British and Irish TV recommendation and discussion

I would, but it's a local town for local people.

A couple more I should've mentioned.

Outnumbered: The last series is currently going out (was on tonight which is what reminded me) of this wonderfully funny family comedy about two middle class parents and their three children. While there's some improv, it's the winning combination of script and performance from everyone, as well as some good supporting/reoccurring characters which make this so good. Just to try and quell any worries anyone may have when they see "children" included, the kids are uniformly great. I think the youngest child is my favourite character.

The New Statesman: Political comedy, far more heavy on the comedy than the politics, but a wonderful, only slightly exaggerated IMO, take on 80's greed, yuppies and Thatcher's Britain. Think Richard III meets Yes, Minister.

Derek: There's only one series of this, atm, I think another is made this year, but it's a wonderful, gentle and, damn it, a beautiful piece of work by Ricky Gervais. Yes, Ricky Gervais. Ricky plays Derek, a slow/retarded/simple/whatever man who works at an old people's home. The strange thing is, regardless of what you're currently thinking now you've read that, I'm sure it's nothing like the programme actually is. I think it's amazing.

Bottom: If you like/liked The Young Ones then Bottom may well be your thing, too. Live action cartoon violence about 2 roommates and friends and they're desperate attempts to get laid and/or drunk. Only one of which they do successfully. If you like this, try and find Filthy, Rich and Catflap which, from memory, was an earlier, more cynical version about showbiz.

Phoenix Nights: I'm not sure this travels well to the South of England, let alone outside these isles. However, I'm a southerner and I love it.

Time, Gentlemen Please: Al Murray's Pub Landlord character squeezed into a tv series.

The Thin Blue Line: This is a bit of a love it/hate it series. I love it, but I know plenty of people for whom it's far too twee and middle class. Which may seem an odd thing to say about a comedy set in a police station, but I can understand they're point completely.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

This thread is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Very informative stuff, guys. My watchlist is already massive, so this is like pouring buckets of water into the ocean.

Derek is indeed great.

I love the anarchic comedy in The Young Ones and Bottom too. They still make me laugh thinking about them. I like the Royle Family as well - reminds me of bits of my family....

Took me a while to get into The Office, but got there in the end. I liked Extras http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0445114/

Tacitus mentioned Coronation Street. Honestly I loved that programme for years and years, sometimes it was the funniest thing on TV , specially when Stan and Hilda were still on, and Elsie Tanner got a cob on about something and tore the back out of someone. Many, many great characters in the programme over the years, it's a shadow of itself now I think. Too much trying to keep up with Eastenders.

Honourable mention to the late Brookside, brilliant at the beginning, daft by the end

Has anyone mentioned Green Wing yet?

Yes, I put in on my long list of 'great' comedies I don't like.

WT, I'm so pleased to see that you've both seen and approve of Derek.

There was quite a few good secret agent series back in the 60s I used to watch with me dad.

Dangerman starring Patrick McGoohan involved an secret agent shenanigans during the Cold War when the Cold War was still on

The Prisoner justly cult tv, with McGoohan again

The Avengers another cult tv, a lot of trippy episodes. John Steed always looking pleased with himself and who wouldn't be with assistants as shapely as that. Well regarded by us girls at the time for having women who could fight rather than run away and fall over their high heels.

The Champions we loved this to bits as kids. The source of much reenactment with me playing Sharron - sophisticated and elegant just like me , and my middle brother being Craig the handsome one, and my little brother beaten into playing Richard the er, not so handsome one . The storyline was great in The Champions, they had special powers given to them when their plane crashed . They fight for world justice for an organisation called Nemesis


Callan this was very good. Edward Woodward as a world weary agent for British Intelligence, played out in a murky world of espionage

we used to like another one called Department S but I have a feeling it might be terribly dated

oh I just remembered Randall and Hopkirk Deceased a perfect piece of tv with the two private eyes working together to solve cases axcept one of them is a ghost

sorry but these are probably just for reminiscing, but it's nice to put them out there

I was trying to think of something local to me considering so many people here consider themselves British (in the words of Francis Urquhart, I could not possibly comment - see, you even get a House of Games reference!) but it's thin on the ground.

The only things I can wholeheartedly recommend are Graham Reid's Billy plays, which were aired in the early 80s. You're a better MoFo than I if you can track them down as Ken Branagh has been trying to get a DVD release for years. YouTube, though...

Classic TV plays though, and I'd call them 'of their time' rather than dated. Of course, I'd also call my old mucker and ex-Surrey cricketer David Ward 'unconventionally attractive'.

I agree with HK in that it's so hard to recommend comedy shows. You can talk all you like about script, shooting and performance but if it didn't make you laugh than it's as useless as a no-armed one-armed bandit.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

Derbyshire?

Documentaries

The Ascent Of Man: Jacob Bronowski presents this 13 episode story of the history of human civilization. The infomation is more than enough, however, when combined with Bronowski's delivery it becomes almost hypnotic. 41 years old and I don't think this has been bettered.

Civilisation: Because I'm lazy I'm going to say this is an earlier version of the previous recommendation. Made in 1969 it concentrates mainly on European medieval history.

The World at War: OK, so everyone knows about this, but I thought I'd add it anyway because to leave it off would be criminal. I'm sure there's a newer version with Kenneth Branagh, but obviously it's the Laurence Olivier narrated version that has to be seen.

People's Century: This 26 part documentary seems to be lesser spoken about, so I'd recommend it for that reason if no other. It's the story of the C20th, less about the famous/important people of the time and it takes a more social angle.

The Nazis: A Warning from History: Frankly, this is brilliant and unmissable. Everyone should see this and I'd have it shown in schools. Six parts, all brilliant.

Life on Earth: The daddy of them all. I think this is the complete nature documentary. Those that've come since have been better filmed and shown in more detail, but it's this one that strikes a chord with me. I'd recommend the David Attenborough narration, but that's probably because I've never heard anyone do it and, frankly, I can't imagine it being anyone else. The man's a National Treasure.

I don't know how or where you may be able find them, but there are documentary series over here which are worth looking our for. I think Christine mentioned Storyville, which is great, and I'd add World In Action, Panorama, The South Bank Show and Arena. The last two are usually cultural programmes and the documentaries are more often about the arts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_In_Action
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panorama_%28TV_series%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_%28TV_series%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_South_Bank_Show

This is a kind of one-offs, comedies which aren't sitcoms and things I wasn't quite sure where to put.

Spitting Image: Classic puppetry 80's satirical sketch show from back when politics mattered. Some of the puppets are still iconic in the UK (the Thatcher one can be seen on and as everything from slippers to teapots) and a look at the talent, both on the writing side and the vocal talent reads like a who's who of British tv of the 80's and 90's.

The Railway Children: The 7 episode series which is, apparently, more faithful to the novel than the film version was made a couple of years later, in which Jenny Agutter also starred. Maybe I should've had a children's/family section?

The Snowman: Since 1982 this has been essential Christmas viewing. Personally, I don't like it, but I don't like animation and have no heart.

Culloden: I think this was revolutionary at the time. The Battle of Culloden, shot and presented like modern TV war journalism.

Talking Heads: Alan Bennett scripted dramatic monologues. This is classic British tv and is often held up as an example of just what good TV can be and, also, as how little (just writing and performance) is needed to make great TV.

Morecambe and Wise: A comedy double act who no one outside of Britain, Canada and Australia seems to've heard of. An institution over here and their Christmas specials are still shown every year at some point over Christmas. I personally love them and there are classic sketches and routines which will have me laughing as soon as they start.

Have I Got News for You (HIGNFY): Rather than have stand up comedy on tv over here, someone seems to've decided to have comedy panel show (Quizcoms) as a way of presenting stand up routines. QI, Mock The Week (before Frankie left), They Think It's All Over (which original captains), 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Nevermind The Buzzcocks (hosted by Mark Lamarr) are all TV goliaths over here, but it's HIGNFY which kicked it all off. However, I'd recommend any and all of those I also mentioned.

Nuts In May/Abigail's Party: Both Mike Leigh plays for the BBC. Nuts In May features a couple desperately trying to enjoy the perfect camping holiday, whilst being constantly annoyed and interrupted by people being, well, people.

Abigail's Party is a touchstone of 70's tv and British culture of the time. Both a comedy of manners and a satire of the 70's British middle-classes.

I've seen Eric and Ernie, but I have never seen any of their actual stuff.

Oh, really? I liked Eric And Ernie. There's a few of those dramas about British comedy heroes and heroines. There's one about Kenneth Williams, starring Michael Sheen, called Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! which was very good. Hattie, about Hattie Jaques was also good.

The others were The Curse of Steptoe, Hancock And Joan, Hughie Green, Most Sincerely, Frankie Howerd: Rather You Than Me and Best Possible Taste, about the late, great Kenny Everett. Actually, The Kenny Everett Video Show, The Kenny Everett Video Cassette and The Kenny Everett Television Show should've all been included on the comedy section I did. Kenny was truly great.

This is the classic M&W sketch, IMO. It's the whole thing, but if you jump to 5m you'll get to the meat of the sketch and why it's so loved.



Here's the other sketch which I'd expect someone to put up against it.


As it's a movie site, I'll put this classic up, too.

I am going to check out some more Morecambe and Wise, I loved all of those sketches. How many different tv shows did they have?

The BBC show went from 1968-1977 and the ITV show from 1978-1982, so there's a lot of stuff. How much is out there, I'm not sure, but I'd guess that youtube is your friend there. Try and find the Christmas specials, as they were what about half the country was watching on Christmas Day.

I only found this last year, but I love it.



Sod it. I'm just going to add a few.




And then there were Ernie's plays



And that Mastermind sketch reminded me of my favourite Mastermind sketch. I should've remembered The Two Ronnies, too.

Some classic Two Ronnies sketches.






And then there were the songs.

Great work Hun! The Two Ronnies fork handles sketch Is so funny no matter how many times you see it. Pure class! We all loved them.

So glad you mentioned Morecambe and Wise, I thought of them but didn't know how much their humour would travel. They are my all time favourites, and were of my parents too. The laughing we used to do over those two blokes was endless. I always watch repeats whenever they're on and I really don't think that humour will ever fade. So many favourite bits, but I loved it when they had Andre "Preview" as a guest, and Eric played the piano. Loved the funny little sketches when they went to bed too. I could go on about them for ages. If you ever feel miserable watch some of their stuff

Kenny Everett was brilliantly anarchic for those times, we loved his tv shows.
Those dramas Hun mentioned are well worth seeing specially if you appreciate the work of the actor featured

For the uninitiated

his is one of my all time favourite Eric and Ern jokes. My dad did it all the time