Is there many British shows on US TV?

Our PBS station (KERA) has continuously run various British comedies since we moved here about 20 years ago.

There was an attempt to make a U.S. version of Coupling but, WOW, was it bad.

We're currently watching Hustle via Netflix.

There was an attempt to make a U.S. version of Coupling but, WOW, was it bad.

Replace "Coupling" with almost any show name and I think the same statement holds true.

(except for "The Office.")

Some cable TV services carry "BBC America" or similar, and the PBS ("Educational" TV) stations carry a lot of British programming. I've seen Couplings (the original), Dr Who, Masterpiece theater, Red Dwarf, Monty Python, HGttG, Benny Hill, Poirot, Black Adder, Faulty Towers, Star Cops, and more (and I don't watch much TV.) My wife watches a lot more...

I'd recommend Spaced, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost at their best. There's also enough american film references to make it easy to watch I'd imagine. Two series, 14 episodes in total.

I grew up in in Califonia the 80's watching Monty Python, Faulty Towers and Are You Being Served.

I remember Coupling. Very bad compared to the couple of orig episodes I've seen.

The Office (remake) is very popular but I just never got into it.

(gonna brag here) I've actually been to 2 tapings of Mythbusters. I was in Hair of the Dog in the huge group scene where the had sniffer dogs try to find a stash in a croud. So many people you can hardly find me. Also taped another about 2 months ago which will air in Jan or Feb.

I hate Monty Python :wink:

I mainly watch Eureka, Warehouse 13 and The Big Bang Theory. Red Dwarf is always a good choice with its £5 budget :wink:

I've always wanted to go back to CA(san fran area) to try and get in on the Mythbuster action. I stayed downtown LA last time and it was great.

Life on Mars made it to the U.S.

Just like "Coupling"... a remake version of Being Human is coming to the USA.... My question is: Why remake it with Canadian actors? This makes no sense to me... it's not like the original was in Italian or something.

Presumably because the British sense of humour is too different to mainstream american humour.

The Day Today and Brass Eye are well worth watching but I think they might be very British.

We do irony......... :wink:

The BBC... one of the few TV sources that still has quality stuff...
I wish we had more brittish TV here, its mostly american ####. Which is plenty a reason to just not watch TV anymore, that.. and that a third of all the airtime is ads.

Something to be said for our 88 year old funding system........

Your best luck is to get netflix it show tons of british show here in the us we have afew not much on public.

The one thing I'm not keen on is when the American versions of British shows are shown over here in the UK, they always seem to lack something, probably the dark humour we seem to like over here.

The one thing I'm not keen on is when the American versions of British shows are shown over here in the UK

It's to remind us that we're better than our offspring. (I like your avatar pic BTW)

I didn't think we needed reminding :slight_smile:
Thanks, he's been my avatar for a good few years, I have something of a soft spot for Kosh. I must admit that yours looks brilliant.

The new Law & Order UK is a great show if you like police shows.

Law & Order UK is a great show

I didn't like it. Firstly, it's got him from Coronation Street in. I can't take anything seriously with him in.

Secondly, I think there's quite a difference between British and American crime programmes and setting an american show in the UK doesn't really work very well. It also feels like it's america saying "your cop shows are crap, try one of ours".

If you want decent British crime telly try Waking the Dead, Silent Witness or Prime Suspect.
If you're after something more lighthearted there's Midsomes Murders and Jonathan Creek.
Then there's the classic like Poirot or a modern interpretation of a classic like the recent sherlock miniseries.

The new Sherlock series was brilliant. I nice modern variant on the stories, without ruining the stories.