, David Tennant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv4V8yJrBqE
Anyone want to beta read a paranormal mystery novella? Here's your chance.
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It's a real shame Langham made such a giant fuck up with career, because I would love to have seen more of Help, it really was fantastic.
Another show worth watching is the Peter Serafinowicz Show. It only lasted for one season (sadly), but it was a different sketch comedy show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--dmLwKs_Ww
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv9GiVJkP9Y&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9VwdWVRkv0&feature=related
And Look Around You was a good show as well, really liked the second season and how it was made as an 80's information show. I think it was on Adult Swim so it might not be as obscure, but here's a clip anyway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2R5TELaXoM