John Morrison Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 Yep Both, softly softly was a spin off from Z cars. John. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
foster461 Posted April 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 Thanks for all the great suggestions. Looks like we will subscribe to both Britbox and Acorn through Amazon Prime so we can manage the subscriptions on a monthly basis. I now have a list of over 30 TV shows to look out for and I appreciate the help as many of them I have never heard of. Stan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crawfie Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 10 minutes ago, foster461 said: Thanks for all the great suggestions. Looks like we will subscribe to both Britbox and Acorn through Amazon Prime so we can manage the subscriptions on a monthly basis. I now have a list of over 30 TV shows to look out for and I appreciate the help as many of them I have never heard of. Stan Stan, i would be interested in knowing what you go for and what you think about the programs you watched. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 Stan, I don’t think it has been mentioned but Vera is worth watching and, I understand from friends, is available in the US ..... Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
foster461 Posted April 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 2 hours ago, AndyR100 said: Stan, I don’t think it has been mentioned but Vera is worth watching and, I understand from friends, is available in the US ..... Andy Thanks Andy. I have added Vera to the list. When I look at my list I am surprised that so many of the suggested shows are police/crime dramas. Is that just a function of the forum demographics or is that the predominance of British TV ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndyR100 Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 You are right, to be honest, police/crime-related drama does tend to be very popular... comedies can be variable, depending on particular taste! ....... Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim T Posted April 16, 2020 Report Share Posted April 16, 2020 Prime Suspect, Trial and Retribution, Cracker, Broadchurch to name a few more.... Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Detectorists 'nuf said. Bob. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
little jim Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 I'm currently looking at every Dave Allen show I can find on the web. (Does Irish qualify for this forum?) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Harbottle Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 11 hours ago, foster461 said: Thanks Andy. I have added Vera to the list. When I look at my list I am surprised that so many of the suggested shows are police/crime dramas. Is that just a function of the forum demographics or is that the predominance of British TV ? As Hercule says you need to exercise those little grey cells. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
acaie Posted April 17, 2020 Report Share Posted April 17, 2020 Yes Minister Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JohnG Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 Broadchurch and Yes Minister (and Yes Prime Minister) . . . YES Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crawfie Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 Another couple to ponder with..... Lovejoy and Pie In The Sky Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spit_2.5PI Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 All of the above (well, almost ...) plus "Rumpole Of The Bailey" Cheers, Richard Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Morrison Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 Porridge! John. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
foster461 Posted April 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 11 hours ago, Crawfie said: Another couple to ponder with..... Lovejoy and Pie In The Sky Lovejoy was excellent, we watched that series while we were in the UK from 83 to 86 and I now have every episode via Netflix a few years ago. Also enjoyed seeing Ian McShane in the John Wick movies. Have not heard of Pie In the Sky so I added it to the list. Stan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 (edited) Porridge! Last night there was a hour-long programme that reviewed Ronnie Barker's life and work. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pm6lw/the-many-faces-of-series-2-1-ronnie-barker He was a genius, writing his own scripts (under pseudonyms). acclaimed as a Shakespearian actor, and a sublime comic. Any of his work is worth watching, especially with Ronnie Corbett or David Jason (Open All Hours), and Porridge was the apex. Wonderful ensemble acting, bitingly funny scripts and Barker at his best. Edited April 19, 2020 by john.r.davies Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Motorsport Mickey Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 2 hours ago, john.r.davies said: Porridge! Last night there was a hour-long programme that reviewed Ronnie Barker's life and work. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pm6lw/the-many-faces-of-series-2-1-ronnie-barker He was a genius, writing his own scripts (under pseudonyms). acclaimed as a Shakespearian actor, and a sublime comic. Any of his work is worth watching, especially with Ronnie Corbett or David Jason (Open All Hours), and Porridge was the apex. Wonderful ensemble acting, bitingly funny scripts and Barker at his best. ^ + 1 ...Although if John Cleese ever watched back his contribution to the programme about Barker and comments about Ronnie Barkers "similarity" to Benny Hill in his bawdier moments, it was carping and frankly felt the Cleese was purely jealous about Barkers eventual capacity and elevation well beyond the ability of Cleese himself...unedifying. As for Ben Elton I many years ago had relegated him to a "better writer than performer" decision and nothing he came out with during the programmes convinced me I was wrong. His "hopping from foot to foot" trying to make himself guilt free made me laugh, when I remember the disgraceful asides and snide remarks made by himself and the "new age of comedians" of that time about The Two Ronnies, Terry Scott and June Whitfield, Benny Hill, and especially Bob Monkhouse. Monkhouse when he was dying from Prostate cancer gave an assembled room purely of comedians and writers a masterclass in the art of comedy which when I saw clips of it in the Monkhouse tribute programme brought me to tears...not of mirth. The underlying sadness in his eyes as Monkhouse set up and delivered his lines seemed to say "this is what I was trying to show you...do you get it...yet" ? Mick Richards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JohnG Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 3 hours ago, john.r.davies said: Porridge! Last night there was a hour-long programme that reviewed Ronnie Barker's life and work. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01pm6lw/the-many-faces-of-series-2-1-ronnie-barker He was a genius, writing his own scripts (under pseudonyms). acclaimed as a Shakespearian actor, and a sublime comic. Any of his work is worth watching, especially with Ronnie Corbett or David Jason (Open All Hours), and Porridge was the apex. Wonderful ensemble acting, bitingly funny scripts and Barker at his best. I'd like to argue with you John, but I can't Ronnie was, as you say a genius, anything he undertook, starting with The Navy Lark, is repeatedly listenable or watchable I put him at the top of the charts, up with Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Misfit Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 Dixon of Dock Green, like the Mounties they always got their man. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 1 hour ago, wjgco said: I put him at the top of the charts, up with Spike Milligan and Eric Sykes. And he never, ever embarassed himself with something like "Curry & Chips"! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JohnG Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 (edited) 6 hours ago, john.r.davies said: And he never, ever embarassed himself with something like "Curry & Chips"! Spike sometimes had difficulty with connecting his ideas and the prevailing reality V Curry and chips would have worked well in the concert parties Edited April 19, 2020 by wjgco I put Vurry, for crying out load Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Morrison Posted April 19, 2020 Report Share Posted April 19, 2020 19 hours ago, Motorsport Mickey said: ^ + 1 ...Although if John Cleese ever watched back his contribution to the programme about Barker and comments about Ronnie Barkers "similarity" to Benny Hill in his bawdier moments, it was carping and frankly felt the Cleese was purely jealous about Barkers eventual capacity and elevation well beyond the ability of Cleese himself...unedifying. As for Ben Elton I many years ago had relegated him to a "better writer than performer" decision and nothing he came out with during the programmes convinced me I was wrong. His "hopping from foot to foot" trying to make himself guilt free made me laugh, when I remember the disgraceful asides and snide remarks made by himself and the "new age of comedians" of that time about The Two Ronnies, Terry Scott and June Whitfield, Benny Hill, and especially Bob Monkhouse. Monkhouse when he was dying from Prostate cancer gave an assembled room purely of comedians and writers a masterclass in the art of comedy which when I saw clips of it in the Monkhouse tribute programme brought me to tears...not of mirth. The underlying sadness in his eyes as Monkhouse set up and delivered his lines seemed to say "this is what I was trying to show you...do you get it...yet" ? Mick Richards Saw that master class programme, and like you Mick, thought it quite moving, but he had them all in the palm of his hand. One joke from that night;- 'I had an affair with an optician, but she drove me crazy, it was always - is it better like this or like this?' Or the last time he was on Parkinson;- 'I don't mind dying, but you are so bloody stiff in the morning!' John. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
foster461 Posted May 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Brief update. We went with the 30 day free trial of Acorn via Amazon Prime and have been watching episodes of Lovejoy, Pie in the Sky and Foyles War. All excellent. I shared my spreadsheet with some friends that also enjoy British TV shows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted May 7, 2020 Report Share Posted May 7, 2020 Has anyone mentioned "The Repair Shop"? It's schmalzy, it doesn't show enough of the skills of the craftspeople on it, but it's TV gold! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.