British Telly

[glass]

Partly inspired by the Bad Wolf thread, I was wondering: What British TV gets exported to the rest of the world?

I know we in the UK import a lot of American programmes (and a fair amout of Australian), but judging by the threads in Media Lounge, it seems like we only export Dr Who.

I'm pretty sure that Ground Force (a garden makeover programme) is shown in the US, and I know quite a lot of british stuff (especially sit-coms) get remade for the American market, but do you guys out there actually watch British telly (original or remade)? What do you think about it?


glass.

 

[Elf Witch]

I love British telly. My cable has BCC America and I watch it all the time. Right now I am watching Sea of Souls, Murder Prevention Unit, At Home with the Braithwaites, Footballer Wives. Hex starts tomorow.

I buy a lot of DVD boxed sets from Bensons and Amazon uk which is why I have a region free player. Some of my recent purchases have been Robin of Sherwood, Randall and Hopkirk both versions.

 

[Morrus]

Sounds like BBC America is mainly really old stuff, then?

 

[Brown Jenkin]

For exports it really depends on what you consider an export. Both PBS and BBC America broadcast alot of original Britsh series. When something gets remade like The Office, Coupling, or Trading Rooms it is generally because the original already had a following on BBC America or PBS. Outside of those two stations though seeing British TV is a rarity.

As for series I have watched in the past in America include:
Chef! (one of my favorite all time sitcoms)
All Creatures Great and Small
To the Manor Born
Monty Python
Faulty Towers
Red Dwarf
Black Adder
Brittas Empire
Absolutely Fabulous
Rumple of the Bailey
Young Ones
Inspector Morse
Upstairs Downstairs
Yes Minister
1900 House
Manor House
Teletubbies

 

[Viking Bastard]

Isn't BBC America pretty much BBC Prime?

Which suhuhuhucks.

We get lots of British Telly here. Both BBC and from the other channels (ITV, mostly, though). Usually with the same approx. One Year Delay as US stuff.

 

[TwinBahamut]

I know a lot of the stuff I watch on the History Channel seems to be made in partnership with the BBC, or be directly taken from the BBC.

Beyond that, no, not really all that much from my perspective.

I don't even watch Doctor Who because it is shown on D&D night.

 

[sniffles]

For exports it really depends on what you consider an export. Both PBS and BBC America broadcast alot of original Britsh series. When something gets remade like The Office, Coupling, or Trading Rooms it is generally because the original already had a following on BBC America or PBS. Outside of those two stations though seeing British TV is a rarity.

As for series I have watched in the past in America include:
Chef! (one of my favorite all time sitcoms)
All Creatures Great and Small
To the Manor Born
Monty Python
Faulty Towers
Red Dwarf
Black Adder
Brittas Empire
Absolutely Fabulous
Rumpole of the Bailey
Young Ones
Inspector Morse
Upstairs Downstairs
Yes Minister
1900 House
Manor House
Teletubbies

PBS (Public Broadcasting) shows a fair number of British shows, but each PBS station may have a slightly different lineup. Their Masterpiece Theatre (featuring mostly period dramas such as Pride and Prejudice) and Mystery! (featuring Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Brother Cadfael, and other popular mysteries) programme blocks are the same from station to station, but other shows can vary widely. My area PBS stations shows or has shown Manor House and 1900 House, Antiques Roadshow, My Hero, Keeping Up Appearances, As Time Goes By, and various other comedies and documentaries. Comedy Central showed The League of Gentlemen a few years ago, but they don't usually show British comedies. I've only seen Red Dwarf and Brittas Empire on video because our local PBS affiliate chose not to run them. We used to have Doctor Who regularly years ago until they got a new programme director who didn't like sci-fi.

As others have mentioned, the History Channel and Discovery/TLC show a number of British-produced documentaries and science/history programmes also, though often it's difficult to tell they are British because the narration is dubbed by an American artist for US broadcast.

 

[snotling]

I used to watch what I could get ahold of. Mostly older sitcoms (AbbFab, Good Neighbors, Keeping up Appearances. Who's Line, and .. oh... this is making me mad.. the folks that work in the department store.. with Mr. Humpries..)

Of course old Dr.Who, Fawlty Towers, Monty Python..

I have not watched much latey though. As the others said, our PBS (public broadcasting) station airs some of them. Most of them are older programs.

I have been watching some BBC America, but not as much as I would like. The humor in the BBC shows is what I enjoy most about them. It is far smarter then the humor in most American shows.

 

[sniffles]

I used to watch what I could get ahold of. Mostly older sitcoms (AbbFab, Good Neighbors, Keeping up Appearances. Who's Line, and .. oh... this is making me mad.. the folks that work in the department store.. with Mr. Humpries..)

That would be Are You Being Served.
I used to see a lot more British television before the advent of DVDs. I had a friend who went to London every year and came home with loads of converted videotapes. I also attended an annual convention called Anglicon in Seattle that focused on British television. Sadly Anglicon started to diverge away from Brit-tv, and my friend got married and stopped going overseas.

 

[trancejeremy]

BBC America shows some new stuff (various crime dramas and soaps and a talk show or two) and some old stuff (sitcoms and Benny Hill).

PBS shows a lot of older sitcoms. Keeping up Appearances and As Time Goes By is extremely popular in the US (so much so that PBS actually commisioned some ATGB specials)

Some other cable channel shows "What not to wear"

And of course, the biggest show in the US (American Idol) is a remake of a British Show (Pop Idol)