Way off topic,but curious.

[Ty Marcucci]

This is to our friends in the UK.. About 5 or 6  years ago my wife subscribed to "Brit Box" and we have never laughed so hard or enjoyed such mysteries, etc.  "Doc Martin" and "Manhunt", etc. Tonight we watched about the 15th show of "QI".  "Shetlands", "Sherwood", "Fawlty Towers:, "Keeping Up Appearances", "Are you Being Served?".  All great comedy or mystery, many based on real incidents.
Just curious if you watch Yank TV and why.  It sucks compared to yours.

We also get some great ones out of Australia and New Zealand.

[Craig Beswick]

Yep, UK TV is the best! IMO.

Craig

[GERALD WIMMER]

Hello from New Zealand. We cut off our TV aerial 23 years ago as it was all sport or too political and prefer to watch You Tube documentaries , videos or DVD's.
My favorite is the 1970's - 80's UK comedy , like the Two Ronnies, Dad's Army and Dave Allen but I like a lot of old US stuff like first generation Star Trek , The Invaders, Night Gallery and the old Twilight Zone . The whole family doesn't care a lot for modern or current programing.
Favorite aviation was the Great Planes series of documentaries by AVI

Regards Gerald

[John Carrodus]

Gerald, Craig- oh comon ! Get with it men. US TV is great. As Will Rogers once said, " I don't make jokes, I observe the government and merely report the facts!"  LL~Billions, House of cards, The Black List ...all excellent dramas in their own right. Then there's all the political stuff - like you couldn't make that stuff up.

[Craig Beswick]

Who's Will Rogers?
John, some of us were born in the 20th century, not the 19th!
Trouble with the political stuff today is it's too real and depressing.
Never said there weren't any good programmes just British ones I find more appealing.

Now, go back to counting your flock John! Bahahahaha 🤣 🤣 🤣.

[Jim Svitko]

Some of the best TV and movies I have seen have been done in places like the UK.  Mysteries were the best.

I rarely watch any "modern" TV from the U. S. anymore.  That goes for movies as well.  Everything has been "dumbed down."  Old shows like Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock, Perry Mason, would never succeed today as they were too cerebral for today's audiences.

However, at times, some of the younger generations discover these old shows and find them entertaining.  But, few are willing to sit for 30 to 60 minutes, without any crashes, shootings, explosions, etc. just to watch that last minute to get to the punch line.  People like Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Serling, were experts at that.   Held your attention and then gave you that knockout punch that made it all worthwhile.

The last good U. S. comedy series I watched was Married with Children.  Everything was way over the top but still entertaining.  Poor Al Bundy.  Nothing ever worked out for him.

[PerttiMe]

UK TV?
For comedy 'Allo 'Allo!
For detective stories: Hercule Poirot

[John Park]

Just to get things right, it's 'Doc Martin' (not 'Dog') and 'Fawlty Towers' (not 'Faulty').  Only twelve episodes of the latter were ever made, but they were so good that they've stood repetition over and over again and nobody gets tired of them - they're packed full of subtle touches of humour that you've missed the first time round, or forgotten, or simply love to watch again.  John Cleese's surname, by the way, is really 'Cheese' - no wonder he changed it!

[Perry Rose]

None of the above can hold a candle to "Mrs. Brown's Boys". Brit Box, You Tube.

[Steve Helmick]

Big fan of "Secret Agent Man" (AKA "Danger Man") with (the late) Patrick McGoohan. Theme "Secret Agent Man" by Johnny Rivers was awesome. Also watched "The Two Ronnies" and Alfred Hitchcock faithfully. Didn't care for Monty Python and some others we got on 'Murican TV. 

We've had some great American sit-coms also. "All in the Family", "MASH", "Cheers", "Fraser", and "Married With Children" were awesome.    Steve

[Steve Fitton]

The problem with the brit shows is that by now every person in the UK should have been murdered if their detective shows are any indication.
I'm partial to "Foyle's War" if we are commenting on those sort of shows.

[John Carrodus]

Craig Beswick
Will Rogers was a US senator, I , as was TV came into this world in the 20th century, obviously unlike the Australian School system.  Comon mate, fair suc of the sav Skippy

[Craig Beswick]

No good John, your comeback took too long. Wrecked! Haha 😄
I was referring to when you were born not when television started!
Now back to the flock John.

[John Park]

The problem with the brit shows is that by now every person in the UK should have been murdered if their detective shows are any indication.
I'm partial to "Foyle's War" if we are commenting on those sort of shows.

You are so right!  Midsomer Murders is the classic example.  Foyle's War is a favourite of mine too - so much so that I can forgive the occasional anachronism (how Foyle's son must have loved flying a Spitfire 9, 20mm. cannon and all, in the Battle of Britain!).

[Mark Mc]

Craig Beswick
Will Rogers was a US senator,

I can understand how you could think that, as Will Rogers was a Vaudeville performer...

[Will Hinton]

Actually, his son, Will Rogers JR was elected to congress.  His wikepedia account is very long, but also very interesting if you have half an hour to spare.

[Air Ministry]

In newzealand we got f Troop , pettycoat junction , lotta cartoons , stingray , and a really wierd jap short shinto one , and I think , later , this .

[Air Ministry]

[Air Ministry]

[PerttiMe]

[Air Ministry]

[Air Ministry]

This one was the most realistic programe ! But NZ got TV in 68 , and went from all the kids being outdoors till sundown , everyone speaking , or yelling across the valley ,
to stuff all , in a year . and only a few , going to someones house , to watch T V , the second year . so general social disposition of the district destroyed !




Our district was a bit like that ( W I D E    O P E N   S P A C E S  ) , but the townies have taken over now . Its Kaput .

[Air Ministry]

How do you get a Clock to Run Backwards . ?


S'bout 1940 ?



Theres a turd on the point , now .



You wouldnt want to swim in it . though you still got the fish in that corner on a spring tide at night , this century .
Some rissole removed the steping stones across the tidal flat , that been there allways . Progress . Snot nose's .

[Air Ministry]

RIGHT . What was the Question ! . 

[John Hammonds]

Bit late to the party (As usual). But as a Brit I'll comment.

I think TV generally has gone downhill over the last 25 years or so. So much stuff from the 70's through to the late 90's would get the "Woke brigade" choking on their oatmeal latte.

I watched both US and UK stuff growing up, "Casey Jones", "Sgt Bilko". "Big Bang" was great and very clever for the 1st few seasons, likewise "Friends", but all too soon the cast became charactertures of the original lineup and the jokes although in a different "Wrapper" were repeated time after time. This might placate those with a short attention span but it offends of us those with at least some intelligence. "Mash" was a classic as was "Twilight Zone", "Star Trek", "Cheers" also. I thought "The Invaders" and "The Fugitive" became a bit repetitive though.

Brit humour.. I can recommend "One foot in the Grave". I used to think it was a Sitcom but as the years have passed I now realise it more of a documentary and I have morphed into Victor Meldrew. "Only Fools and Horses"... Search for the chandelier and Bar room sketch on Youtube. Alf Garnett was brilliant Thanks for the link Air Ministry, I spat in my coffee. classic.. But today's audience don't understand irony and prefer to exercise their right to be offended. "Love Thy Neighbour" and "Rising Damp" suffered the same fate. Even Benny Hill with its slapstick humour was re labelled as sexist and offensive. (Despite "Hills Angels" saying The mere thought was ridiculous).

The main reason why TV (Both US and UK) is so S***E is down to all the "Snowflakes" who seem to control our lives. who would want to be a comedian today? The days of Bernard Manning, Chubby Brown. and Jim Davidson (UK Comedians) is but a dim and distant memory and the ability to laugh at ourselves (And with others) is now considered offensive to <Insert your ethnic minority/sexual persuasion here>. Jeff Dunham though continues to make me laugh.

[EDIT] Oh, nearly forgot.... "Two Pints of Lager and a packets of Crisps". Not to be missed.... Also the film "East is East". The subtlety might be lost on a US audience but so true to life..[/EDIT]

Its not just comedy. Even factual (Or supposedly factual) programs have to waffle stuff just to keep those with the attention span of a gnat engaged. 

TTFN
John.

[Dennis Saydak]

What? No Mr. Bean fans here 
He's funny but kind of way "over the top"

[De Hill]

Last of the summer wine - Splendid !

[Brian Hampton]

Briefly mentioned by Ty in the first post was Fawlty Towers starring John Cleese and, IMO, the funniest series ever to come out of the UK. Only 12 episodes but they never get old . Closely following FT would be Black Adder with Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean).

[John Hammonds]

American Comedy, Alive and Kicking.....


I love this guy.

TTFN
John.

[Brett Buck]

1980's ABC  >> summation of BritBox. Vis:



    Brett