Favorite British TV shows that don't air in the US

Then there's 'Grandma's House' starring British Jewish gay comedian and tv personality Simon Amstell. Sort of his 'Curb Your Enthusiasm':

Grandma's House is a sitcom television series broadcast on BBC Two. Written by Simon Amstell and long term collaborator Dan Swimer, the series stars Simon Amstell playing a version of himself: an ex-television presenter searching for meaning in his life. Each episode takes place at his Grandma's house, where Grandma (Linda Bassett) welcomes her family, desperate to see everyone happy.

And 'Friday Night Dinner' (which I think aired one or two seasons in the US) is always hilarious. Best farce I've ever seen on tv.

Friday Night Dinner is a British television sitcom written by Robert Popper and starring Tamsin Greig, Paul Ritter, Simon Bird, Tom Rosenthal and Mark Heap.[1] The comedy is focused on the regular dinner experience of a British Jewish family (the Goodmans) on each Friday night.

What's the show with Andy Samberg, and then later, Taylor Lautner?

Coupling.

[quote]What's the show with Andy Samberg, and then later, Taylor Lautner?

Cuckoo. It was 'meh' with Samberg (despite his hotness) and pretty funny with Lautner. It's on Netflix, too.

Geordie Shore and The Valleys, briefly available in the US but no more.

If they don't air in the US how is anyone going to know about them?

Geordie Shore was one of the worst things I've ever seen. The girls on it were pigs and the guys were scumbags.

I like the British X Factor. Impossible to get real time programming on cable in Canada. My service provider (Eastlink) keeps showing previous years programming on a perpetual loop throughout the year.

Cult UK shows that people in my area follow:

QI (Quite Interesting): a comic quiz show moderated in its 14th series ('N') by Sandi Toksvig, with mainstay Alan Davies. A "everything you know is wrong" type of show where guest panelists are demerited for stating the obvious common belief or myth.

Only Connect: a pub trivia team matchup in a quiet, sterile studio setting presided by the erudite yet awkward Victoria Coren Mitchell. Lateral thinking is the key skill as teams try to race each other to determine the commonality in up to four things.

Peep Show: Mark and Jez are a couple of roommates who have nothing in common - except for the fact that their lives are anything but normal. Mayhem ensues as the pair strive to cope with day-to-day life.

Travel Man: 48 Hours in... Richard Ayoade and a celebrity guest spend 48 hours in a popular city to discover the must see tourist attractions.

8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown: a mashup of a comedy panel quiz show and a long-running daytime anagramming and math competition. Presided by Jimmy Carr, usual team captains are Jon Richardson and Sean Lock; all three are on the regular "8 out of 10 Cats" show.

Local news.

Black Books

The Detectorists

Would most Americans "get" Alan Partridge? Every time Steve Coogan did him, I enjoyed it.

R10 - I have to say, the Brits do quiz shows (or, are they called panel shows?) much better than anyone else and with far more character and quirkiness - especially the ones that largely employed comedians. I loved NEVER MIND THE BUZZCOCKS - especially with Simon Amstell as host.

Also, THE BIG FAT QUIZ OF THE YEAR is always a fun end of year program. Especially when Richard Ayoade and/or Noel Fielding are panelists.

I haven't seen more than a clip or two, but have heard good things about MOCK THE WEEK, 8 OUT OF 10 CATS, WOULD I LIE TO YOU as well.

R13 - Steve Coogan is a bit of a cult figure in the US. He's very well known and popular in certain circles. He's definitely appreciated by the same set of young, slightly nerdy white guys (yes, I'm using a broad stereotype for comparison) who would have been big Monty Python fans in the 70s. I think he's perhaps too dry to fully cross-over ever.

Forgot to say, most of the quiz/panel shows I mentioned have dozens (if not hundreds) of episodes on YouTube. NEVER MIND THE BUZZCOCKS is especially worth checking out - as long as you stick with the Simon Amstell (and some of the post-Amstell) seasons). The episode with Amy Winehouse is such a classic. Of course, retroactively, it's a bit sad, but it also showcases Amy's razor sharp wit and, later in the show, her humanity and kind nature when she becomes protective of one of the elderly gentleman being used in a lineup gag.

Newsnight - Peston - ITV News - Panorama -

Loose Women - This Morning -Celebrity Juice with Keith Lemon (bang Tidy) - Holly willoughby, ruth langsford, katie price, kerry katona

Coupling , this life. Line of beauty

R18 - that BBC adaptation of The Line of Beauty was excellent. One of my favorite novels of the past 20 years. I was surprised at how well they captured the novel's spirit without being total slaves to it.

Flowers

[quote]This dark, imaginative comedy follows the eccentric and dysfunctional members of the Flowers family. Maurice, author of a children's book series, and his wife, Deborah, a music teacher, have a troubled relationship. Maurice struggles with inner demons and dark secrets, while Deborah becomes increasingly suspicious that Maurice is in a secret relationship with Shun, the man who illustrates Maurice's books. The couple are parents to 25-year-old maladjusted twins, who are both competing for the attention of a neighbor.

[quote]Loose Women - This Morning -Celebrity Juice with Keith Lemon (bang Tidy) - Holly willoughby, ruth langsford, katie price, kerry katona

These are 'great'?

Why don't you list bog roll adverts as well.

There are Brits on this thread blowing their own trumpets, quite frankly.

That cunt @ R20 seems to be in every unfunny British comedy.

The Brits are VERY BIG on over-exposing people and she's the latest.

The least funny people I find have a lot of work. I skipped an episode of "Have I Got News For You" because Joe Wilkinson and Katherine Ryan were both on it. I can handle one, but two genuine comics have to be on the same show to cancel the dud.

The Thick of It is one of the funniest shows ever. No "special moments" ever for Malcolm Tucker.

Black Mirror - Not sure if it aired here in the US, but I saw it last years and that was a very interesting series.

"Goodnight Sweetheart" a timetravel comedy-drama of the 1990s, is resurrected by BBC One for 2016.

The Mighty Boosh. You have to be stoned to watch it or the gorilla chef makes no sense.

Come dine with me

Little britain-yes it aired in the us and had an HBO spinoff but I'm amazed by theamount of Americans who have never heard of this show

The Australian sensation "Kath and Kim" aired in the UK but not in the USA. It is some of the funniest TV I've ever seen.

MIRANDA MRS. BROWN'S BOYS

GAVIN & STACY

I always felt Little Britain was a poor man's League of Gentlemen. I mean, I liked Little Britain, but the gags got a bit old. League of Gentlemen just got darker and darker with each subsequent season.

R30, Kath & Kim DID air in the US on Comedy Central.

R34 - I'll allow it, though, as it hardly crossed-over in the way that The Office or AbFab did. It had a VERY limited audience in the US.

Anything with Coleen Nolan or kerry katona - loose women is classy tv, davina mccall, chantelle

Olivia Colman discussion please

I enjoyed the first season of "Inside No. 9", a dark comedic anthology series. Fans of Black Mirror might enjoy it. I haven't watched Season 2 yet.

Kirstie Allsop

R38 the hot stripper ep

Good Neighbors  aka. The Good Life I caught it on late night in Chicago, and never saw it again when I moved away. I'm probably remembering it more fondly that it deserves (rose colored glasses of old memories), but I thought it was really charming (mary! I know) and fun.

I like Antiques Road Trip (not the Celebrity version). BBC American is a pile of crap. If I'm going to pay to watch the Beeb I don't want PBS style, I want the real deal.

[quote] League of Gentlemen just got darker and darker with each subsequent season.

I have yet to watch that final season. Pauline really freaks me out.

R42, what's the matter? You don't like them cutting down their shows to fit in the time slot + commercials?

*tsk*

Is "Flowers" available to watch in the US? I love Olivia Colman. I'd watch her read the phone book.

R45 - I'm too lazy to check, but if it's aired recently it should be available on Channel 4's website on demand. You'll need to install the 'Hola' add-on for Chrome or Firefox which "tricks" the website you're visiting into thinking your internet connection is originating from the country you select - in this case, the UK. That will allow you to watch geo-restricted programming from Channel 4. Good luck!

Grandma's House was an unfunny bore and a waste of Linda Bassett. I hope she got paid well

I dated a Brit who turned me onto Only Fools and Horses. Dated, yes, but some funny stuff sometimes.

R9 Apparently you are unaware that X Factor UK has aired on Family Channel Canada for the past several years... You will have to contract your cable provider to see if they carry Family Channel Canada.. Here is a recent schedule for X Factor UK auditions for Season 13 that will air on Family Channel Canada. The auditions begin Monday, August 8th and will air on Family Channel.. Of course I don't know if Family Channel airs X Factor UK real time since there is a time zone difference between the UK and Canada with the UK being 7 hours ahead. I would imagine Family Channel would then re-air the show later on the same evening.

Nighty Night is horrible. Cancer and MS are not funny and never will be.

KERRY KATONA is famous here

BBC news - dateline london - andrew marr

I'm so glad Nighty Night is on Hulu. I've been waiting for years to see it again.

Coronation Street

The Lorraine Kelly show; a scottish lady who is aging well

Hulu has Peep Show in America. It is the only TV show that approaches the brilliance of Absolutley Fabulous IMO.

Twenty-Twelve (about the run-up to the London Olympics) and the follow-up W1A (about the BBC) are very funny affectionate satires.

I can't believe no one has mentioned PULLING with Sharon Horgan and Tanya Franks — Franks is a fucking genius in this and her slutty, alcoholic character Karen should be a DL icon.

I was in London a few weeks ago and the TV in my hotel was showing repeats of a show called "Pie in the Sky" that I'd never heard of. It starred the late Richard Griffiths ("The History Boys") as a chef-restaurateur/detective and was pretty awful.

Countryfile: posh farmers

Gogglebox: mostly annoying people watch television

Gogglesprogs: totally annoying children watch television

Benidorm: chavs in Spain

A Place in the Sun: chavs looks for a place either in the Med or some shitty UK seaside town that they forgot to close down.

The Detectorists Season 1 was available on Amazon Prime (I think) or Netflix--I have both. I loved it so much that I subscribed to Acorn TV to watch Season 2 (British streaming TV channel--limited selection unfortunately). I LOVE this show--I can't think of any show like it--the characters are so oddball but very endearing. They are hobbyist metal detectorists ("we're not detectors, we're detectorists" is a sort of catch phrase). Highly recommend if you like quirky British low key comedy.

Tittybangbang, a comedy sketch show which is weird and screamingly funny and dark and a little bit poignant at times.

Psychobitches, famous women throughout history being analyzed by a psychiatrist played by multitalented Rebecca Front. Watch out for Mother Theresa, I laughed so hard I nearly burst a blood vessel.

Plebs, set in Rome during the empire it follows three British guys who've gone to make their fortune. It took a few episodes to grow on me but now I love it. The slave, Grumio, is hysterical.

This Is Jinsy. Just truly strangely odd and very, very funny. Set on a small island with it's own government and seems to be cut off from normality.

Kerry katona

r58 and R62 - yes! Thank you! These are exactly the kind of posts I was hoping for. Got a lot to check out right now. Several of those oddball shows sound promising. Hopefully the quirkiness gets balanced with genuine funnyness.

You're welcome, OP.

Here's more Karen -- melting down in front of her preschool class.

I loved Beautiful People which starred Olivia Colman as the mother of a gay teen. It was on BBC America. I keep on looking for it on Hulu or Netflix.

I'm loving Cradle to Grave on Acorn, it's set in the 1970s and it's funny as hell. And there's a shock death in the first episode which leads to a funeral scene which shouldn't be hilarious but is.

'Man Down' is very funny - particularly given that it is based on many of the writer/main actor's real life experiences.

"Line of Duty" is great.

I agree with Line of Duty--I binged watched. And by the way, there are three seasons (I watched the first on Acorn--don't remember where I watched the last two).

Thanks R46 for the FLOWERS recommendation. Found it on Seeso, via Amazon Video. Wonderfully bizarre. Olivia Colman can do no wrong.

Some of these are older shows:

Benidorm - I'm surprised more US gays don't know about this show. It's always had gay characters. Sitcom about British people at a resort in Spain. Siobhan Finneran (O'Brien on Downton Abbey) plays a loud mouth British wife. And Sheila Reid plays one of the funniest characters ever committed to tv.

Cradle to Grave (I hope they do a 2nd season). Lucy Speed plays the mother (EastEnders watchers know her as Natalie married to Barry). In the second or third episode, there is a hilarious nude dance with a guy getting a cock slapped in his face.

Stella - starring and written by Ruth Jones. Some great quirky characters (Aunty Brenda). And the guy who plays her oldest son is hunky.

The Syndicate - every season is a fictional story about a group of people playing the lottery.

Fresh Meat - six college students share a house

The IT Crowd - sitcom about working in the IT Department

This Life - show about five young professionals sharing a house (one whom is gay).

Clocking Off- (so hard to find) - each episode focuses on a different employee at a textile factory. I think it's interesting because it weaves in the different characters even though each story is about one specific employee.

After You've Gone - for the Celia Imrie fans, she plays a bossy mother-in-law

Goodnight Sweetheart - great sitcom about a man who time travels back to World War 2

Brush Strokes - (older sitcom) about Jacko, a carefree ladies man, played by Karl Howman (a very charming actor)

Mulberry - Karl Howman (playing Death) and Geraldine McEwan, his intended victim. Death is not a subject matter that everyone is comfortable with, but this is an interesting show.

Chewing Gum - quirky black girl living in public housing

Only Fools and Horses

LOVED Mulberry, r71. PBS used to air it in the 90s - unfortunately, it was cancelled after Season 2. I may give Brush Strokes a try, since Karl Howman was a cutie.

I watched Season 1 of Stella. Enjoyable but didn't make me want to seek out S2. The hunky boyfriend is now on Vera with Brenda Blythn.

For those who are recommending LINE OF DUTY, is each season self contained? I found S2 at a discount store and was wondering if I need to watch S1 first or not.

If you like Julia Davis her latest 'Camping" is worth seeking out. Vicki Pepperdine's character is brilliant.

[quote]I watched Season 1 of Stella. Enjoyable but didn't make me want to seek out S2.

Season 2 gets a bit more quirky with the addition of Aunty Brenda. It becomes more quirky and cartoonish than S1. Still not everyone's cup of tea, and some of the plots are a bit far-fetched, but I like the characterizations: Aunty Brenda, sister-in-law Nadine, the best friend funeral parlor woman and her father and brother.

R71, the bit where the kid gets a cock slapped in his face was in the first episode of Cradle to Grave, he and his sister and their dates are at a West End show not unlike Hair.

Benidorm is HORRIBLE. Extremely crass, vulgar and unfunny with characters you want to punch in the face repeatedly. There's a very good reason no streaming service or network in the US will touch it.

I loved Benidorm, r71 is right about Sheila Reid her character is incredibly funny. She's a comedic genius, it's her that does Mother Teresa on Psychobitches.

[quote]the bit where the kid gets a cock slapped in his face was in the first episode of Cradle to Grave,

Oh, was it Episode 1? I thought it was two or three in. I thought it was funny.

[quote]Benidorm is HORRIBLE. Extremely crass, vulgar and unfunny with characters you want to punch in the face repeatedly. There's a very good reason no streaming service or network in the US will touch it.

To each his own. Yes, some of it is vulgar. But you can't deny that Madge is hilarious. For god sake, she rides in a motorized wheelchair because "I shouldn't have to walk while I'm on holiday."

I wish someone would re-air "Coupling".

Coupling was good with the original Geoff but when they replaced him with the really stupid, and not as cute as Geoff, Oliver I lost a lot of interest.

Line of Duty has 3 lead characters who are the UK equivalent of Internal Affairs detectives (cops who go after corrupt cops)--can't remember the acronym as I'm American. They are in all 3 seasons. Season 1 has a more or less self-contained story line featuring Lenny James (who has been seen in American TV and film a bit I think). Seasons 2 and 3 star Keeley Hawes, who is terrific as a DI inspector who may or may not be corrupt. Keeley Hawes has been seen in a lot of Masterpiece PBS shows over the years as the lovely ingenue, but she is now in her late 30s, and really shows her range in this role. All 3 seasons are very strong police procedurals and just compelling drama.

Thanks, r80!

That should have read "detective inspector" (i.e., in Britspeak DI). She might even have a higher rank but I am not really sure of British police rankings.

PBS briefly carried a mystery show set in the early 1950's. Does anyone know the show I am talking about? It was really quite good.

[quote]PBS briefly carried a mystery show set in the early 1950's. Does anyone know the show I am talking about? It was really quite good.

Was it "The Singing Detective"?

British shows seem to have the opposite situation with respect to husband/wife mismatches. US shows always feature nebbishy or average guys with hot(ter) wives: King of Queens, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Honeymooners, etc.) while UK show have plain-Jane (or downright ugly) women with hot(ter) guys: The Bletchley Circle, Broadchurch, etc.

I've also noted the very average looks of UK female TV stars--e.g., Anna Maxwell Martin in Pemberly with Matthew Rhys as Darcy. IMO she is borderline homely but she gets cast all the time (Bletchley Circle--where her husband is much better looking as well). I think the average British housewife must relate better to someone who isn't much better looking or better dressed than they are, whereas American women are aspirational and want to imagine themselves as trophy wives married to rich, successful men. Interesting cultural difference. Most British actresses are way better actors IMO than American TV stars, so maybe that's another reason they get cast--the great tradition of stage acting most of them come from.

Maybe Father Brown Mysteries r83?

R85, my mother loves British mysteries and has commented more than once about the attractive men with horse-faced wives or girlfriends.

The Job Lot with Sarah Hadland and Russell Tovey

Season 2 of 'Line of Duty' is my favourite - I think you could watch it on it's own and still understand what is happening. Keely Hawes is amazing. Loved her in 'Ashes to Ashes' too.

For anyone who hasn't seen the original UK 'Life on Mars', that's an amazing show. I heard that there was a completely butchered US version, but haven't seen it.

Wow, that Nighty Night show is dreadful in that clip. The blonde actress is awful.

For you Olivia Colman fans, you might want to watch the movie "London Road." It's a musical about a community that has to deal with a killer in their neighborhood. Also has Anita Dobson (Angie on EastEnders), Linzi Hately (Carrie in OBC Carrie musical) and Tom Hardy. The movie dialogue/lyrics are taken entirely from the real life events.

What's up with Honeysuckle Weeks? She pulled a Sinead O'Connor disappearing act. Drugs?

Anna Maxwell-Martin's profile says she's "rather striking." Maybe striking as in being slapped in the face with a wet fish.

I'm 100% convinced that British television is so much better than American TV. I don't know about any programs that haven't aired in the U.S. but I have just binge-watched Doc Martin, Call the Midwife and Last Tango in Halifax on Netflix. All were excellent.

I love all of the dramas from writer Sally Wainwright (Halifax, Scott & Bailey, Unforgiven, and Happy Valley). She writes great, strong female characters.

However, I tried watching one her comedies from about 10 years ago (Jane Hall) and hated it.

Even though it has shown in the US and not applicable to this thread, I really like Happy Valley. Season 2 was a bit draggy, so I hope she can capture the mojo of Season 1 as she writes Season 3.

Suburban Shootout.

Another old one that I loved was The Thin Blue Line.

I tried to like Julia Davis. "Human Remains" with Rob Brydon was excellent, but Hunderby was a tich too overdone, ADBC was okay, and I gave up after three episodes of "Nighty Night."

I keep meaning to read "The Book Group." (2002-2003)

Steve Coogan's "Saxondale" is very funny.

r100, I watched Season 1 of The Book Group because of my crush on Scottish actor Derek Riddell.

Hated it. Not one likeable character IMO. The lead character is Ann Dudek, an American actress whose been on House and Covert Affairs. I've liked her other stuff but she's wasted in this one.

I've been watching Fleabag. It'll be out on Amazon next month in the US. Highly recommended.

There's a great episode of The Book Group where the Derek Riddell character ends up having an affair (as the bottom) with a top Spanish soccer player.

The Cafe. A quiet, little two-season show. Writer Sarah Porter returns to the sea-side caff that her mother owns to try and sort out her life. In the cast is Marcia Warren (the dizzy old lady on Vicious) playing a pushy old lady.

I wish The Royle Family got its due here in the US. The first Christmas special alone is brilliant. Sue Johnston is fabulous.

Shame that Caroline Aherne died this year r105, she was brilliantly funny in that.

R84 and R87, it was neither of those shows. I wish I could remember it! I will try to go to the PBS website. Thanks for your help, however.

R84 R87, Grantchester is similar, but I don't think it is the show in question. It is very similar.

Was it Born and Bred r108?

I just watched episodes of Escape to the Countryside and Escape to the Continent which are the UK equivalents to House Hunters but so different. Really unique houses and not one mention of granite countertops.

Not exactly the right thread since it's airing on The Sundance Channel but is anyone watching "The A Word"? I'm enjoying it despite the awful & annoying mother (played by Grantchester's Morven Christie).

Life Begins - a woman's husband leaves her and she must learn to live being a single mother.

Thanks, r90! I have almost finished Season 2 of Line of Duty and it's as suspenseful and gripping as S1 of Happy Valley.

I've recently been watching Lovejoy. It's about an antiques dealer, the eponymous Lovejoy (Ian McShane) , and his adventures in antique-related highjinks/mysteries/drama etc. It's quite funny, a dramedy really. Lots of eccentric characters.

R114 Is that the one with Downton Abbey's Mrs. Hughes as a sexy young thing?

R110 Alastair Appleton, hot gay man

I like 'The Detectorists'.

Meryl Streep has said her favorite British TV shows are Grand Designs and Come Dine With Me.

Yes r115, she was Lady Jane.

I second "The Royle Family"

Nighty Night briefly ran on Oxygen when Oprah still owned the network. They actually would take chances. This was probably the most wicked show ever run in America up to that point.

Not wicked at all but really funny was Posh Nosh.

No Offence - Cops done right

Unforgotten - Cops done right

Smoking Room - Funny dumb poms

Father Ted is a good laugh.

This brings back a lot of memories when BBC America showed something other than Top Gear and Star Trek.

Loved The Smoking Room.

Was there a second season of Flowers?

R62 has it, OP. Watch as much of S1-3 of PLEBS as you have time for, in one go. You won't regret it.

"...douche me." - Grumio

Wasn’t Geordie Shore the format rights for Jersey Shore? And Coupling was Friends?

Never have understood the British glamourization of mannish, sociopathically nasty, bitchy women in their TV. People go on about Fleabag and Catastrophe and the two leads make me want to strangle them. I can’t watch them. It’s not that I want every show to be Miller Boyer, but Jesus, is every woman in England a hatchet faced asshole?

boys from the blackstuff .

Miranda, starring Miranda Hart and Tom Ellis. Fun, funny "light entertainment".

"Crashing" - it's in Netflix. Comedy set in an abandoned hospital, One season, six episodes each with a run time of about 23 minutes. Watched the entire thing in one sitting and I really enjoyed it.

Years ago (80s) The Eastenders was amusing and gave the impression that it shouldn't be taken seriously. I could only get it then on Canadian channels. I don't think anyone shows it in the US. That said, I went over to England last year and saw the latest Eastenders and it had apparently evolved into a putrid mess. Theme song is still wonderful though. I think the shows years ago when Ethel Skinner cleaned up the pub were much better. She was sort of like a Leticia Cropley type on Vicar of Dibley.

Star Stories is very funny and all the episodes are on youtube. Also Mongrels, but I don't think that's on youtube.

It's amazing (and heartening) that Black Books, which ended 15 years ago, is still absolutely adored by many (including myself). It's available from Netflix, though not streaming I think just mailing, and episodes are on You Tube. Highly recommended. Dylan Moran is a fucking God.

R132 has excellent taste. Both of those shows are marvellous.

The precedent ROCK PROFILE was even better than STAR STORIES, though. It's been almost 20 years since it first aired, and I'm still cackling over the episode they did lampooning the band Blur. David Walliams' impression of louche dozy gaybaiting nuisance Alex James might be the best bit of telly work he's ever done (not so much for accuracy, but sheer lunatic creativity). "You are the bass player in Blur..." "..AM I?!"

Apparently Dave Rowntree has a massive cock, as well, which I learned courtesy of Lucas/Walliams.

Gimme Gimme Gimme

The Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones Rock Profile by Lucas and Walliams was one of my favourites.

Black Books is currently available on Hulu.

Anything with Olivia Colman.

Even their reality tv is better. I enjoy the Hotel Inspector (when I can find it online). It's a hotel makeover type show but with less artifice than something produced in the U.S.

I was going to say the new non-BBC, Mary/Sue/Mel-less version of "The Great British Bake-Off, but Netflix just announced they've acquired the rights and will be offering it.

My favorites are mostly older programs, now unlikely to air on TV at all. However, here are three that are available on DVD (in Region 2 PAL format, requiring a multi-region player for those of us in North America):

- After Henry - a really sweet, gentle comedy with Prunella Scales (Sara), Joan Sanderson (Sara's mother) and Jonathan Newth (Sara's boss, who is gay).

- Drop the Dead Donkey - a more cynical comedy about producing a TV news program. Oddly, it's aged a lot better than Murphy Brown, though both programs dealt with (then) current news topics.

- Talking Heads - The format, where a single actor talks directly to the camera, isn't everyone's favorite, but I find it mesmerizing. And, Alan Bennett, who wrote all the stories and narrated one himself, is a genius.

THIS COUNTRY is quite recent and not well-known overseas (BBC3, so it's only online).

This year the show's main writers and alead actors the Cooper siblings won BAFTAs for it, and deservedly so. It's the most accurate depiction of tragicomic life in the Cotswolds/Midlands that I've ever seen to date.

If some people like what they read here, they ought to look into Britbox to get anything from BBC/ITV.

R125 Yep, just screened, even better than Season 1.

Posh Nosh is top notch

I love Gimme Gimme Gimme (sitcom)

James Dreyfus and Kathy Burke....the original Will and Grace

1999-2001 19 episodes over 3 seasons

I watched an episode of Hotel Inspector somewhere and it was just jaw-dropping. A guy, retired from the Foreign Service had sunk his entire pension into a small hotel in Brighton (I think, south coast anyway) and the place was disgusting. Looked like it hadnt been updated since the 50s, extension cords everywhere, dingy, cobwebs. His big thing was having tiny flags from all over the world, so when a guest from another country had breakfast, they'd have their national flag on their table. I guess it would be a conversation starter if he ever had guests.

The Hotel Insp. took him to a new hotel, granted it was out of town, but set in a lovely garden which charged the same per night. And this guy couldn't see it, kept nattering on about location and his tiny flags. I know reality shows in the US have only a passing semblance to reality so who knows what this guy's deal was. He claimed he didn't need to upgrade his rooms. Anyone of us would have run out of there screaming.

R71 - I saw a season of The Syndicate in the States about a year or so ago. It was the one with Anthony Andrews living in a stately manor and Alice Krige as the conniving 2nd wife - and a rather attractive actor I wasn't familiar with, Richard Rankin.

R104 - I saw both seasons of The Cafe about a year or two ago. I thought the first one was excellent - charming, sweet & understated with really likeable characters. I thought the second season, while watchable, didn't live up the the first go round.

There is a rather sweet comedy show called Mum starring Lesley Manville (Harlots). She plays a regular widowed middle aged woman who has all these cooky characters around her (her son's stupid girlfriend, her pushover of a brother and his pushy wife, her senile parents)

Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as

You sluts are getting sloppy, BRASSEYE FTW, The drugs and paedo episodes are comic brilliance.