OT - BBC TV - Ping my British friends!
TimW
I find British humor more to my liking. But I was wondering how some of
these shows are thought of in Britian and if we get an "Amercianized"
version of British TV. I'll list a few and any comments are appreciated.
The Vicar of Dibley - Great show and always good for laughs, I love Owen
Newitt (reminds me of John Sorell) and Jim Trott.
Keeping Up Appreances - Mrs. Bucket is just too funny.
As Time Goes By - Watch occasionally.
Top Gear - My wife and I watch this and LOAO!!!
Cash In The Attic - My wife tapes every epsiode and watches this everyday.
Monty Python - The old standard for me, takes me back to my childhood.
Benny Hill - RIP Benny, absolutely one of my FAVS...
Wire in The Blood - My wife watches I have never seen this.
Graham Norton Show - Always good for laughs, and quite crazy at times!
Dr. Who - I have been watching Dr. Who for years, even before BBC, our
Public TV station carried it. I really like the new ones, great special
effects.
Bargain Hunt - Pretty fun show, I like the host <g>...
How Clean Is your House - This can be very interesting and very nasty...
Absolutely Fabulous - What can I say, these two ladies always keep me in
stitches.
MI-5 - Never ever watched this but it makes me think of our Paranoid
Crossposting buddy <g>
So how bout it guys and gals across the pond, do you all watch any of these
or are we not getting the true British TV?
Thanks
--
TimW
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Sherm
<SPAMFROMTHE...@fbico.com> wrote:
>I watch a lot of BBC America and a lot of BBC Comedies on Public Television.
Me too. Great list. Ever see the Bertie Wooster/Jeeves stories? I
love those. I don't see how you wouldn't love the books too, Tim (PG
Wodehouse).
How about the mysteries (Poirot, Holmes, the PD James characters,
etc.)? Like those?
Sherm
TimW
and a Mid-Summer Nights Murders, is that the name?
--
TimW
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"Sherm" <wheez...@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
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Ed Edelenbos
"TimW" <SPAMFROMTHE...@fbico.com> wrote in message
news:dM_Tj.72130$Q52....@bignews9.bellsouth.net...
Add these to the list:
Last of the Summer Wine- I think this one might be my favorite, and there
are soooo many. Beautiful scenery.
Waiting For God- Has it's funny moments.
Are You Being Served- A little dated but still funny.
Vicar of... can be hilarious.
Ed
Kevin Hall
watching. From comedy to mystery, public affairs to history they beat the
US pap hands down.
A steady diet of 'Friends', 'Seinfeld' and 'Survivor' could do more damage
to the human mind than a 40 gallon drum of LSD.
Canadian productions are, by and large, celebrations of mediocrity. There
have been a few exceptions but they are very few and far between. The fact
that they are force fed to us by over-zealous government culture czars does
not improve their quality.
The Brits start by actually training people to ACT, and they seem to have
no requirement that the folks they train look like they stepped out of an
underwear ad. Some of the very best Brit actors look like actual human
beings, warts and all, which gives them credibility in their roles.
People like Helen Mirren don't just drop out of the sky. They take their
craft very seriously and pursue it with intelligence and determination. In
an era in which US 'stars' gain fame through the amounts of cosmetic surgery
they are willing to undergo, the likes of Mirren and others are a breath
of fresh air. Intelligence is more attractive than silicone in members of
either sex.
KH
"TimW" <SPAMFROMTHE...@fbico.com> wrote in message
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Misifus
We do watch many of these. My better half seldom misses MI-5, it's more
soap than spy.
-Raf
--
Misifus-
Rafael Seibert
mailto:rafse...@suddenlink.net
blog: http://rafsrincon.blogspot.com/
Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rafiii
home: http://www.rafandsioux.com
Misifus
> Yeah I just named a starter list but all the mysteries, especially Poirot,
> and a Mid-Summer Nights Murders, is that the name?
>
Midsomer murders, I think. I started reading the series by Caroline
Graham before they were made into TV.
David Kilpatrick
pond!
It is a good selection. Benny Hill is not popular here now, along with a
bunch of other comedians of the same period, but all the other shows are
sill well-regarded and get good repeat audiences.
We now have digital TV and my small region in Scotland will be first in
Britain to have the analogue transmitters switched off and be
digital-only, in November. That means 40 terrestrial channels instead of
the dozen or so we used to have (most people have been able to get 20+
with the aid of digi boxes or satellites without paying anything extra,
for a few years now).
We can expect to see most of the classic series repeated regularly on
one digital channel or another, or even 'play on demand'.
You don't seem to have much to add about the superb natural history,
geographical and historical stuff, serious costume dramas - David
Attenborough, Simon Sciama, The Tudors, Michael Palin's world trips etc.
These are generally considered to the best of British TV.
David
Ken Cashion
Bettie and I watch so much British video that when we were visiting
Castle Howard in 1982, we were interviewed by the press for a Sunday
edition. The interviewer said that finding us saved him tons of time.
<g>
I did a Hugh Laurie song at D/FW-2008 just this Sunday night.
Ken
WeeGreenGuitar
My 2 fav Brit series of the last 10 years are probably
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (the comeback is at least as good as
the 80's original)
And the genius that was...
The Green Wing (mad mad mad - fav character - Sue
White)
Check them out if you get the chance - I'll be interested if you can
understand some of the accents acros the pond - especially Oz in
Aufpet.
Cheers
MD
Ken Cashion
David, I remember when people in Britain went home when "Dallas" and
"Dynasty" were being shown on telly there. I remember thinking, 'What
is this? That is the best we have? We watch 'Upstairs Downstairs'
and send them 'Dallas?'" <g>
I did a quick computer search and came up with these that I have --
APPLEDORE & MORE...BRADBOURNE HOUSE TOUR & APPLEDORE
THE BRITISH MONARCHY...............UP-TO-DATE & GOOD
CHARTWELL..........................Churchill's home
DERBYSHIRE DALES...................
ENGLAND - LAND OF SPLENDER........TAPE SET
ENGLISH B&B'S.
ENGLISH PUBS & ALE.................
FLYING THROUGH HISTORY (1999) – 4 TAPES
GREAT TRAINS - BRITAIN.............ALWAYS ENJOYABLE
MAGESTRY OF BRITAIN......STORY OF KINGS AND QUEENS...
QUEEN VICTORIA'S EMPIRE................
THE RIVER THAMES...................GOOD ANYTIME! EVERYTIME!
TREASURES OF BRITAIN I, II,........
TREASURES OF BRITAIN III ..........
VISIONS OF BRITAIN
YORKSHIRE DALES....................
AGE OF CONSENT.....................A YOUNG HELEN MIRRIN
ALL'S QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT...1930 CLASSIC
AS YOU LIKE IT...(1936)............COM. TAPE
BLANDINGS PIG.....(1995)...........WODEHOUSE
COLD COMFORT FARM....(1996)...
COMFORT & JOY......FORSYTH.........-
THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL & CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN...(1995)
ERIK THE VIKING....................
GREGORIE'S GIRL.....................PERFECT
IT'S YOUR MOVE.....................RICHARD BRIER
LOCAL HERO.....(1952)...BILL FORSYTHE
LOVE ACTUALLY...(2003)...RATHER GOOD MOVIE
MAG. MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES..1965
NEVILLE'S ISLAND...GOOD...TIMOTHY SPALL...
ON APPROVAL........................AS GOOD AS THERE IS
SCOOP...EVELYN WAUGH...
SEARCH FOR THE HOLY GRAIL..........PYTHONISH
SHIRLEY VALENTINE....EXCELLENT.....
THAT SINKING FEELING...............BILL FORSYTHE
WAKING NED DIVINE....(1999)....VERY NICE
YELLOW BEARD.......................PYTHONISH
BECKET....(1964)...OVER-THE-TOP HAMMING
BELONGING...BRENDA BLETHYN & KEVIN WHATELY –- (2005)
BLOW UP............................CLASSIC.
BOMBAY TALKIES...(1970)...JENNIFER KENDALL...MERCHANT IVORY
CAUSE CELEBRE...HELEN MIRRIN
DANCE WITH A STRANGER..............HEAVY, BUT VERY GOOD
THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS...GOOD OLD TIME SCIENCE FICTION
EMMA...(1996) JANE AUSTIN.
EMPIRE OF THE SUN...(1987)...LITTLE BOY & MODELS
THE FIFTH MONKEY...................VERY GOOD
GOOD NIGHT, MR. TOM...JOHN THAW...WWII BRITAIN – 2005
HARRY POTTER.I..SCORCERER'S STONE...2001...2:30
HARRY POTTER.II ..CHAMBER OF SECRETS...2002...2:40
HARRY POTTER..III .PRISIONER OF AZKABAN...2004...2:22
HARRY POTTER..IV...GOBLET OF FIRE...2005...2:37
HARRY POTTER..V...ORDER OF THE PHOENIX...2007...2:19
HEAVEN CAN WAIT.....(2001)...TEARY – SHALLOW - BUT OK
HELEN MIRREN...THE CHANGELING...1974..
HELEN MIRREN...THE APPLE CART...1975...PRUNELLA SCALES...
HELEN MIRREN...CAESAR AND CLARETTA...1975...ROBERT HARDING
HELEN MIRREN...THE PHILANTHROPISTS...1975......
HELEN MIRREN...THE LITTLE MINISTER...1975...
HELEN MIRREN...THE COUNTRY WIFE...1977...JOHN NETTLE; PHIL DANIELS
HELEN MIRREN...BLUE REMEMBERED HILLS...1979...ROBIN ELLIS
HELEN MIRREN...MRS. REINHARDT...1974...RALPH BATES
HELEN MIRREN...SOFT TARGETS...1982...IAN HOLM; NIGEL HAVERS
HOPE AND GLORY.....................FAMILY DURING THE BLITZ
HOTEL DU LAC.......................GOOD STORY AND CAST
HOWARDS END...(1992)......MERCHANT IVORY...
HUSSY..............................VERY SG HELEN MIRRIN
LADIES IN LAVENDER...JUDI DENCH, REDGRAVE
LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN..............(1999)
THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY...............HOSKINS AND MIRRIN
THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES....(1937) - ROLAND YOUNG
THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING...(1975).
NAKED CIVIL SERVANT...JOHN HURT...(QUINTEN CRISP)...(1975)
NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY............WELSH GIRL WORKS A RESORT
REMAINS OF THE DAY...EMMA THOMPSON, ANTHONY HOPKINS..
ROSELAND...(1977)...MERCHANT IVORY...VERY GOOD...THREE-IN-ONE STORY
SENSE & SENSIBILITY....(1995)...EMMA THOMPSON, HUGH GRANT...VERY GOOD
SHAKESPEARE WALLAH...(1965)...FELICITY KENDALL...MERCHANT IVORY..
THE SHOOTING PARTY.................JAMES MASON'S LAST.
SPITFIRE...(1941).........
STEALING HEAVEN........GOOD........KIM THOMSON!!!
THE 39-STEPS.......................NOT ORGINAL - NICE SCENES.
THE WEATHER IN THE STREETS...(1983)...JOANNA LUMLEY, MICHAEL
YORK..SO-SO
YELLOW SUBMARINE...(1968)
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL..........
AS YOU LIKE IT.....................HELEN MIRRIN
COMEDY OF ERRORS...................
THE GOOD DOCTOR...VERY GOOD...
THE MIKADO...ERIC IDLE
MEASURE FOR MEASURE................NELLIGAN, COLLEY, PIGOT-
MERRY WIVES OF WINSOR..............PRUNELLA SCALES
MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM.............HELEN MIRRIN
NOEL COWARD PLAY COLLECTION..
TWELFTH NIGHT......................
WINTER'S TALE......................
A FINE ROMANCE....FULL TAPE SET...675 MINUTES
AB FAB...FULL DVD SET...WILD & STRANGE
‘ALLO 'ALLO........FULL DVD SET....FIRST SEASON
‘ALLO 'ALLO........FULL DVD SET....SECOND SEASON
AT LAST THE 1948 SHOW....(1967), 6 EPISODES...MONTY PYTHON
BUNCHBALLYKISSANGEL...SERIES I & II...(1996 & 1997)...300 & 400
MINUTES.
BARCHESTER CHRONICLES....TROLLOPE...(1982) 374 MINUTES....SEVEN
EPISODES
A BIT OF FRY & LAURIE...WHERE STEPHEN AND HUGH STARTED – (1987)
BLEAK HOUSE..."DICKENS SICKENS"...(2005)
BLACK ADDER CHRISTMAS CAROL........PURE SILLINESS
BLACK ADDER....(SEVEN TAPES).........ALL EPISODES
THE BOUNDER....(1982)...PETER BOWLES.......170 MINUTES....
BRUSHSTROKES - PRIME - #1 TO #7....
BRUSHSTROKES - PRIME - #8 TO #13..
BUTTERFLIES..#1 - #8........PRIME..VERY GOOD. BY CARLA LANE
BUTTERFLIES..#9 - #11.......PRIME..VERY GOOD. BY CARLA
CALOMILE LAWN...(1992)...KENDAL, EDDINGTON
COMING HOME...JOANNA LUMLEY, PETER O'TOOLE...(1998)
COUSIN BETTE...1971...WITH MARGARET TYZACK AND HELEN MIRREN...BALZAC
CHEERS & TEARS.....GOOD WRITING AND ENSEMBLE ACTING –(2000)
CLATTERFORD......2006...GOOD...LOTS OF OLD ACTORS
DARK AGES....FULL TAPE SET...CRUDE
DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET...MONTY PYTHON BUNCH...(1960) EPISODES
FATHER DEAR FATHER.................NINE EPISODES
FAWLTY TOWERS.......ALL EPISODES
THE FIRST CHURCHILLS...9 HOURS SUSAN HAMPSHIRE...VERY GOOD...(1969)
FLAMBARDS -- FULL DVD SET
FLICKERS...HOSKENS, FRANCIS DEL A TOUR – (1980)
FLICKERS....................1-6 HOSKINS - COMPLETE
FORTUNES OF WAR...BRANAUGH/THOMPSON - (1987)
GOOD NEIGHBORS - ALL THAT ARE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE
*GOOD NEIGHBORS #13...HOME SWEET HOME. (NOT ON COM. TAPES)
*GOOD NEIGHBORS #15...THE EARLY BIRDS.(NOT ON COM. TAPES)
*GOOD NEIGHBORS #17...TUG OF THE FORELOCK.(NOT ON COM. TAPES)
*GOOD NEIGHBORS #20...WHOSE FLEAS ARE THESE? (NOT ON COM. TAPES)
*GOOD NEIGHBORS #3....THE WEAKER SEX. ((NOT ON COM. TAPES)
*GOOD NEIGHBORS #5....THE THING IN THE CELLAR (NOT ON COM. TAPES)
*GOOD NEIGHBORS #9....GURU OF SURBITON ((NOT ON COM. TAPES)
GRAVY TRAIN...IAN RICHARDSON, FRANCESCA ANNIS....7 HOURS..LOANED TO
CHUCK -- I DON'T CARE IF I GET IT BACK...WASTE OF GOOD TALENT
HAMISH MACBETH...SCOT SERIES...1995 – SERIES 1
HAMISH MACBETH...SCOT SERIES...1995 – SERIES 2
HARD TIMES...DICKENS SICKENS...1977...GOOD
HE KNEW HE WAS RIGHT...TROLLOPE..(2004)..235 MINUTES...
HONESTLY, NO.....(SET)......COLLINS & ATHERTON
I, CLAUDIUS..
THE IRISH RM I.....................SIX ONE-HOUR EPISODES
JEEVES & WOOSTER.....COMPLETE SETS ON DVD
LOVE FOR LYDIA...13-HOURS
LOVEJOY...FIRST SEASON...(1986)....9 HOURS
LOVEJOY...SECOND SEASON...(1987).... LAST TWO EPISODES ARE HORRIBLE!
MANCHILD...1ST SEASON...NIGEL HAVERS, DON WARRINGTON...(2002) &
EPISODES
MAP & LUCIA.................#1 - #4VERY ENTERTAINING.
MULBERRY...1993 – KARL HOWMAN & GERALDINE MCKEWEN
MYSTERY..GIRL WITHOUT A JOB
NORTH & SOUTH...2004...YORKSHIRE MILL TOWN
NORMAN'S CONQUESTS.....FULL TAPE SET
OLIVER'S TRAVELS...NICE PEOPLE...SINEAD CUSACK AND ALAN BATES
ONLY FOOLS & HORSES...SERIES I, II, & III...(1981-1983)....750 MINUTES
OUR MUTUAL FRIEND.....(1998)...TIMOTHY SPALL
THE PALACERS..26 HOURS .FULL DVD SET...TROLLOPE
THE PIGLET FILES......NICHOLIS LYNDHURST
POLITICIAN'S WIFE....(1995)...VERT GOOD
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN...BOB HOSKINS...(1978)...516 MINUTES
POLDARK..FIRST SERIES...COM. TAPE
RECKLESS....VERY GOOD...FRANCESCA ENNIS, ROBSON GREEEN...(1997)
RECKLESS....VERY GOOD...FRANCESCA ENNIS, ROBSON GREEEN...(1998)
THE RECTOR'S WIFE...OK...BUT NOT WELL THOUGHT OUT...
RISING DAMP...I....7 EPISODES..
RISING DAMP...II....7 EPISODES..
SHADES OF DARKNESS...NOT PARTICULARLY GOOD..6 SHOWS
SLEEPERS..ALL FOUR, ONE-HOUR EPISODES
THE STREET...(2006)...Heavy but good...Six, one-hour episodes..
THICK AS THIEVES....(1974)...HOSKIN, SNOW...BARELY OK
TO THE MANOR BORN..................COMPLETE SET
UNDER THE BILTMORE CLOCK..20'S PIECE - SEAN YOUNG
VICAR OF DIBLEY....(1994-2002)....COMPLETE SET....540 MINUTES
THE WAY WE LIVE NOW....5 HOURS FULL DVD SET...TROLLOPE
WODEHOUSE PLAYHOUSE....(ALL OF THEM)
YES, PRIME MINISTER....(1980-2002)......534 MINS......8 EPISODES
YES, MINISTER.....(1980-2002)....613 MINS....ALL EPISODES
JUDI DENCH COLLECTION....8 MOVIES...21 HOURS ENTERVIEWS...CLIPS...2007
OUTSIDE EDGE...3 HOURS 20 MINUTE SEGMENTS...1995
And the best movie I have seen, "Topsey Turvey."
(Now! Now, I feel like I am back. <g>)
Ken
Ken Cashion
I do not watch that much TV anymore, but I have found I can check
around and I just buy the series. I have gotten a few losers that way
but that is OK. I can always give them away as gifts. (Thinking of
"Gravy Train." What a waste of talent. <g>)
Ken
TimW
> You don't seem to have much to add about the superb natural history,
> geographical and historical stuff, serious costume dramas - David
> Attenborough, Simon Sciama, The Tudors, Michael Palin's world trips etc.
> These are generally considered to the best of British TV.
>
David,
I watch TV mostly for humor, I even get most of my news from The Daily Show
and the Colbert Report <g>... But I don't think we get any of the shows you
mentioned on BBC America,. We may, but I am not familiar with them. I have
seen things David Attenborough has done and I think I have heard of The
Tudors...
My FAV show at this point is Top Gear, it's just too funny (IMHO).
Thanks
Tim
TimW
understand WTF they're talking about anyway <G>...
--
TimW
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"WeeGreenGuitar" <Michael....@gmail.com> wrote in message
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Alan Tignanelli
> I watch a lot of BBC America and a lot of BBC Comedies on Public Television.
> I find British humor more to my liking. But I was wondering how some of
> these shows are thought of in Britian and if we get an "Amercianized"
> version of British TV. I'll list a few and any comments are appreciated.
Add...
"Coupling" - derided as a "Friends" knock-off, but so much better. I've yet to watch an ep of
"Friends" in syndication, although I watched them all when it was on. But "Coupling"? I can watch
that just about any time, even though I have the DVDs for the first three seasons. Season 4 was
rather weak - the loss of the Jeff character was pretty devastating. The US version of "Coupling"
showed just how important talent - and an eye for casting - really is. The first ep was almost
word-for-word the same as the UK version, and elicited not a single laugh. The Jeff character, far
from being a lovable bumbler, became a creepy freak. And the US Patrick so missed the mark, you
almost had to wonder if the producers had a clue.
"Alexei Sayle's Stuff" - I wish these DVDs were available in the US. I still may order them from
the UK. What a funny (fat) bastard.
"Mr. Bean" and "Black Adder" - Rowan Atkinson. 'Nuff said.
"The Fall And Rise Of Reginald Perrin" - Mother-in-law. Hippo. Beautiful.
I'll second (or third or fifth) Monty Python. Classic, classic stuff.
Alan
Misifus
Mulberry and Goode Neighbors (I know this one had a different title in
the UK) are two more worth mention.
Tony Done
"TimW" <SPAMFROMTHE...@fbico.com> wrote in message
news:dM_Tj.72130$Q52....@bignews9.bellsouth.net...
I left the UK when I was 32 years ago, so I remember some of the old ones,
and being in Oz we get a fair number of both the old and new. Of the newer
ones, "New Tricks" was one of my favourites, plus "All Jam and Jerusalem"
and "Doc Martin". "Fawlty Towers" was one of the best ever, IMO. "The Bill"
is still going strong. "Robin Hood" was a disappointment, just silly, and I
preferred the first of the resurrected "Dr Who" to subsequent ones.
Sorell like Owen in "Dibley"? I remember the Nativity play episode, where
the shepherds are supposedly watching a flock of sheep: Owen - "Ooh, there's
a pretty one".
Tony D
Ed Edelenbos
"David Kilpatrick" <icon...@btconnect.com> wrote in message
news:8MKdnUxd8sw...@bt.com...
We've gotten many of them. I remember The Living Planet (D. Attenborough)
when it was new. I still watch almost all of the enviro-series whether US
or UK made. My MIL watches any UK mystery programs she can get. The
Detective Lindley series, Boyles War, etc. For the most part I stick to UK
comedy stuff. ER is about the only drama I regularly watch but it is more
habit than anything by now. I do have to admit Benny Hill was much funnier
when I was 17. (grin)
Here (I think it is country-wide), some weird date like Feb. 9th is the shut
off date for analog TV. Most stations broadcast digital now over the air.
We've been getting what (dig stations) are there for close to a year now. I
still refuse to get cable. We get about 10 stations now (mostly drivel).
When I had cable, I had something like 40 stations and only watched 4 or
5... the rest were drivel. (grin) Actually, my big fear is that the TV
which is on way too much now would be on non-stop if we had cable.
Ed
Ed
Ken Cashion
<rafse...@suddenlink.net> wrote:
>TimW wrote:
>>> You don't seem to have much to add about the superb natural history,
>>> geographical and historical stuff, serious costume dramas - David
>>> Attenborough, Simon Sciama, The Tudors, Michael Palin's world trips etc.
>>> These are generally considered to the best of British TV.
>>>
>>
>>
>> David,
>>
>> I watch TV mostly for humor, I even get most of my news from The Daily Show
>> and the Colbert Report <g>... But I don't think we get any of the shows you
>> mentioned on BBC America,. We may, but I am not familiar with them. I have
>> seen things David Attenborough has done and I think I have heard of The
>> Tudors...
>>
>> My FAV show at this point is Top Gear, it's just too funny (IMHO).
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Tim
>>
>>
>
>
>Mulberry and Goode Neighbors (I know this one had a different title in
>the UK) are two more worth mention.
>
> -Raf
And many of these good casts were in Brushstrokes and also in the
Vicar of Dibley.
Ken
anyt...@contractorcom.com
wrote:
You can't pick the bones out of it. English comedy writers churn out
this stuff for fun whilst their mothers-in-law get drunk on Sunday
afternoons.
(and yes, that is an image...)
Pete (In awe of whoever scripted Ally McBeal)
Colin Irvine
>I watch a lot of BBC America and a lot of BBC Comedies on Public Television.
>I find British humor more to my liking. But I was wondering how some of
>these shows are thought of in Britian and if we get an "Amercianized"
>version of British TV. I'll list a few and any comments are appreciated.
>
>The Vicar of Dibley - Great show and always good for laughs, I love Owen
>Newitt (reminds me of John Sorell) and Jim Trott.
Oh yes.
>MI-5 - Never ever watched this but it makes me think of our Paranoid
>Crossposting buddy <g>
If by this you mean "Spooks" with Peter Firth and, in Series 1,
Matthew MacFadyen and Keely Hawes, later series Rupert Penry-Jones,
then this for me is the must-see TV of the last decade. Absolutely
gripping and thoroughly recommended.
I'll also second Alan's comments about Coupling. We bought some Region
1 DVDs for my step-daughter in New England and she and her hubby love
it.
--
Colin Irvine
http://www.colinandpat.co.uk
Misifus
>
>> MI-5 - Never ever watched this but it makes me think of our Paranoid
>> Crossposting buddy <g>
>
> If by this you mean "Spooks" with Peter Firth and, in Series 1,
> Matthew MacFadyen and Keely Hawes, later series Rupert Penry-Jones,
> then this for me is the must-see TV of the last decade. Absolutely
> gripping and thoroughly recommended.
>
> I'll also second Alan's comments about Coupling. We bought some Region
> 1 DVDs for my step-daughter in New England and she and her hubby love
> it.
>
That's the one. Apparently BBC-America aired the show as "MI-5".
he...@soundsgood.co.uk
apart from maybe Spooks (MI5?), which is trying ever so hard to be
American, but is just preposterous bollocks (see also Wire In The
Blood, Waking The Dead, etc)
You're lucky you don't get the REALLY BAD comedies over there. We have
a heap of comedies that just ain't funny! I guess you get what is
considered to be the best of ours, and we get what is considered to be
the best of yours. Yeah, some Brit comedy's good, but likewise so is
some US stuff.
What we are definitely NOT good at is that slightly offbeat, dark but
smart and funny, drama like Six Feet Under, House, Dexter, Sopranos,
Desperate Housewives, (the all-time classic) Twin Peaks, and many
others. Maybe we just don't have enough decent writers. We sometimes
get close when writers like Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, The Lakes), Tony
Marchant (Holding On, Never Never), and Alan Bleasdale (Boys from the
Blackstuff, GBH) choose to get involved. Also anything written by Paul
Abbot, and most dramas by Stephen Poliakoff are worth watching.
What we ARE good at is the costume-drama stuff like Cranford, and
Dickens or Jane Austen adaptations. I hope these come your way.
Henry
PS - Top Gear is ludicrous laddish nonsense and Jeremy Clarkson is
actually The AntiChrist!
TimW
> PS - Top Gear is ludicrous laddish nonsense and Jeremy Clarkson is
> actually The AntiChrist!
Henry.... just curious about the P.S. - IMHO - I think it is a really funny
show and some of the contest they have are just too funny! Last week they
filled the inside of a car completely with water and saw whose car would go
the furthest until the water was below the steering wheel. The one car
leaked so much they had to use 3 fire hoses to fill it up and then it made
it about 20 feet and the back door blew off!!! Ludicrous yes, laddish most
def, but still funny as hell!
And why is Jeremy Clarkson the anit-christ? again just curious...
Ken Cashion
I have "Cranford" on order. What a powerhouse cast! But Elizabeth
Gaskell also wrote, "North and South" and it sort of fell apart at the
end, which could be more the fault of the production crew than author.
Some people are easier to dramatize than others, I guess. Wodehouse
and Trollope come to mind. It seems that everything they did works
good dramatized. As does Winston Graham..."Poldark."
Ken
he...@soundsgood.co.uk
Do not take this literally. Obviously I'm exaggerating for dramatic
effect. As far as I know he is not really the Spawn of the Devil
(although he could be....)
Jeremy Clarkson is the sort of guy who polarises opinion. Hated by
most women and quite a few men - loved by most men and quite a few
women. He's a sexist, boorish, laddish twat who spouts dangerously
obsolete ideas - such as the more cars, and the bigger they are, the
better; that any restrictions placed on the use of cars is a bad
thing; and that anyone who subscribes to the view that they are
playing a large part in destroying the planet is a spineless wimp.
He's "The AntiChrist" because his high profile means that his opinions
reach a wide audience. There's no balance on Top Gear - no-one's gonna
say that cars are a bad thing! It's dangerous and irresponsible stuff.
He should know better!
Henry
(I'm not really a humourless prig, honest!)
anyt...@contractorcom.com
Clarkson may well be the antichrist, but he's a lot more fun than any
Christ I've ever met...
I wonder if 'Life on Mars' has made it to the 'States yet?
Pete
anyt...@contractorcom.com
I thought his take on vehicle duty (where people driving Chelsea
Tractors get well and truly hit) was hilarious.
"What will ne new taxes do for four-wheel drives? That's right, it'll
make them cheaper, so more of us can afford to buy and run them!
Clarkson is TV's full-time version of Boris Johnson, and the whole
show is such an obvious piss-take I doubt if anyone takes him
seriously.
James May, OTOH is an altogether more serious writer. I got a copy of
his "James May's 20th Century" at Christmas and it's well written,
erudite and funny. I also read whathisface's (the short guy) book -
it's the most boring thing I've ever had to wade through whilst
wearing an antibiotic drip....
Pete
TimW
--
TimW
Remove SPAMFROMTHECAN to reply...
<anyt...@contractorcom.com> wrote in message
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Ken Cashion
I read all this carefully and he seems like an OK sort of bloke to me.
<g>
I have not seen or heard him, but I don't think that it really injures
us to consider the other points of view. By the way, we cannot escape
one point of view. It is the other one that is hard to find.
For instance...there was the little girl who got in trouble in school
for her essay, "The Other Side Of Slavery." I know it was meant for a
joke, but we shouldn't consider that there wasn't one...for
philosophical reasons...not for social applications, you understand.
Slavery bad. Don't do it.
Ken
Misifus
Oh, come now, Ken. You know there are things about which one does not
joke. Zero tolerance and all that.
Ken Cashion
I guess I have been in Mississippi too long. We talk about all sorts
of stuff down here. And sometimes we ain't jokin'. <g>
I am finding open minds in very strange places these days...and closed
ones -- in equally strange places. <g>
Ken
Mike Brown
Those are usually the funniest jokes.
But even funnier is the expression on the faces of those who "don't
approve".
MJRB
Misifus
Of course, Mike. I was just poking fun at those who can't tolerate a
joke on the subject of their pet sensitivities. Not unlike those folks
in Kelso. <g>
-raf
Ken Cashion
wrote:
I usually offend on purpose, and then, I ain't jokin'. But you are
right about ethnic humor. We didn't used to take ourselves so
seriously and could laugh at ourselves and others without fear of
reprisals from the self-righteous and indignant.
Things are much better now that we have become more sophisticated and
noble. No more ethnic violence. No more slavery. No more sexist
assaults. I like it here so much.
Ken
he...@soundsgood.co.uk
There's no law against having opinions, and everyone has a right to
hold them. However certain opinions are so extreme and offensive that
sometimes laws are passed against expressing them in public - which
includes on TV. The law catches up with the general mood of the public
that "you just can't say that sort of thing any more!". OK, Jeremy
Clarkson's opinions may not be so drastic as to merit legislation, but
they're outdated and he doesn't realise it yet. He's in denial - OK
it's not as outrageous or offensive as denying the Holocaust, but if
you go around saying everyone should drive big cars then you're
seriously out of step with what people believe. Clarkson's a dinosaur
and he should just F**K OFF!
But, hey, that's just my opinion...
Henry
Misifus
Well, Henry, you've seen what I drive. <g>
-Raf (the big red one with the stickers all over the back)
William Black
<he...@soundsgood.co.uk> wrote in message
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He doesn't say people should drive big cars.
Indeed, he doesn't seem to like big cars.
He likes fast cars with huge engines.
--
William Black
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.
he...@soundsgood.co.uk
it's a house that just happens to be on wheels. I love y'all so I'm
not gonna presume to tell you what to do, but the day may well come
soon when the law dictates that you and Ken have to drive one of
these...
http://www.mega-electric.co.uk/city_car.html
Henry
Ken Cashion
Someone has an addition to their signature that says we just had a
knob to turn. This is my feelings about what is on TV...there is that
knob there, or better, a push button and I don't even have to get up.
I went through eight years of a recent presidency and I just heard him
make one complete sentence...I got a fast thumb. <g>
Ken
Misifus
I expect that such a law may be later coming in Texas that some other
places. <g>
I'm always amused by the term "zero-emissions" applied to electric cars.
Do they suppose the electricity to run them just falls from the sky?
In this country, with the moratorium on nuclear power plants that has
existed since Three-Mile Island, the vast majority of our electric power
comes from fossil fuel burning power plants. These not only have a
significant carbon foot print, but emit much higher emissions than do
automobiles.
It's not zero-emissions, it's where the emissons are emitted, at the
vehicle, or at the power plant?
-Raf