Anyone like British TV

[LogDog75]

I was stationed in England in the 80s and 90s and I loved watching British TV. Their comedies are either low key, farces, or parodies of life. I had watched some British TV on PBS before going to England like Doctor in the House. While in South Korea, AFN televised Rumpole of the Bailey, starring Leo McKern, an old Bailey (criminal court) hack who only defends the criminal element and I got hooked on the show. The program is both drama with a lot of comedy by Horace Rumpole and his antics both in the court and within his fellow lawyer's chambers. I own the complete series on DVD.

Another show is Doc Martin. Doctor Martin Ellingham is a renown London surgeon who develops a blood phobia. Since he can no longer do surgery he takes a job as a general practitioner at Port Wenn where he spent his childhood summers with his Aunt Joan. Martin is aloof, abrupt, lacks a good bedside manner, and doesn't tolerate anyone who doesn't come up to his standards. Unfortunately, there a number of eccentric citizens that caused Martin to get into hilarious situations. The thing is, Martin is an excellent diagnostician and the locals, although they may not approve of his behavior to them, the do appreciate what he does for them.

So, anyone have a favorite British TV series?

[The Blue Flower]

1. Foyle's War

A policeman in Hastings during WW2. Its stars Christopher Kitchen as a cop who confronts the moral ambivalence of enforcing the law during a time of war.
Call the Midwife and All Creatures Great and Small are two other favorites.

[Aristus]

11. Mrs. Aristus and I watch an insane amount of British television.

But “Foyle’s War” is our current favorite. I love Foyle’s reserve. And his unimpeachable morality. In his moments of outrage, he grows quieter and more reserved. That’s when you know it’s time to watch out.

When I was in the Army and stationed in Germany, MTV Europe was my favorite show. Light years ahead of American MTV.

[The Blue Flower]

20. And he always figures out who the culprit is

Quietly gets them.

[yellowdogintexas]

66. Foyle's War is very good! We both really liked it.

Other favorites:

Are You Being Served?
'Allo, 'Allo
Last of the Summer Wine
Good Neighbors
To The Manor Born
The Vicar of Dibley
Doc Martin
Father Ted
As Time Goes By
Open All Hours and Still Open All Hours

[Ponietz]

2. Red Dwarf early 90's was hilarious

[sorcrow]

9. Now streaming on Peacock

I'm rewatching Red Dwarf now. Funny as hell. Cat is my favorite character.

Best regards,
Sorghum Crow

[Walleye]

36. Oh yeah, the cat is spot on

[johnp3907]

28. I keep seeing this ad on Facebook.

🤣

https://jimll.co.uk/products/smeeeeee-t-shirt

[Walleye]

35. Yes, that was terrific. The curry-eating protagonist.

[EverHopeful]

78. Yes, Cat was great and Danny John-Jules

appears in 61 episodes of Death in Paradise. Was glad for the chance to see more of his work.

[Beatlelvr]

3. So many!

Faves are Vera, Midsomer Murders, Inspector Lewis, Inspector Linley, London Kills, Silent Witness, Poirot, Annika, and on the lighter side, Graham Norton, QI, Jonathan Creek.

[Walleye]

38. I have watched most of those you mentioned in liked them all

One thing I like about the British detective stories. They’re not so full of goddamn noise like gunshots all the time and stuff.

[MLAA]

4. For laughs with a wide range of guests there is Graham Norton. Love all detective series including McDonald and Dobbs

New Tricks. Slow Horses is a great MI5 spy series. For a real throw back there is the comedy series Open All Hours and 20 or years later Still Open All Hours about a small corner store run by an old shopkeeper and his young nephew. The 20 years later series has the young nephew now the old guy running the store with a young assistant of his own.

[Walleye]

39. Yes, "New Tricks" was great

[yellowdogintexas]

68. Not British, but is on ACORN: Murdoch Mysteries. We love this series

A number of real historical figures make appearances; some are political, some are inventors
Murdoch's wife is a physician - in early 1900s Ottowa.

19 seasons I believe

[mwmisses4289]

82. Another good series is Miss Fishers Mysteries.

Takes place in Melbourne austalia.

[yellowdogintexas]

93. Yes indeed! I have read a few of the books and they are quite enjoyable

Phrynne Fisher is a Force of Nature

[Diamond_Dog]

5. Midsomer Murders and All Creatures Great and Small.

[CanonRay]

6. The Detectorists

Truly funny show.

[FalloutShelter]

77. I loved this one too.

[Skittles]

7. I grew up in England

loved the originals - Dr Who, Til Death Do Us Part (English All in the Family), Steptoe and Son (English Sanford and Son), Monty Python, etc

[vanamonde]

8. Goode Neighbors

and The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.

[dickthegrouch]

10. Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister

To the Manor Born
Fawlty Towers
Butterflies
Dr Who
Morecamb and Wise
Monty Python

[Walleye]

40. Yes, Minister I remember one line from that

“If you want your minister to not do something, tell him it’s controversial. If you really want him not to do it tell him it’s courageous”

[displacedvermoter]

12. So many...

Rosemary & Thyme -- amateur sleuths and master gardeners

Midsomer Murders

Partners in Crime -- Tommy and Tuppence, Agatha Christie crime solvers

Inspector Allen Mysteries

Just a few...

[mopinko]

13. currently addicted to 'the repair shop.'

[sl8]

14. John Cleese was a writer for "Doctor in the House" & one episode featured the prototype for Basil Fawlty.

(Actually, Doctor at Large, a follow-on series to Doctor in the House )

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fawlty_Towers

Cleese was an occasional writer on the 1970s medical sitcom Doctor in the House and its follow-ons for London Weekend Television. An early prototype of the character that became known as Basil Fawlty was developed in an episode ("No Ill Feelings" ) of the third Doctor series (titled Doctor at Large). In this episode, the main character (played by Barry Evans) checks into a small-town hotel, his very presence seemingly winding up the aggressive and incompetent manager (played by Timothy Bateson) with a domineering wife. The show was broadcast on 30 May 1971.[13]

Doctor at Large Ep 14 No Ill Feeling

Youtube / Gord Haig

[lapfog_1]

47. Doctor in the House is one of my favorites

missed the John Cleese connection! Thanks!

Fawlty Towers... BlackAdder.... Absolutely Fabulous

Midsomer Murders.

There are some very good Australian shows too... Dr. Blake Mysteries.

I have BritBox streaming service... I recommend.

[tanyev]

15. Love British sitcoms, old and new.

Older: Mulberry, Vicar of Dibley, Blackadder, The Good Life. My PBS station was running one I’d never heard of called Ever Decreasing Circles which I was getting into but then they dropped it, even though it ran for several years in England.

Newer: Detectorists, The Cafe, Twenty Twelve and W1A.

I’m kind of limited by what my PBS station buys. I haven’t gone looking for other things that might be out there.

[LudwigPastorius]

16. Fawlty Towers...short, but sweet

I, Claudius

The Young Ones...surreal insanity

Black Mirror

[Shermann]

53. I watched The Young Ones when it aired on MTV.

That was an experience! I forgot all about that.

[LudwigPastorius]

63. Yeah, I didn't like it at first.

It was just so over the top and bizarre. I usually don't go for farcical humor.

But, I like it now. Plus, it makes me kind of nostalgic for the 80s.

[Figarosmom]

17. Whitstable Pearl, Endeavor, Missummer Murders

Last edited Mon May 26, 2025, 02:48 AM - Edit history (1)

Father Brown, The Coroner, Silent Witness, Luther, Last of the Summers Wine, Gardeners World, As Time Goes By

There are a lot of others. I watch mostly British Tv

[Morbius]

18. I liked Endeavour so much that...

... I bought the DVD set (complete series) of Inspector Morse, and after that Inspector Lewis. I also loved Foyle's Law and I've been watching Doctor Who, off and on, for more than 40 years. I love QI, too, with Stephen Fry and then with Sandi Toksvig. Big fan of Stephen Fry, dating back to Jeeves and Wooster.

Frankly, there's a lot.

[yellowdogintexas]

95. We are also big fans of Stephen Fry; check out "Kingdom" in which he is a solicitor with a quirky family

and clients as well.

Very good

[Mad_Dem_X]

19. I absolutely loved Are You Being Served?

The entire cast was very funny.

[Walleye]

32. I laughed and laughed when I watched that series

I forget the older woman’s name, but she kept referring to “my pussy“ talking about her cat. Cracked me up every time.

[TubbersUK]

42. Senior sales woman Mrs Slocombe

Played by Mollie Sugden

[Mad_Dem_X]

57. Mrs. Slocombe!

[dickthegrouch]

50. My least favorite show EVER

I was a young teen grappling with same sex feelings and the hideous depiction of a gay man was everything I had been taught to hate. He caused my (only) suicide attempt. I'll always hate that show with a passion.

[bif]

21. "Outnumbered" Great little tv show

Watch it for free on Tubi

[bif]

22. "Detectorists" One of my favorite British shows of all time!

[Walleye]

31. I like that one too. And "New Tricks"

[bif]

23. And of course, "Black Adder"!

[Mad_Dem_X]

58. Yes! How could I forget that show?!

[JoseBalow]

24. "Toast of London" is one of my favorites

I just love Matt Berry!

(10:45)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toast_of_London

[NoRethugFriends]

27. Yes!

[Laffy Kat]

25. In the mid-70s there was a BBC sitcom called...

"The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin" that I still think was one of the funniest shows on the BBC.

[johnp3907]

33. Loved that one!

His excuses for being late were the best:

“Eleven minutes late, seasonal manpower shortages, Clapham Junction.”
“Eleven minutes late, somebody had stolen the lines at Surbiton.”
“Seventeen minutes late, water seeping through the cables at Effingham Junction – there was a lot of Effingham and a good deal of Blindingham!”
“Twenty-two minutes late, badger ate a junction box at New Malden.”
“Twenty-two minutes late, fed up by train delays, came by bike. Slow puncture at Peckham.”
“Twenty-two minutes late, escaped puma, Chessington North.”

The was a short-lived American reboot starring Richard Mulligan. meh

[Laffy Kat]

45. I think (not sure) there was a BBC re-boot, too. Also, meh. nt

[underpants]

26. No. No one does.

They kid themselves into thinking they do but secretly they yearn for the Americanized version.


I’ll just be

[Walleye]

29. I loved Rumpole. And his "she who must be obeyed"

And have probably seen almost every episode of Doc Martin, very funny, so yes I guess you could say I like British TV

[Eugene]

30. Dr. Who

since catching it on the local PBS station in 1975

Also worth mentioning: several Gerry Anderson series, and also The Goodies

[TexLaProgressive]

34. The list is large

Foyle's Law
New Tricks
Harry Wise
Midsomer Murders (usually 3)
The Vicar of Dibley
Inspectors Linley, Morse and Lewis
Vera
Shetland
Well the list goes on. I haven't watched any of of shows in several years. I like the way the British tell a good story without extreme histrionics. Also the ingenious multiple subplots woven throughout the series.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

37. I do!

Love love loved Hamish Macbeth, the original Coupling, Monty Python, The Goodies, Doc Martin, and lots of crime and historical shows. Sadly, I ditched satellite about a decade ago and rarely get to see anything new.

I despise it when someone in the US tries to Americanize a series (Coupling is a prime example) and renders it inane and not at all funny.

[JoseBalow]

46. The Goodies!

[Doc_Technical]

87. The Goodies and the Beanstalk

[JoseBalow]

90. I haven't watched them in years

That was great! Thanks for reminding me why I loved this show.

[doc03]

41. I have to use CC they don't speak Murican. nt

[elleng]

43. RUMPOLE! Sure miss it!

and LOVE Doc Martin!!!! don't mind re-runs!
and 'crime!'

[riverbendviewgal]

44. All Creatures Great and Small

It is on PBS. It is about an English veterinarian clinic. It is pre WW2 , During and after. I read all the books written by the veterinarian the shows are based on. There was tv series made in the 70s and recently the last couple years. Still in running. It's funny and feels good . Beautiful English countryside.

I love Brit shows. This is my favorite.

[Vinca]

75. I really liked the first series, but don't care for the casting of characters in the newer series.

Mrs. Hall the second time around just isn't right and no one can replace Peter Davison as Tristan.

[JT45242]

48. All over britbox and acorn streaming

Have been binge watching midsomer murders.

The old Sherlock.

Red dwarf and doctor who have always been favorites.

So much good stuff to watch

[The Madcap]

49. Keeping up Appearances

And Good Neighbors.

[PJMcK]

51. Time Team

It's a several decades-long program featuring the ancient archeology from all over Great Britain.

It's fascinating, informative and well-produced and there's even quite a bit of British humor.

Highly recommended. Their 20+ years of hour-long episodes can be found on YouTube.

[whathehell]

52. Inspector Morse, Waking the Dead, Silent Witness

and MI 5 (known as 'Spooks' in the UK and elsewhere).

[Keepthesoulalive]

54. Rowan Atkinson

Black Adder, Thin Blue Line and Mr. Bean .
Lloyd and Croft: Allo Allo , Are You Being Served, Grace and Favor.

[yellowdogintexas]

67. Another 'Allo,'Allo fan. We love that ridiculous farce!!

in fact there are so many British programs that we have loved I can't remember them all.

[Keepthesoulalive]

73. Great writers

Who aren’t afraid of edgy humor. The first season of Chef was gold.

[Xavier Breath]

55. An old boss of mine was stationed in England with the Air Force in the late '60s/early '70s.

He talked about seeing Monty Python and how it was a shock, albeit a funny one, to his Midwestern sensibilities. He also mentioned something about the BBC that stuck with me. He said that the BBC would send vans around, and if they detected that you had a tv in use, they would require you to purchase a viewing license. Does anyone know if that was true? If so I would be interested to know how the technology of the late '60s accomplished that.

[LogDog75]

69. The story about the van is true

I was stationed in England twice; two years in the 80s and three years in the 90s. American television and British television used different broadcast systems. The US used NTSC and I believe England used PAL. Every television in England was required to have a license which was used primarily to fund BBC television. Under the Status of Forces agreement, American TV were exempt from the license requirement because they couldn't pick up British broadcasts.

Apparently, when in operation, TVs gave off a signal that could be picked up a nearby van. The vans would cruise through town with an antenna either on the roof or concealed in the roof. There would be one or two people in the van and as they picked up a signal of a TV in use they'd look up the address and check if they had a license. If the address didn't have a license, the occupant of the house would be given a fine much larger than what the TV license would be.

[Xavier Breath]

72. Interesting stuff, thanks.

[pdxflyboy]

56. Inspector Morse, Shetland and Are You Being Served are our favorites

But there are many more really good ones.

[AllaN01Bear]

59. watched brit tv when pbs became bbc lite in the 1080s . loved are u being served

and keeping up apperances. loved the 4th dr who.

[choie]

60. SO many!!

Upstairs Downstairs
Six Wives of Henry the VIII
Elizabeth R
Yes, Minister & Yes Prime Minister
The Good Life (also known as Good Neighbors)
Blackadder
Broadchurch
Unforgotten

Many, many more..

[4TheArts]

61. The Fall and Rise of Reginal Perrin, and "Allo 'Allo

The best ever IMO, followed by Vicar of Dibley.

[Emile]

62. I have a hard time understanding them.

[Lars39]

64. One Foot in the Grave

Love the episode about the monkey!

[sl8]

65. I liked "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace", but it didn't last very long.

7:57 min.

Best Acting Ever?! | Garth Marenghi's Darkplace with Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry & Matthew Holness

YouTube / Channel 4 Comedy

[ailsagirl]

70. Fawlty Towers

Enough said!!

[LogDog75]

71. Some more old British TV

As Time Goes By - Set in the early 90s, Lionel and Jean were lovers in the early 1950s and a misunderstanding separated them. Forty years later they have a chance encounter and the romance begins anew.

Goodnight Sweetheart - Gary is a mobile appliance repairman and a DUI causes him to lose his driver's license and job. While depressed and walking the streets of London, he hears some children making noise in an alley and he goes to investigate. What he finds is a doorway to 1940s London. There, he falls in love with a pub keeper's daughter but he has a wife in the 1990s London.

A Most Peculiar Practice - A young, recently divorced doctor arrives at the medical department of a university. There, the doctors are a bit eccentric and he has to find his way to do his job. The funniest part of the show is at the beginning which show two nuns doing strange things like while walking across a gravel courtyard the see a man park in small car. When the man goes into the building the nuns hop into his car and start doing doughnuts on the gravel courtyard.

Waiting For God - Tom Ballard, a retired account, is forced by his son into a retirement home in which Tom doesn't want to be in. There, he meets Diana Trent, a feisty old woman who is always complaining. Together, the team up against the manager of the retirement home who's only concern is making money for the investors and Jane, the manager's assistant who is aggravatingly cheerful.

[pansypoo53219]

74. too many. also waiting for god. rising damp. DAVE ALLEN AT LARGE, + our uhf had the brit three's company.

steaming classic dr who. on the 2nd dr.

[yellowdogintexas]

94. Oh My How could I leave out Waiting for God!!!!! nt

[Ocelot II]

76. Rumpole and Red Dwarf, a couple of my favorites!

Midsomer Murders is fun, makes it sound like that town is more dangerous than Fallujah.

[johnp3907]

79. The Young Ones and Bottom are favorites.

They're like the sitcom version of Punk Rock.

[FadedMullet]

80. We subscribe to "Britbox" through Amazon Prime and wouldn't pay $8.99 a month if it wasn't really good.

[viva la]

81. I loved Rumpole of Old Bailey

and "She Who Must Be Obeyed."

[stillcool]

83. I love British telly

it's been a while since I've had the telly part but have probably seen and or read every crime/mystery available. From old black and white movies which I can still watch like Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Miss Marple onward. I've forgotten many some I've watched over and over. Inspector Morse and all that followed, the same with Midsomer Murders, the one Helen Mirren was in, the one P.D. James wrote, and the one about Ian Rankin's Rebus character, and one John LeCarre wrote. I like the pace and the dialect. Very drawn to the way they do things.

[mwmisses4289]

84. Cadfael mysteries and the original (1970s or 1980s) Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Time Team.
Sorted Foods.
And several already mentioned: Dr. Who, Death in Paradise, Black Adder...so many good ones.
As the years go on, I begin to believe that t.v. programs from the U.k. and Australia are much better than the crap we have in the U.S.

[LogDog75]

88. I love Time Team

Tony Robinson, who played Baldrick in the Black Adder series, leads a team of archeologists to determine what happened on a site and they have only three days to do it. The program combines archeology, history, and entertainment.

Another similar program was Treasure Hunt with Anneka Rice. It was both a game show and a history show. A pair of contestants would be in a studio with reference books on the local area. They'd start with a clue and then send Anneka to a location to get another clue for the constants to research and figure out. Anneka would use a helicopter to travel to different locations. The constants had one hour to figure out all the clues and find the prize for the constants to win.

[Mystery To Me]

85. So many

Are You being served?
Only Fools and Horses
Doctor Who
Avengers
Keeping Up Appearances
Fawlty Towers
Good Neighbors
To the Manor Born
Darling Buds of May
Jeeves and Wooster
A Fine Romance
The Duchess of Duke Street

I'm going to bookmark this thread. I appreciate British TV suggestions that I haven't seen yet.

[Ponietz]

86. Fantastic: STILL GAME!!! Forgot to post earlier

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0281491

(Surprised no one mentioned the original Monty Python’s Flying Circus!)

[Paladin]

89. I love British TV---all the way back to the 1970's (Monty Python") (nt)

[Mosby]

91. Surprised no one mentioned AbFab.

What a hoot.

[Zorro]

92. Danger UXB

It was only a 13 episode series, but it was an intense viewing experience.

Imagine being in a crew of WWII British soldiers whose mission was to defuse unexploded Nazi bombs.

[LogDog75]

96. The Prisoner

It was a limited run with only 17 shows but it became cult classic. Patrick McGooghan starred as Number 6 but he was also the producer, a writer, and directed some of the episodes. The Prisoner is about a British spy who resigns and has secret information which he hasn't divulged. As he's packing to leave, a gas is released into his house rendering him unconscious. When he awakes, he's in village called "The Village" where everyone is referred to as a number. He is Number 6. What peruses is a battle of wills between him and those who run The Village who want the information he knows.