Over here in Europe we get to watch quite a few American shows and to be fair the vast majority of what we get to see are excellent. But I was wondering if you get to see many British/Foreign shows over there? I know you made your own version of The Office and Life on Mars(U.S. Version was an extremely poor copy of an excellent series btw) but do you get to see the original versions?
What British TV shows do they show in the States?
- Thread starter Angus Young
- Start date
For many years PBS (Public Broadcasting) has shown a lot of good British drama - maybe the past 40 years. Usually, they focus on costume dramas that Brits do well - going back to The Jewel in the Crown or I Claudius. They continue to show British fare.
PBS - Masterpiece site
Here's an archive of all the programs they've shown over the years
Archive
There's also BBC America - that shows more contemporary BBC programming like Dr. Who, Top Gear, Ashes to Ashes, etc.
BBC America
Other networks, like A&E, used to show British programming - they showed the original "Spooks" series (rebranded as MI-5 for the US audiences).
Of course, a lot of British programming gets re-done for US audiences - like The Office, Life on Mars, etc., and most people in the US aren't aware they were originally British programming.
As an aside, I watch a lot of British programming via torrents. I find it preferable to most US programs.
PBS - Masterpiece site
Here's an archive of all the programs they've shown over the years
Archive
There's also BBC America - that shows more contemporary BBC programming like Dr. Who, Top Gear, Ashes to Ashes, etc.
BBC America
Other networks, like A&E, used to show British programming - they showed the original "Spooks" series (rebranded as MI-5 for the US audiences).
Of course, a lot of British programming gets re-done for US audiences - like The Office, Life on Mars, etc., and most people in the US aren't aware they were originally British programming.
As an aside, I watch a lot of British programming via torrents. I find it preferable to most US programs.
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Doctor Who (a season behind)
Are you being served
As time goes by
The one with Mrs. Bucket/Bouquet..... can't remember the name.
The Office
Bunch of others on BBC america. The ones above tend to be on PBS or other such stations.
Are you being served
As time goes by
The one with Mrs. Bucket/Bouquet..... can't remember the name.
The Office
Bunch of others on BBC america. The ones above tend to be on PBS or other such stations.
Top Gear (who doesn't watch this great show!?)
Recently started watching MI-5 (Spooks). Great show. We quickly watched seasons 1 -4 on Netflix instant and have now moved on to Season 5 (available via Netflix on DVD).
edit: those are just the ones we watch. There are quite a few others.
Recently started watching MI-5 (Spooks). Great show. We quickly watched seasons 1 -4 on Netflix instant and have now moved on to Season 5 (available via Netflix on DVD).
edit: those are just the ones we watch. There are quite a few others.
Probably the one I enjoyed most was Keeping Up Appearances, but after 10 years of recycling only 44 episodes I'm kinda tired of it.
I would guess the top one would be Are You Being Served.
I saw a Father Ted and really laughed out loud, but I understand that the actor died after only a few of those were made.
"Britcoms" are popular.
I would guess the top one would be Are You Being Served.
I saw a Father Ted and really laughed out loud, but I understand that the actor died after only a few of those were made.
"Britcoms" are popular.
- Thread starter
- #6
They made three series of Father Ted and a one off Christmas episode. The guy who played Father Ted decided to retire after season three and yes he sadly passed away only a couple of weeks after he'd filmed the final episode. But Father Ted is hilarious; it's one of the few shows you can watch over and over again and still laugh at.
I used to see "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", but haven't seen it in a while.
Isn't that one Canadian? Or was there a British version too?
+1 million. I really dislike Clarkson's personality sometimes, but more than often he's just a hilarious pillock.
Who would take the third presenter's spot if Clarkson dies on a test drive?
Doctor Who...we used to be able to catch it on some PBS affiliates, and the SciFi channel, now it is available only on BBC America..
That's a bloody lie! 99% of all American TV is rubbish!
Actually, it seems like American shows seem to be broadcast in the UK nearly simultaneously as they are. Back in the old days, it used to take a couple years for U.S. shows to get to Britain. Now, they get nearly almost all the mainstream shows we see here right away. But the reverse doesn't seem to be true. It seems to take at least a year for us in the U.S. get rebroadcast of British shows, and even then we only get a small percentage, and most of it is rubbish (BBC America in particular is extremely disappointing, with its high percentage of reality shows).
Jeff in Boston
We do get quite a few British programs. Shows from the European mainland, not so much.
My own personal favorites have been:
- Monty Python (of course!)
- Fawlty Towers (funniest sitcom in the history of television)
- Are You Being Served?
- Keeping Up Appearances
- Waiting for God
- Doctor Who (though I don't get BBC America, but I am a big Tom Baker/4th Doctor fan)
- Red Dwarf
There are others, but those are tops.
Cheers!
My own personal favorites have been:
- Monty Python (of course!)
- Fawlty Towers (funniest sitcom in the history of television)
- Are You Being Served?
- Keeping Up Appearances
- Waiting for God
- Doctor Who (though I don't get BBC America, but I am a big Tom Baker/4th Doctor fan)
- Red Dwarf
There are others, but those are tops.
Cheers!
We had Torchwood, too. Loved it. I haven't seen Red Dwarf on in YEARS.
MI-5 (Spooks) is great isn't it.
In the States we get all sorts of Brit detective type shows, all of which I am sure are listed on the PBS Archives link. "Prime Suspect," "Inspector Morse," and "Inspector Lindley" (sp?) have each been favs of mine. I do not know whether "Cracker" was actually shown on TV in the States. I watched on DVD. One of my all time favorites. Same for both versions of "Rhebus."
Yeah! What happened? I got up to season 3(?)/Children of Earth on Netflix and now nothing else is available. Did it get canceled?
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If so, it appears that Torchwood is set for another series (season) and will be shown on Starz in the US.
It's supposed to be an international production, still led by Russel T. Davies
It's supposed to be an international production, still led by Russel T. Davies
Antiques Roadshow seems to be filmed overseas somewhere. I used to watch it as a kid and it was more American but now it seems like every episode is overseas
PBS plays the kind of British TV one would expect on PBS. BBC-America is a specialty cable channel that plays some of the more cutting edge stuff. Network and basic cable American TV doesn't really acknowledge the rest of the world in any way.
