Nits22

So, growing up in Argentina I was bombarded with American t.v. (responsible for 90% of my English-language and American-culture knowledge). However, some 8 years ago I got this channel that showed mostly bbc shows and I have to say, for many years, I spent my weekends watching Trinny and Susannah telling me what not to wear and Lawrence decorating rooms (Changing rooms). I just couldn't get enough of those shows.
Now that I actually live in the US, I've learnt to like Stacey and Clinton but I miss that British freedom of swearing on tv and being able to grab someone's boobs on camera (as triny ans Sussanah did many times) without having a "janet-jackson" scandal. I miss a bit of that freedom. Americans can overdo it when it comes to political correctness.
Now when I want my dosage of British attitude, I turn to Gordon Ramsay, Craig Ferguson and Graham Norton (and this forum, of course ).
I guess I'm just trying to say Thank you, brits, for all those tv shows that I'm sure you consider crap but that gave me so many hours of joy.

nettlebed

<fx: takes bow>Thank you kindly. I accept on behalf of all Brits everywhere.

Many people, myself included, find US TV completely unwatchable. If 'er indoors didn't like TV, I wouldn't have a cable package at all.

I'm so glad that after I moved to the US I discovered thebox.bz. It allows me to see things like Psychoville and cricket, neither of which are likely to make it into basic TV channel packages, or possibly any packages.

Of course, I spent a lot of time in Portugal, so I think that British TV can be a bit tame, and do miss some good T&A from time to time

dgsyd1

The weird thing is, if you listen to almost any British television critics, or go to a forum like Digital Spy, you'd think that almost all American television is wonderful, and almost all British television is awful.

nettlebed

It's odd, isn't it? I remember it being very much like that with my colleagues before I moved to the US as well.

I think that people that spout that sort of stuff ought to be deprived of all British TV and forced to subsist only on US TV for a couple of months, and see how they like it then.

dgsyd1

I think it's either a case of "the grass is greener..", the fact that a lot of the really awful US shows never get shown in the UK (although some do), or perhaps that curious self-hating "if it's British it must be bad" attitude, i've seen from a lot of Brits.
Or maybe it's all 3.

bevinva

I've said it before but I was amazed that Happy Days, Mork and Mindy, and Little House on the Praire were adult shows here. They were shown in kids hours in the UK, they also show my age.

cindyabs

Bill Bryson has mentioned in several of his books that Cagney and Lacey seemed to follow him around in the UK.

He did remark on getting a kick out of a Welsh program in Welsh that would go on and on in Wlesh until a phrase like "dirty weekend" popped out in English,

Pharrya

This is true, mind you the stuff that gets shown in the UK tends to be the best of American TV ('cept for f*%#ing 'Friends'), and although US TV can be utter dross, there is some great TV too, and that's what gets shown on UK TV, together with all the usual crap on Channel 5.

Walkingman

There are American tv shows that I like (Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Warehouse 13, etc.) and many, many more that I don't. That said, my personal taste abhors American television attempts at 'comedy' and so I spend as much time watching Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo, & the like.

Like most things, labeling the entire output of an entire country's television industry as 'crap' means you miss a lot.

Bluegrass Lass

Ewww..you like that Warehouse 13 show? It's too much like those made-for-tv movies called 'The Librarian' (with Noah Wylie) for me to like it. Only shows I'm really liking right now are The Closer, Saving Grace, Eureka, Fringe, Primeval and a few faves on HGTV. There have been very few good comedy shows lately. I really miss Will & Grace - that show was funny. The rest are crap.

Walkingman

Now that I know that I will be unable to hold my head up in public ever again. It'll have to remain under my arm.

Bluegrass Lass

LOL! As soon as I saw the previews for that show I instantly thought of The Librarian: people go trotting around the world gathering 'special' objects and bring 'em to a safe place to store them. It doesn't seem terribly original, and I do think Sci-fi...errr Syfy , does not have as good programming as they used to.

Eh, well at least you like some sci-fi which means you do like to think outside the box. So you can hold your head up somewhat hi.

Kate2112

I really miss British TV. I only get BBCA which rarely has any decent shows. I long for the day when you can catch up on BBCIPlayer and for the other channels too. I have cable and am amazed how often there is nothing worth watching.

Walkingman

Thank you! Thank you! I shall hold it in front of me and address it as Yorick.

cindyabs

Alas I knew him well.