10 UK TV Shows (pt 1: 1-5)
10 UK TV Shows Americans Should Watch (pt 1: 1-5)
It’s common knowledge among my friends that I watch way more British television than American television. I’d wager that a majority of the people living in the states have had very little exposure to British Television, and that makes me sad. If there’s one thing I love about British television, it’s the complete originaliy of almost every show that airs overseas. With British television you get unique plots that present storylines and ideas that are far from the norm. So if you’re sick of the typical shows that air in the states, or you’re tired of seeing shows with plots that have been done before, you should check out the shows listed below.
Oh.. and so you don’t get really confused, in the UK, a series is what the US calls a Season.. so when I say “Series 1″.. in US terms it’s actually “Season 1″.
Blackadder
Best described as a Historical Sitcom, this brilliant tv show went through four series, each series set in a different historical period: The Middle Ages, Elizabethan England, the early 19th century and World War 1. Though the show has recurring actors such as Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Tim McInnerny, it has 2 main recurring characters Edmund Blackadder (played by Rowan Atkinson) and his servant/sidekick Baldrick (played by Tony Robinson). It’s sharp, witty, crude, cynical and down right silly at some points. My favorite bits? There’s an episode where Hugh Laurie dresses like a woman, in one of the series a male character has the name “Darling” (“What are you playing at, Darling?”) and one where Blackadder accidentally burns the first ever copy of the Dictionary and attempts to re-write it.
Anyone who is a fan of Monty Python, Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry or Hugh Laurie will appreciate Blackadder.
Black Books
From the hilariously sarcastic mind of Dylan Moran (Run Fatboy Run and Shaun of the Dead) comes a show about a reclusive, anti-social book store owner named Bernard Black. The foul tempered Bernard hires a sweet, caring and gentle man named Manny to be his assistant. Take that awkward duo, throw in their cooky, eccentric friend Fran, add a few bottles of wine, toss in a couple books, then top it off with bizarre behavior and quick whit, and you have the recipe for a deranged comedy like Black Books.
Anyone who is a fan of Shaun of the Dead, Run Fatboy Run or Hot Fuzz will appreciate Black Books.
Doctor Who
There are two shows that I have seen in my life that I have formed strong emotional connections to… one is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the other is Doctor Who. Doctor Who is a science fiction tv show about a time traveler named “The Doctor”. Without getting into too much about the show (because attempting to tell it all to you in one small little paragraph might confuse you), you should know that is BY FAR the most original show I have ever seen in my life. Doctor Who has episodes that will make you laugh, make you think, make you scared and make you sad. It is a mix of emotion and wonder that keeps me SO hooked on this show. Each episode takes you to a different time or a different place, where you meet new characters and reconnect with old. The costumes and make up is gorgeous, the plot twists are mind-blowing, and the characters you meet will stay in your memory for a lifetime… There is a reason why this is the UK’s most well known show. If you haven’t seen Doctor Who before, I recommend starting off with the series reboot that started in 2005.
Anyone who is a fan of X-Files, Star Trek, Farscape or Stargate will appreciate Doctor Who.
The IT Crowd
A sitcom about two geeks and a woman (who knows nothing about computers) who work in the IT department of an office building. The best way for me to describe The IT Crowd to anyone is that this show takes itself beyond hilarity and straight into pure insanity. Each episode starts off simple, and with each scene that passes it gets crazier and crazier, and next thing you know – it’s pure chaos.. and I love it. It’s got the perfect mixture of jokes that only geeks would get, silly antics and randomly absurd situations. As for the characters.. Moss could have come straight out of “Revenge of the Nerds” – he’s smart but lacks social skills.. and he lives at home.. and his mom still dresses him. Roy is more of a slacker, has some social skills, but mostly tends to make a fool of himself. Jen is head of IT and knows nothing about computers. Richmond is the goth that Roy and Moss keep locked up behind the red door (because Goths just bring everyone down and.. well, Roy and Moss just don’t like him).
Anyone who is a fan of Revenge of the Nerds, Chuck or The Big Bang Theory will appreciate The IT Crowd.
Life On Mars
Before the American version.. the UK did it first, and they did it better. This sci-fi drama is about Sam Tyler, a police officer who goes into a coma, and ends up in 1973. Now, somehow stuck 33 years in the past, he’s struggling to get back to his reality, and is doing whatever he can to make that happen. The show is based around Sam Tyler (played by the brilliant John Simm) who is a strong willed by-the-book cop, emotional and stands by what he believes is morally right, and his superior DCI Gene Hunt (played by Phillip Glenister) who is your typical 1970s cop – he’s loyal to the force, but is rough and will bend the rules any way he wants to get the job done. Obviously the two characters bump heads more than once, but it’s this relationship that makes the show amazing. Simm (as Tyler) and Glenister (as Hunt) have a chemistry on screen that is rare to find, but the way they play off each other is brilliant! I will warn you, half the time you will finish an episode and find yourself wondering what the heck just happened. It differs from your typical cop show by adding random, surreal moments as part of Sam’s past trying to get back to him. Lastly, the soundtrack to this show is EPIC.. the show would not be complete without it’s early 1970′s, Bowie-centric music.
Agreed, although I have YET to see The IT Crowd of Blackadder! Do not fret, I shall get to it eventually, my dear! I do love all British things, I do plan on watching every British production I can get my hands on.