Saturday Night: British Sitcoms, My Addiction!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Evo
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
British sitcoms are a popular topic among viewers, particularly those aired on PBS, with favorites including "Mulberry," "Keeping Up Appearances," and "Fawlty Towers." The discussion highlights the charm of these shows, with "Mulberry" featuring a unique premise about the son of Death, while "Keeping Up Appearances" is noted for its comedic portrayal of social class. Participants express a fondness for British murder mysteries, particularly "Midsomer Murders" and "A Touch of Frost," which are praised for their engaging storytelling and character development. Recommendations for other sitcoms like "The Young Ones," "Coupling," and "Red Dwarf" are shared, showcasing the diversity of British comedy. The conversation reflects a strong appreciation for British television and its distinct humor.
Evo
Staff Emeritus
Messages
24,029
Reaction score
3,323
Saturday night is British sitcom night on my local PBS station. I have become addicted to them.

My all time favourite (British spelling there :-p) is Mulberry. This is about the son of Death that has been given his first "assignment".

"Mulberry, the cheerful Cockney son of Death and Springtime, starts his "career" as the Grim Reaper's apprentice when he is sent to collect the acerbic and reclusive Miss Farnaby. He instead joins the staff in her creaky manor house, becomes her personal servant, and endeavors to help her enjoy life during the three month extension grudgingly granted by his dad. What will happen when winter ends and spring arrives? Will life go on?"

My second favourite is "Keeping up appearances". I love the Mrs. B-U-C-K-E-T, that's pronounced "bouquet".

The other shows are "Good Neighbors", To the manor born" and "As time goes by".

Does anyone else watch these? Any other similar shows I should check out? I see that a lot of these shows are available now in the US on DVD.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Keeping up appearances is a great show indeed.

I also love the police series like Frost, Morse, Judge John Deed.

marlon
 
Well, I like "Are You Being Served?" but I have only seen a few episodes and only remember a few that I watched when I was in primary school.

If you like Rowan Atkinson, then he stars in a police series called "The Thin Blue Line."
 
Last edited:
"Fawlty Towers" :smile:

"Mr. Bean" :biggrin:

"Blackadder" - but I don't know if that qualifies as a sitcom.

Of course, I could watch "Monty Python's Flying Circus" anytime. :smile:
 
That's funny. On Sunday, it's my British Murder Mystery day. On the Biography channel, starting at 1:00 PM central, it starts a series of british murder mystery that I absolutely love. It begins with Midsommer Murder Mystery, which is THE best murder mystery show anywhere on TV, in my book. It is 2 hours long, and every single episode is finely crafted, with memorable characters. It is usually followed by another 2 hours of another Midsommer Murder, and then followed by Hurcule Poirot (usually 2 or 3 episodes in a row), and the at 8:00 pm, another Midsommer Murder, then followed by Sherlock Holmes.

It is why I seldom go out on Sunday afternoon/evening. :)

BTW, Evo, my most favorite Keeping Up Appearances episode is when Mrs. Bucket got chased by a gaggle of geese when she was trying to buy a house in the country or something.

Zz.
 
Fawlty Towers, haha, yes, a great show as well. I don't really like Mr Bean but i love Monty Python.
 
Wow; I didn't realize British sitcoms were that popular! Fawlty towers my all time favorite sitcom.

Evo, what is "Good Neighbors"? I've never heard of that one :confused:
 
Allo Allo. I have to say they aren't the best selection of british sitcom they could have had.
 
cristo said:
Evo, what is "Good Neighbors"? I've never heard of that one :confused:

I think its The Good life.
 
  • #10
ZapperZ said:
That's funny. On Sunday, it's my British Murder Mystery day. On the Biography channel, starting at 1:00 PM central, it starts a series of british murder mystery that I absolutely love. It begins with Midsommer Murder Mystery, which is THE best murder mystery show anywhere on TV, in my book. It is 2 hours long, and every single episode is finely crafted, with memorable characters. It is usually followed by another 2 hours of another Midsommer Murder, and then followed by Hurcule Poirot (usually 2 or 3 episodes in a row), and the at 8:00 pm, another Midsommer Murder, then followed by Sherlock Holmes.

Midsommer is the best. Btw, the british are gods for murder mystery shows. Actually, A Touch of Frost is even better. :smile:
 
  • #11
radou said:
Midsommer is the best. Btw, the british are gods for murder mystery shows. Actually, A Touch of Frost is even better. :smile:

I am not familiar with A Touch of Frost. Is it on BBC America?

Zz.
 
  • #12
For some reason, My Family cracks me up.
 
  • #13
I watched "The Young Ones" a few times, but it was just to weird for my taste.

BBC's "Coupling" is pretty funny. Miss Jeff though - "Reeesults!" :smile: The best one was where Jeff meets a girl from Israel and thinks her name is "Shadayim". The girl doesn't speak English and Jeff doesn't speak Hebrew. :smile:

The one were Jeff inadvertently swallows the key is also great. :smile:
 
  • #14
Kurdt said:
I think its The Good life.

Ahh, OK.. it's a bit before my time, and I never really liked it when I saw the repeats.
 
  • #15
cristo said:
Evo, what is "Good Neighbors"? I've never heard of that one :confused:
Well, tonight's episode is "Tom invents a generator that makes electricity from animal manure" It fits right in with some of the discussions we've been having here lately.

I believe it's called "The Good Life" in Britain.

"Tom and Barbara Good's dream is to live completely self-sufficiently. This means, among other things, raising their own vegetables and animals for food. Trouble is, they live in the suburbs. Their very conservative neighbors, the Leadbetters, look on, horrified, at this bold experiment."
 
  • #16
radou said:
Midsommer is the best. Btw, the british are gods for murder mystery shows. Actually, A Touch of Frost is even better. :smile:
I completely agree with that.

Astronuc said:
I watched "The Young Ones" a few times, but it was just to weird for my taste.
Here is one of my all time favourite Fawlty Towers scenes :

marlon
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #17
radou said:
Btw, the british are gods for murder mystery shows.

I don't know about that; "Diagnosis Murder" and "Murder She Wrote" are classic afternoon student viewing!
 
  • #18
ZapperZ said:
I am not familiar with A Touch of Frost. Is it on BBC America?

Zz.

Don't know.

Keyword: David Jason. :cool:

Edit:

Astronuc said:
BBC's "Coupling" is pretty funny. Miss Jeff though - "Reeesults!" :smile: The best one was where Jeff meets a girl from Israel and thinks her name is "Shadayim". The girl doesn't speak English and Jeff doesn't speak Hebrew. :smile:

The one were Jeff inadvertently swallows the key is also great. :smile:

They're great, I've got all the seasons on DVD. Didn't manage to see all of them yet, though. :smile:
 
Last edited:
  • #19
Astronuc said:
I watched "The Young Ones" a few times, but it was just to weird for my taste.

The Young One's is excellent but very surreal which I love. Game On is a more modern sitcom and is very funny and allegedly the inspiration for Friends which I can't stand.
 
  • #20
Fawlty Towers.





By John Cleese and his wife Coonie Boothe who plays the waitress. Absolutelly brilliant two geniuses of comedy.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #21
cristo said:
I don't know about that; "Diagnosis Murder" and "Murder She Wrote" are classic afternoon student viewing!

I'm obsessed with Monk!
 
  • #22
Schrodinger's Dog said:


Remember that one, an absolute classic.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #23
Kurdt said:
I'm obsessed with Monk!

I've only ever seen a few episodes; it's not been on for a while, and I guess I must have actually had things to do in the afternoon around the time when it was on! Did enjoy the ones I watched though, but, to be honest, I'll watch anything that fills the void after neighbours and doctors!
 
  • #24
ZapperZ said:
BTW, Evo, my most favorite Keeping Up Appearances episode is when Mrs. Bucket got chased by a gaggle of geese when she was trying to buy a house in the country or something.

Zz.
I haven't seen that one. It reminds me of the one where they're at the golfing resort and she goes through the hedges trying to escape the Major's advances.

I don't have cable now and I LOVE British mysteries. :frown: Perhaps they're on DVD?
 
  • #25
Evo, you might enjoy 'Cadfael' which was on PBS.

http://epguides.com/Cadfael/guide.shtml - it's on DVD at Amazon

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/mystery/detectives/cadfael.html

Here is the PBS Detectives Series - I believe many or most are on DVD.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/mystery/detectives/index.html


Another good series is "Prime Suspect" staring Helen Mirren.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/primesuspect6/index.html - Feb 18 - 25, 2007

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/primesuspect/index.html


Also, "Touching Evil" with Robson Green as Detective Inspector Dave Creegan is good. Not to be confused with the US version featuring Jeffrey Donovan as Creegan.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #26
Nearly everything is available on DVD in the UK. Whether they're popular enough to be supported in the US is unknown. Perhaps a DVD website will have a British stuff section.
 
  • #27
Kurdt said:
Nearly everything is available on DVD in the UK. Whether they're popular enough to be supported in the US is unknown. Perhaps a DVD website will have a British stuff section.
The problem is that European DVD's can't be played on US players, well not without a difficult hack, and I'm not savvy enough to do that.
 
  • #28
Evo said:
The problem is that European DVD's can't be played on US players, well not without a difficult hack, and I'm not savvy enough to do that.

It's difficult but there are programs which will make your DVD player multi regional, and funnily enough if you contact your DVD company and ask, they'll give them to you, it's not illegal, they send you disc it reprograms your DVD. They don't advertise this fact but it is true. If you want to go internet they'll do it too: I know, I never had to do it, but I know someone who has. It's a big trade secret.

http://www.dvd.reviewer.co.uk/info/multiregion/

Pretty much it's a matter of stick x in y and wait, you're multi regional, savvy? Don't need to be.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #29
I've seen Keeping Up Appearances. Watched it a lot when I didn't have cable and PBS was pretty much the only channel worth watching. It was pretty funny at first, but I did get tired of it after a while. But, most sitcoms have that effect on me.
 
  • #30
"Fawlty Towers" is excellent even though only 12 episodes were ever made (the writers believed they had extracted the best from the series and any more episodes wouldn't be as good)

Has "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Mothers_Do_%27Ave_%27Em" " ever been shown on US TV?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #31
How about anything that's been created in the past 15 years? :smile:
 
  • #32
My Family. Brilliant.
 
  • #33
brewnog said:
How about anything that's been created in the past 15 years? :smile:

What even Dinner Ladies?:wink: :smile:
 
  • #34
What, no one here is admitting to watching Footballers Wives?

:)

Zz.
 
  • #35
Schrodinger's Dog said:
What even Dinner Ladies?:wink: :smile:
I forgot that even existed it was that bad!
ZapperZ said:
What, no one here is admitting to watching Footballers Wives?

:)

Zz.
Now, that sounds like a subtle admission to me :rolleyes:
 
  • #36
How have no one mentioned the "Yes, minister" series??
That's my favourite. Here's one scene:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #37
I watched "The Young Ones" a few times, but it was just to weird for my taste.
So what is Monty Python then :smile:

The young ones was based on British student life I guess if you haven't lived in the UK and studied there u wouldn't get it...

I thought it was funny as hell
 
  • #38
Anttech said:
So what is Monty Python then :smile:

The young ones was based on British student life I guess if you haven't lived in the UK and studied there u wouldn't get it...

I thought it was funny as hell

The League of Gentlemen was excellent. Really wierd, I think the US is not ready for dark absurd comedy though. Not their bag generally.

The circus comes to town.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFwUY0CpkZY&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaw-c_E6aoE&mode=related&search=



You my wife now Dave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMVrwl9FmII&mode=related&search=

and the film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhvaxUvVK_8&mode=related&search=
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #39
Come on guys, I can't believe no one here mentioned Red Dwarf. A janitor, holigram, and an evolved cat on a huge spaceship; how can you go wrong with characters like that?
 
  • #40
Ronnin said:
Come on guys, I can't believe no one here mentioned Red Dwarf. A janitor, holigram, and an evolved cat on a huge spaceship; how can you go wrong with characters like that?

When you make the US version. :biggrin:
 
  • #41
Evo said:
I haven't seen that one. It reminds me of the one where they're at the golfing resort and she goes through the hedges trying to escape the Major's advances.

I don't have cable now and I LOVE British mysteries. :frown: Perhaps they're on DVD?

Yes, both Keeping up Apearances and Fawlty Towers are available on DVD in the US. (I have both).

No one has mentioned http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/reddwarf/" , great combo of British comedy and Sci Fi.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #42
My favs:

#1: Little Britain (the most brilliant)
#2: Green Wing
#3: Father Ted
#4: The Young Ones
 
  • #43
Me and my buddy watched one today called "Spaced", apparently made by someone responsible for "Shawn of the Dead", and has the same actor. And I got to say we were laughing pretty hard. i recommend it
 
Last edited:
  • #44
Here's House singing mystery.:smile:



Not a sit com but it's so good I don't care :smile:







The sit com Jeeves and Wooster.



Father Ted as mentioned.





Black Books is another good one.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #45
Does Wallace and Gromit count? :biggrin:
 
  • #46
No my bearded wizard friend, it doesn't. But congratulations, you've got the theme tune stuck in my head and it'll be there for the next week or so.

Grrrrrrrrr.
 
  • #47
"some mothers do have em" good old frank spencer.
"porridge" staring one of the two ronnies, can't remember which though.
"bottom" with rik mayal and adrian edmonson, rather crude though.
 
  • #48
I know most of these well. Why hasn't Ab Fab been mentioned?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #49
Is no one a fan of Men Behaving Badly? :biggrin:
 
  • #50
Ohhhhh yes!

"Mussel mate?"
"No mate, they disagree with me"
"Noooo we dooon't!"

Classic.
 

Similar threads

Are you a kind, benevolent Master?
Replies
24
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top