TV Exchange Student: British Shows Americans Need To See
As Rob mentioned last week, he and I at one point had a discussion about good television shows that are oft missed by the masses because they are shown (almost) exclusively in other countries. Last week, Rob shared with us some US and AU shows that Brits simply must see. This week, I thought I would share some of my favorite British shows that every Yank (that’s us, Americans!) should watch at least once. Of course, I’m going to exclude shows like Doctor Who and a few others because, well, they are quite obvious – and must-see shows like Doctor Who, Misfits, Top Gear, and Merlin are available through traditional means for US viewers.
The IT Crowd
I know I said I’d forego obvious telly choices, but a few of my friends haven’t seen or heard of this show, so I felt like it was important to add it to the list. If you like the US show The Big Bang Theory, then The IT Crowd is right up your alley. Roy Trenneman (Chris O’Dowd) and Maurice Moss are losers! Nerds! That’s right, they’re IT guys! Roy and Moss get into plenty of shenanigans, with little to no help from their supervisor, Jen Barber (Katherine Parkinson) who finagled her way into the job by claiming to have “a lot of experience with computers” when really, she knows nothing about them. The IT Crowd is available for viewing on Netflix.
Extras
Dan and I were just having a discussion about the Sir Patrick Stewart episode of Extras a few days ago. A fantastic comedy, Extras is the story of struggling actor Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais). Andy is a television and movie extra that is desperate to become a legitimate actor. One of the best parts of the show is the cadre of celebrities that guest star on the show, playing warped and over-exaggerated versions of themselves. Some of these actors include Daniel Radcliffe, Orlando Bloom, and Sir Patrick Stewart, just to name a few.
Law & Order: UK
All right, all right. I know what you’re thinking: we invented Law & Order! Why would we want to watch the UK version? Simple answer: it’s freaking awesome. Based in London, Law & Order UK follows the same episode format as its American counterparts, but it’s British, so it’s better. It’s also a very fascinating look into the British legal system; undoubtedly things are stretched out and “glamored” a bit as they are with the American versions, but it’s interesting nonetheless. It also stars Jamie Bamber of Battlestar Galactica fame as Junior Detective Matt Devlin. What’s not to love? Now, to be fair, the first season of Law & Order: UK is shown on BBC America, but that’s just a taste of what’s out there.
That Mitchell and Webb Look
Along the lines shows like Little Britain and A Bit of Fry & Laurie, That Mitchell and Webb Look is a comedy sketch series with a lot of great, random bits. My favorites revolve around Sir Digby Chicken Caesar, a homeless drunkard who solves mysteries a la Sherlock Holmes… but not really.
There are really loads of television shows that come from Britain that I think are worth watching (which means stay tuned for a possible future part 2!), but if you haven’t seen these shows, they’re well worth checking out.
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