British Television Two

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British Television Two

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1tiffin
jul 30, 2008, 11:25 am

Ok, off and running.

2digifish_books
Bewerkt: jul 31, 2008, 5:47 am

OK! :)

Lark Rise to Candleford - loved it! I have since bought the book.

Edited to add that I see the series has already been discussed in the first part of this 'British TV' thread.

Meanwhile, I'm hoping to track down the 2002 miniseries of The Forsyte Saga sometime. But I plan to read some the novels first.

3Vanye
jul 31, 2008, 1:01 am

Robin of Sherwood played on our local PBS station & i just asumed it was from the BBC. I realy like the soundtrack which is by the celtic group Clannad which is the family of Enya & she started out w/them & then went out on her own later. Anyway i like both of these series but they are very different in their style & pace. 8^)

4justifiedsinner
jul 31, 2008, 1:58 pm

I've got to say I don't think much of the current Robin Hood. I saw a trailer that I think summed it up for me. In it RH is expressing his feelings to Maid Marion. To the best of my memory he says: 'The first time I held my bow I had this feeling - and that's how I feel about you'.
Oh, for a Graham Norton parody (or maybe he's done one already I haven't been keeping up).

5tiffin
jul 31, 2008, 5:52 pm

Is that the series which went all mystical and otherworldly, with Hern the Hunter in it, et. al? I saw that yonks ago and can only remember that they changed who played Robin Hood half way through or somesuch?

6justifiedsinner
aug 2, 2008, 10:01 am

I don't think so. This was pre-new age. Deering-do, chaste Marion etc. Sort of like the Lone Ranger in tights.

7tiffin
aug 2, 2008, 12:18 pm

aha the older one! Watched it regularly when I was a sprout, along with Ivanhoe with Roger Moore. I practised for hours so I could lift one eyebrow like he did.

8Vanye
aug 2, 2008, 1:02 pm

Robin of Sherwood was the earlier series & Clannad did the soundtrack. Yes Herne the hunter was in it . I most especially remember him in a scene that was supposed to be @ Stonehenge & he carried a wounded Robin away. Marion was played by a gal w/curly red hair tho i can't recall her name right now they have a website called Robin of Sherwood that will give you plenty of info. To me that series seemed quite new-agey! 8^)

9Catgwinn
Bewerkt: aug 3, 2008, 7:21 pm

I enjoyed "The Forsyte Saga" miniseries when it was shown on PBS; I really liked Damian Lewis & Gina McKee in their respective parts.

I just finishing watching the final 3 episodes of "Foyle's War" series; liked it very much, sorry to part with the main characters.

I also enjoyed the recent production of "Bleak House" with Gillian Andersen.

10tiffin
aug 4, 2008, 9:54 am

I enjoyed that version of Bleak House too, catgwinn. By the way, I tried to reply to your message on my profile page, to thank you, but your page is private so I couldn't. Hope you see this!

11Catgwinn
Bewerkt: aug 30, 2008, 8:09 pm

Favorite, recent ( in US) British series
on PBS 'Masterpiece' 2007-08 Season:
"The Amazing Mrs Pritchard",
"The Complete Jane Austen", &
"Cranford" starring Judi Dench.

Additional favorite British series (most shown on PBS &/or Cable stations):
"Waking the Dead" , "Silent Witness",
"MI-5" (aka "Spooks"), "Inspector Morse",
"Touch of Frost", "Touching Evil",
"Prime Suspect", PD James' adaptations,
&, on a lighter note: "New Tricks".

Speaking of lighter notes: "Hustle" (delightfully 'tongue-in-cheek'),
"To The Manor Born", "Good Neighbors",
"A Fine Romance", "Good Night Sweetheart".

12PensiveCat
sep 23, 2008, 4:42 pm

I just finished watching the "Cranford" miniseries. I watched it directly after finishing the book. I didn't know they'd add plots from other novels, if that's in fact what they did. Though there were quite a few changes, in essentials it was worth watching. I love me some Judi Dench.

13digifish_books
sep 23, 2008, 6:53 pm

The 'Cranford' TV mini-series is based on three of Gaskell's books - Mr Harrison's Confessions, Cranford and My Lady Ludlow.

14PensiveCat
sep 26, 2008, 11:45 am

Good to know! When I watched the first part of the miniseries and saw Lady Ludlow's first scene, I did a "wait, what?" and thought I must not be the most attentive reader. Then I realized there were many plots that weren't from Cranford, but somehow it was okay. Would like to see them try that with Jane Austen.

15Verve
Bewerkt: nov 13, 2008, 5:49 pm

The Chronicles of Narnia, hey, not great graphics, but a lot of heart and imagination, not to mention much closer to the book (was anyone as infuriated, disappointed, and offended as I was at the recent massacres by disney?).

The Lord Peter movies (Ian Carmichael played Lord Peter with enthusiasm and vitality, and captures the essence of Lord Peter). The ones I've gotten to watch have been quite close to the book.

Campion (as in Albert Campion). Watched most of these and was exceedingly well pleased by the acting of Peter Davison in the main role. The movies had to be short, and much of my favorite dialogue was taken out, but over all, most of them so far have been quite decent.

And who can forget Doctor Who? I don't like the new ones, but greatly enjoy Doctors #1 through #6.

16kabrahamson
nov 14, 2008, 12:53 pm

Miniseries that can be easily bought for reasonable sums and are aired on PBS? No, because I like to make life difficult for myself I go for the bizarre comedy that is only issued in Region 2 format, is no longer on BBC America, and costs $75 for an import DVD set containing six 30-min episodes. It isn't truly anglophile behavior unless you've downloaded a region blind media player and are stuck watching beloved shows solely on your laptop.

Yup. I am indeed a Mighty Boosh fan. That and Russell Brand stand-up. The sobbing induced by his radio show cancellation could be heard from miles around. Free podcasts? Nooo, of course not. Spending $50 on a Ponderland series DVD it is.

17digifish_books
nov 15, 2008, 6:54 am

Anyone been watching Little Dorrit on the BBC this month...?

18Cariola
jan 30, 2009, 6:06 pm

I recently got hooked on two very diffferent Brit shows: "Black Books" and "Spooks" ("MI-5").

19beatles1964
Bewerkt: feb 2, 2009, 11:30 am

I was wondering if anyone happens to know if they ever did more than 4 Seasons of the BritCom, COUPLING. I've been hoping they made more than the 4 Seasons of the show but they just haven't come Across the Pond, yet. I already own Seasons 1-4 of Coupling and would like to get the rest of the Series if there is anything else.

Also has the Soap Opera East Enders ever made it to DVD yet?

Tar,

Beatles1964

20andyl
feb 2, 2009, 11:47 am

Coupling only had 4 series AFAIK. Moffat of course moved on to bigger and better things.

I don't think the soaps ('stenders, Corrie, Emmerdale etc) get DVDs - they are seen as disposable, having multiple episodes a week.

21beatles1964
feb 2, 2009, 11:55 am

Thanks, andyl. What a shame they didn't do more than 4 Seasons of Coupling. I just love that show and laugh myself hysterical whenever I watch them. What a pity the American version of Coupling was such a flop. I think it might've fared better if they had left the original British Cast and jokes in it instead of trying to Americanize it for U.S. Viewers.

Beatles1964

22Vanye
feb 2, 2009, 2:43 pm

Thought that there was to be a new season of 'Robin Hood' on BBC America, but of course considering how they ended last season i've not the foggiest how they would go about doing that! I liked 'Primeval' & will watch the next season when it comes on. I am really enjoying the series 'New Tricks' which is running on our PBS channel as are 'The Vicar of Dibly' & 'To The Manor Born' but right now they are not showing 'As Time Goes By' which is another of my favs. I have watched a couple of episodes of 'Dr. No' but they are in the middle of the season now so can't quite catch the thread of the story. I do not watch any series on American Network TV anymore as they are just too formulaic not to mention juvenile, & a lot have an overdose of violence & gore just to grab the segments of the audience who crave that sort of fare. I do watch some of the real 'reality' shows on cable channels i.e. Discovery's 'Dirty Jobs' & 'Myth Busters'. I also really love 'The Naked Archeologist'.

I watch the BBC America News every weekday-a whole hour of news that gives you much more of a global view than the half hour network shows ever do. I would watch BBC news were it available here.8^)

23Cariola
feb 2, 2009, 3:11 pm

>22 Vanye: There will indeed be a Season 3 of Robin Hood; look for some remorse to change Guy of Gisborne. But this will probably be the last season, since the actor playing Robin is leaving and Richard Armitage is tied up with MI-5 and other projects. I don't think that it will start in the US until spring (like April).

24Catgwinn
feb 7, 2009, 5:08 pm

#18 & #23: Cariola, re MI-5 (AKA "Spooks")...my local PBS station recently started re-airing "MI-5" at 10:00pm(Central) Thursdays, starting with season one. I originally watched most of the"MI-5" episodes that were made when it aired on A&E Network. I think that BBC recently bought "Spooks/MI-5" from whomever originally produced the series...haven't heard whether there are to be additional episodes/seasons made by BBC.

#22: Vanye, I also enjoyed "New Tricks" when my local PBS station was showing it. Also like "As Time Goes By" (still being re-run on my PBS station) and enjoyed "To The Manor Born" when it aired.

Another fun British show is "Hustle"...don't know if new episodes have been made in the UK.

25Cariola
feb 7, 2009, 10:59 pm

>24 Catgwinn: I watched Season 7 of Spooks on YouTube, and I'm pretty sure they are planning a Season 8. Our "local" (DC--it's a good 120 miles away) PBS channel is also playing Season 1. I just finished Season 4 on DVD. Good stories, but the show is suffering from the departure of three main characters in the previous season. Hope Season 5 (up next) is better.

26andyl
feb 8, 2009, 3:41 am

#24

Oh yes. Hustle is currently on series 5 which is nearly at the end of its initial run. Each series is 6 episodes long. I don't know how many you have seen in the US.

27GirlFromIpanema
feb 19, 2009, 5:36 am

"watched Season 7 of Spooks on YouTube"

Oh, you too? I had to do with the poster on another forum, and she peddled "this British spy series" to me... --hook, line and sinker. :-D
I think season 7 is not the worst introduction to Spooks. Favourite quote: "Shut down the Internet!" -s7,ep3 I think. ;-)

28Cariola
feb 19, 2009, 8:32 am

>27 GirlFromIpanema: Richard Armitage is a great addition to the cast.

29Catgwinn
feb 19, 2009, 8:07 pm

26...andy1
I've watched seasons 1-4 of "Hustle", I imagine Season 5 will air in US this summer (previous seasons have been shown here the summer after they aired in the UK). I liked season 4 less than seasins 1-3, missed the Adrian Lester character 'Mickey Stone. I see from the "Hustle" website that Adrian Lester is back, but 2 new characters have been added to replace 2 other actors from the original cast.

30Vanye
feb 19, 2009, 8:41 pm

Am on a Cadfael binge right now-watching the DVDs from the library. Just read one of the books (in large print) that was not made into a TV drama An Excellent Mystery & loved it. Now on a quest to acquire the books for my own library as i have only 2 of them thus far The Rose Rent & A Rare Benedictine. Love that Cadfael! Ordinarilly i'm not a big mystery lover but with all the history & atmosphere in the Cadfael series i'm totally hooked. 8^)

31justifiedsinner
feb 19, 2009, 10:39 pm

Two of Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart mysteries where on PBS a while ago. I felt they rather rushed through the plot but it did make me want to read the books. Interesting to see Billie Piper in something other than Doctor Who.

32GirlFromIpanema
Bewerkt: feb 20, 2009, 5:11 am

#28: "Richard Armitage is a great addition to the cast."

Well, they need to bring in new people if they are going to kill off personnel at the current rate *eg*. But yes, an interesting character, I just wished they had done more with it (such a great background story, but they hardly ever alluded to it). All in all, it seems they are trying to "reboot" the series.

33andyl
feb 20, 2009, 4:44 am

#29

Don't worry, season 5 was much better than season 4.

34Cariola
feb 20, 2009, 9:15 am

>32 GirlFromIpanema: I think they intentionally left the back story murky. They seem to be revealing it by bits and pieces and weaving it into the plot as the series progresses.

I wonder if the new cast members (and contracts with continuing members) cost them so much that they had to scale back to eight episodes.

35Catgwinn
Bewerkt: mrt 28, 2009, 5:40 pm

It's good to know "Hustle" Season 5 is better;
I look forward to "Hustle's" return (to US TV) this summer.

36Catgwinn
mrt 24, 2009, 7:21 pm

I'm looking forward to watching PBS' "Masterpiece Classic" 5-part adaptation of Dickens' "Little Dorrit".
They have already aired a new version of "Oliver Twist" and an encore of "David Copperfield" (with Daniel Radcliff, which I've taped but not yet watched. (Like most Masterpiece Classic presentations, they were produced in England.)

37andyl
mrt 25, 2009, 5:27 am

#36

Little Dorrit was on the BBC last year. It is a BBC/WGBH co-production with the BBC pretty much doing nearly all of it (WGBH only had an exec producer ISTR).

38soniaandree
Bewerkt: mrt 25, 2009, 5:43 am

Hello folks! You should try the series called 'Black Books' (3 series only), with Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey and Tamsin Craig. You also get some visits, like Simon Pegg, etc. You'll never have your usual book-buying experience again.

Then, the series 'Spaced', with Simon Pegg and Jessica Stev(ph)enson, should get you going if you're in need of an English landlady in London.

Only one series besides these two should be able to give you more than a whiff of pure Englishness: 'A bit of Fry and Laurie' by (and with) Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

The three series come highly recommended, of course! ;-)

39Catgwinn
apr 19, 2009, 7:42 pm

#37

I believe WGBH Boston acts as kind of a distributer for BBC produced "Masterpiece Classics" for PBS.
"Little Dorritt" part 4 airs tonight on PBS, the conclusion (part 5) airs next Sunday.
On May 3, "The Old Curiosity Shop" (90 min) finishes PBS Masterpiece Classics Dickens' series.

40beatles1964
apr 20, 2009, 7:49 am

I recently started getting BBC America and was wondering about the show called, Ashes To Ashes. I was wondering if it's supposed to be like The X-Files or Special Unit2 or even something else like those other shows. I haven't been able to watch a complete epsiode yet. How long did Ashes To Ashes run and are they available on DVD yet? Can someone Please explain to me what Ashes To Ashes is supposed to be about? I get that it's supposed to some kind of a Cop show that has Supernautural things happening all the time, right?

Beatles1964

41andyl
apr 20, 2009, 8:03 am

#40

Ashes To Ashes is just starting its second series tonight on BBC1. Both series are 8 episodes long.

It is a direct follow-on from Life On Mars and features what could possibly a time-slip style story just like Life On Mars. I don't think that there were any supernatural things just the oddity of being out of time.

42beatles1964
Bewerkt: apr 20, 2009, 9:08 am

OK, Thanks for clearing that up for me andyl. So thnigs are happening that are totally out of sequence that shouldn't have happened in the first place and the Cops have to figure out the reasons why it happened? Can I buy Season on DVD?

Beatles1964

43andyl
apr 20, 2009, 9:49 am

#42

Possibly they leave the interpretation open. There is an overall arc where the detective from the future Alex is trying to work out what happened to her family (she was an orphan).

There is a region 2 DVD available from amazon.co.uk so you will need a region-free / multi-region DVD player.

44amarie
apr 20, 2009, 1:29 pm

Ashes to Ashes is stellar sequel as mentioned to Life on Mars which also had a character maybe in a coma wanting to solve a mystery in their own life. I am quite enjoying just seeing the character Gene Hunt again. It's funny that at least on BBC America they have started subtitling him (and him alone) so I guess we can understand him "across the pond." Although if you turn on closed captioning you can also learn the titles of the retro songs that are featured.

45Catgwinn
apr 20, 2009, 5:57 pm

Just wondering...Is the British version of "Life On Mars" still in production?
I've enjoyed the US adaptation, but it has NOT been renewed for Fall '09.
I've read about "Ashes To Ashes" but haven't seen it (or the British "Life on Mars"). BBC America is available with my cable TV service, but I would need to upgrade to the next "tier" & cannot justify the added cost at this time.

46andyl
apr 21, 2009, 3:42 am

Life On Mars was just the two series.

47Catgwinn
apr 26, 2009, 5:47 pm

What I'll miss the most from "Life On Mars"(US) is Jason O'Mara. From his IMDb.com information I see that he was in several British TV series over the years. He has had memorable guest roles on several recent US series in addition to his lead roles in "The Agency" and "Life On Mars".

48digifish_books
mei 6, 2009, 12:05 am

On the non-fiction side, I really enjoyed seeing the BBC's 'Oz and James Big Wine Adventure' series and 'Oz and James Drink to Britain' recently. James May is hilarious :D

49Rach974923
mei 6, 2009, 4:13 am

James May is fab. Top Gear also brilliant. I love it despite it being about cars!

50Catgwinn
Bewerkt: mei 17, 2009, 6:27 pm

In the US, PBS "Masterpiece Mystery" has started the Summer 2009 offerings, all British productions BTW:
"Wallander" Series I (3 episodes), "Foyles War" (2 encore episodes from Series V; the final episodes for the whole series), Six Agatha Christie stories 2 "Poirot" and 4 "Miss Marple" (with a 3rd actress, Julie McKenzie, as Miss Marple), and "Inspector Lewis" Series I (encores 2 eps) and Series II (4 new stories).

51lesezeichen
Bewerkt: mei 18, 2009, 1:51 am

#50: actually there will be 3 new episodes of Foyles War (series 7 in the UK and series 6 in the US) which are currently being filmed and which will take place in the months after VE day, here's the proof ;-)

52Cariola
mei 18, 2009, 2:59 am

I just got series 1 of 'Foyle's War' on the recommendation of an LT friend. If it's in the 7th season, it must be pretty good.

Not entralled with 'Wallender'.

53lesezeichen
Bewerkt: mei 18, 2009, 11:34 am

It’s the best ;-)

Actually Foyle's War WAS supposed to end after season 5/6 because it had got cancelled by some idiot at ITV in spite of its great popularity with critics and public alike. But this decision was met with a huge “public uproar”. This and its surprising popularity across the pond (along with the $$$$$ that implies) has led to FW being recomissioned... :)

54lauralkeet
mei 18, 2009, 9:02 am

>52 Cariola:: Cariola, I'm not enthralled with Wallender either. It's well done, but too much gore for my taste. Bring on Foyle!

55Catgwinn
mei 18, 2009, 7:20 pm

#51 That's good to learn that 3 additional "Foyle's War" episodes are in production..They will probably be show on PBS the summer of 2010.
In the meantime, for this summer, 2009 PBS is only airing 2 encore episodes from "Foyle's War V".

56ashduffy
jun 24, 2009, 1:43 pm

I can't reccomend the original BBC series State Of Play highly enough. I know they've recently made a film version in the states. I've not seen it yet but I hear it isn't a patch on the original. Try to get hold of it if you can.

57amarie
jun 24, 2009, 6:12 pm

>56 ashduffy: I saw the U.S. film version and thought it very good quality. The story was interesting and the acting was great. A good example of a grown-up movie about real issues--an endangered species almost. I am still going to see the original British version though, in fact I received it from Netflix just this week!

I also noticed that on DirecTV BBC America is going High-Definition (HD) on July 20th. Huzzah!!!

58Cariola
jun 24, 2009, 7:33 pm

57> Now if only they would start showing GOOD British TV on that channel instead of all those crappy 'reality' shows . . . how much can you take of "Don't Tell the Bride," "Hotel Inspectors," "Britain's Worst Teeth," "Gordon Ramsey's F Word," and How Clean Is Your House?"

Where is Robin Hood Season 3? I sent them an email and all they could say was that they do not have it but hope to show it sometime in 2009.

59avaland
feb 19, 2010, 9:37 am

re: The Dalziel & Pascoe series. Does anyone know how many seasons this was?

We've bought seasons 3 through 6 (Dutch packaging and menu but once you turn the subtitles off there's really no difference; and you must have a region-free DVD player) and I'm not sure any more are available. Turns out, I remember seeing some of Season five and I was a little disappointed with both seasons 5 & 6 as the episodes seemed to become more insular. Pascoe is living with Dalziel and many of the episodes had roots in Dalziel's past (old cases or old girlfriends). I don't mind them straying from the books (I'm not a purist*) but I do want a decent police procedural!

*I understand that books and television are two very different mediums and usually I do not try to compare the two. Still, I have to say, the books are better:-) Sometimes the show captures it and sometimes it doesn't.

60andyl
feb 19, 2010, 10:14 am

There has been 12 series according to wikipedia - but I wasn't counting when I watched them on telly. Some of the later stories are better than the mid period stories.

61beatles1964
Bewerkt: feb 25, 2010, 2:49 pm

I've been trying to remember the name of the show from BBC America about a vampire, werewolf and a ghost living together. I enjoyed watching it and was wondering if and when it's coming back on again.

I know there's some episodes I missed and would love to be able to catch them. Does anyone out there happen to remember the name of the show I'm talking about and is it on DVD right now? or possibly coming out sometime in the near future? How many episodes did they make? Also does anyone remember a short-lived TV Series called She-Wolf of London? I used to watch it in the 80s or 90s on the Sci-Fi Channel at the time and as far as I know it's never been on DVD.

Beatles1964

62beatles1964
feb 24, 2010, 2:00 pm

I just went to Wikipedia and found out some great news about the show. She-Wolf of London ran from October 1990 to April 1991 with 20 episodes in all. Season one had been shot in England with 14 episodes until the She-Wolf of London title then in season 2 the series was shot in Los Angeles with 6 episodes under the title Love and Curses. And that it was just released on DVD on February 2nd. I think I'll have to see if I can find a copy somewhere and pick it up to add to my DVD Library.

Beatles1964

63Cariola
feb 24, 2010, 2:16 pm

Dit bericht is door zijn auteur gewist.

64andyl
feb 24, 2010, 2:47 pm

The vampire, werewolf and ghost thing is called Being Human - there is a BBC web page for it http://www.bbc.co.uk/beinghuman/ and the second series is currently being shown in the UK.

There was a pilot which was shown on TV then the first series which was 6 episodes. The second series is 8 episodes.

The first series is on DVD (region 2 and 4 - so not North America).

Apparently Syfy are doing an American version of the show.

65Cariola
feb 24, 2010, 4:01 pm

Dit bericht is door zijn auteur gewist.

66avaland
feb 25, 2010, 9:27 am

>60 andyl: Thanks, Andy. I'll have to search around to see if I can pick up some of the later seasons then.

67beatles1964
feb 25, 2010, 2:47 pm

Thanks andyl that's the show I was talking about. I just couldn't think of the name. Well what I could do is what for BBC America to repeat the episodes and then video tape them at least I'd have them to watch anytime I want to which

68beatles1964
Bewerkt: feb 25, 2010, 2:48 pm

Thanks andyl that's the show I was talking about. I just couldn't think of the name. Well what I could do is what for BBC America to repeat the episodes and then video tape them at least I'd have them to watch anytime I want to which is proably my best option until they start selling them here in the States.

Beatles1964

69avaland
mrt 9, 2010, 12:03 pm

>59 avaland:, 60, 66 Thanks again, Andy. After a bit of browsing on the web, I found season 7 being newly released from a Belgian company, so I've bought it from Mediadis.com (much more economical than the previous 4 seasons via a US company called Da Vee Dee, which specializes in foreign films). Addiction is a terrible thing.

I think I found someone selling the various seasons on sell.com, but it sounds like self-made DVDs from television recordings (thus pirated copies). Kind of weird.

70avaland
okt 16, 2010, 3:23 pm

Recently we tried to watch an Alan Partridge series. Sadly, we didn't find it funny.

71lauralkeet
okt 16, 2010, 3:52 pm

>70 avaland:: oh, that's a shame. We loved it.

72Cariola
Bewerkt: okt 16, 2010, 11:15 pm

I just back-scanned this thread and was really surprised that no one (including me) mentioned the wonderful serie 'Doc Martin.' I first saw it when I was in the UK a few years ago, then got the DVDs from Netflix. Now many PBS stations are running it--I get five PBS stations, and it is running at different times on three of them.

The series is set in Portwenn, a fictional Cornish fishing village (lots of great scenery in the show!). The main character is the stuffy Dr. Martin Ellingham, a former London surgeon who just got the post as GP in Portwenn; he had to leave surgery when he developed a blood phobia. The town is full of quirky, charming characters. It's a little like a UK version of 'Northern Exposure' melding with 'House.' If your local station is broadcasting 'Doc Martin' or if you get Netflix, give it a try. You'll be hooked!

73lauralkeet
okt 17, 2010, 6:24 am

>72 Cariola:: We recently discovered it also thanks to it being picked up by PBS. I'd never heard of it. You said, It's a little like a UK version of 'Northern Exposure' melding with 'House.' Our take was It's 'All Creatures Great and Small' with people ... in Cornwall .... But despite the similarities it was enjoyable.

74Booksloth
okt 17, 2010, 7:17 am

Those who love books and British TV might be interested to know that the dramatisation of Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth started last night on Channel 4. Can't comment yet as my recording didn't work and I'm now desperately searching for the repeat.

Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White is also due sometime this winter (not sure which channel, maybe BBC2?)

75Cariola
okt 17, 2010, 12:36 pm

74> Loved Pillars of the Earth! It ran here in the US last month; it's also available on Netflix, both for rental and for instant play.

76IFish
okt 17, 2010, 6:42 pm

The best police proedural on Uk TV was Frost with David Jason .Also Morse with John Thaw The trouble now with TV is we have quantity rather quality in the UK

77Booksloth
Bewerkt: okt 18, 2010, 3:32 am

#75 I found it on catch-up yesterday and so far I'm fairly impressed (and deeply in love with Rufus Sewell who has been pushing my buttons since Middlemarch and Cold Comfort Farm). I'd thought it was a Ch4 production but I was wrong.

#76 I don't think you could call it 'police procedural', more 'police psychology' but my favourite has to be Cracker. I recently bought the DVD boxed set and was pleasantly surprised at how little it's aged.

Ed for typos

78thorold
okt 18, 2010, 5:19 am

>73 lauralkeet:
I only watched a couple of episodes, but it struck me more like a medical version of The vicar of Dibley...

>76 IFish:
Morse was great, of course, and even the spin-off, Lewis, wasn't bad. I thought Frost was very well-written, but I've never really acquired a taste for David Jason.

I've been watching the latest series of Spooks, which seems to bear out your comment about poor quality British TV. The actors aren't bad, but the scripts are absolutely dire.

79avaland
okt 20, 2010, 9:11 pm

>71 lauralkeet: nope, it just didn't do anything for us.

>77 Booksloth: my buttons too! Did you see him in 17th century Italian costuming in "Dangerous Beauty" or in "Dark City"?

>73 lauralkeet: I believe amanda is hooked on it should you want to consult:-)

>76 IFish: Agreed, Morse was great but I don't think it was any better than some of the other police procedural series that has come out since.

80Booksloth
okt 21, 2010, 5:47 am

#79 I didn't, avaland, but you can bet your life I'm gonna! Thanks for the tip off.

81Cariola
okt 21, 2010, 4:37 pm

#77 He was also pretty adorable in the updated version of The Taming of the Shrew ("ShakespeaRe-Told").

82Booksloth
okt 22, 2010, 5:59 am

#81 Oh stop . . . STOP!!! I can't take any more! I do recall something about him having been in The Taming of the Shrew but I never saw it because it's the one Shakey play I really can't stand. Now I'm starting to think maybe I should track down a copy and just ff to the Rufus bits.

83thorold
okt 22, 2010, 7:40 am

>81 Cariola:,82
The old Jonathan Miller/John Cleese version from the super-low-budget BBC Shakespeare series (all shot in a studio with one camera and wobbly scenery, and strict instructions not to do anything that would scare conservative Americans) is quite a classic too.

84Cariola
okt 22, 2010, 9:19 am

82> Don't be afraid! When I said this was "updated," that includes some tweaking of the plot as well as using today's English. Katherine is an up-and-coming politician who is told that she needs a husband to make her more electable.

85Booksloth
okt 23, 2010, 5:10 am

#84 That actually sounds quite interesting. I probably won't go so far as to track it down but if it comes along I'll be sure to watch (if only to drool).

86avaland
okt 24, 2010, 7:58 pm

>82 Booksloth: Here's a trailer for "Dangerous Beauty" http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2829058329/ Lousy copy, it seems but you get the idea:-)

87Booksloth
okt 25, 2010, 7:09 am

#86 Oh boy! Off for a cold shower . . .

88lauralkeet
okt 25, 2010, 7:40 am

I absolutely loved the new Sherlock Holmes adaptation, which aired on PBS Masterpiece Mystery last night. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (the latter, incidentally, was just cast as Bilbo Baggins in the Peter Jackson film of The Hobbit).

Anyway, Holmes & Watson were great fun and I'm looking forward to more of this series.

89avaland
okt 26, 2010, 5:13 pm

90justifiedsinner
okt 27, 2010, 11:43 am

Just saw "Sherlock" on PBS last night - sharp and funny, a welcome re-imagining of the series.