Tv Shows From Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Etc.

[Guest bebe9wish]

What are your recommendations?

I've never seen any tv shows aired in the US that are from Britain, Australia, Ireland, or any other country that speaks English. When my cousins from Britain and Australian came to visit me, they didn't understand why none of the tv shows from their countries would air in the US. They expect me to have watched what they have been watching in their countries.

To those that are from the countries I mention or to those that are familiar with the tv shows from those countries, what are your recommendations?

[Guest carlavb]

the old British Tv Series 'Keeping Up Appearances' and 'Fawlty Towers' are funny shows...

[Guest lovefool]

i know that alot of american shows are shown in alot of other countries but yeah not alot of shows are shown here in the u.s. from uk, australia...those places. But i have the bbc channel so i just watch that sometimes. And also on the sci-fi channel theres this uk crime show but it's not that good. I really love the australian talk show "rove live" he's so funny and makes the guests comfortable...it should defeinitly be aired in the u.s...plus he even came to the u.s to be a guest on jay leno. !

[Guest monchichi]

'Thank God You're Here' - that show is freaking hilarious!! You can watch a bit on youtube.

Hmm... most of my fav shows on TV are US series =.= Like CSI and Law & Order... Although there is a new Australian crime show that's to be aired on Monday called 'City Homocide'. I hope it's good...

Oh! And 'Cath & Kim' are funny too. So is 'Pizza' and Rove Live.

A lot of people at my work place love to watch 'McCleod's Daughters' which is an outback drama.

And then there's always 'Home & Away' and 'Neighbours' which are soaps.

[Guest silverwingz]

hmm... i'm from australia, and i love watching "Thank God You're Here". You can see the winning clips at www.tgyh.com.au

Rove is also awesome. He had shows in America just recently... one in New York and one in LA i think it was.

I'm not the biggest fan of the soaps here in Oz... and alot of the shows a reality TV shows.. which i'm sorta getting sick of as well.

But I'd really recommend watching TGYH. It's sort of like a skit show... but the guests come into the skits not knowing what the skit is about. The only clues they get are from the costumes they are made to wear. It's all impromptu. Really funny. Check out some of the cuts in the site I put above.

[Guest s2hurt]

australian televison is too cheap to make good shows like america with unlimited budget. Our storyline for tv show is not that good and the american doesnt really get our humour or our accent. All i know is that Home and Away and Neighbours are shown in Britain.

[Guest Yueny]

the american entertainment industry pays the best, so all the talent probably gravitates towards hollywood.

[clockwatcher]

America is weird because they constantly remake British television shows for American T.V. instead of just importing the show (as-is) like the rest of the world does. For a list of American remakes, click this.

British shows you can get on DVD. You can probably find them are your local library:

Absolutely Fabulous (absolutely hilarious)

Coupling

Footballer's Wives (if you like trashy T.V. hehehe)

Dr. Who

MI 5

Jekyll

Robin Hood

If you have cable, you probably already get BBC America and can watch a lot of British shows.

PBS also shows/showed some British shows (sitcoms, dramas and soaps) so you can check your local listings and probably find some to watch. Also, check any other Public Television channels you have in your area.

If you live close to the border (like Michigan) and get a few Canadian stations, you'll definitely find a few British shows.

An Australian television show I liked was Heartbreak High but that's as old as dirt and it might be hard to find. I loved Being Eve (New Zealand show) and it used to air on The N. If you want to watch Australian movies (which might be easier to find on DVD) some I enjoyed are Strictly Ballroom (so very camp but fun) and Looking For Alibrandi. I believe you can actually find them both on youtube.

Actually, the N shows/showed a lot of non-American/Canadian shows. I caught quite a few British shows on it like 24/7 and another one I can't remember now

[MythnoonA]

there's an American version of Thank God You're Here on (David Alan Grier is the host), but I've never seen the other. A lot of British shows have been remade--it's been going on a long time. Sometimes the American version becomes very famous (like All In The Family), or Three's Company (Robin's Nest in England). They tried to remake Fawlty Towers--but that was not going to happen--not the same type of funny. Same with Absolutely Fabulous. NO way was that gonna work with an American cast. -.- 'Whos Line Is It' is probably the best known remake--the biggest difference is the hosts...because most of the people that are on the show--were on the British one, too.

(I just went to the Aussie TGYH site, and they have an ad for 'diet water', which also comes in powder form. LOL xD )

I've been watching British tv all my life (steady diet of PBS, like clockwatcher mentioned), starting w/ my mother, we've just always watched a lot. We have family there, and she lived there when she was younger, too. A&E network used to carry a lot of shows, especially mysteries--but they don't have the same programming as they used to. -___- Now I just get the dvds for the shows that I can. Sci Fi Channel and CBC (Canadian) show Dr. Who.

We've seen some Aussie shows, too--it seems there used to be more on here, but they kind of disappeared. I watched Home and Away for a couple of years at least.

I used to watch more on the BBC network, too. I don't like stuff like Coupling or Footballer's Wives (watched a couple of times, but didn't really them)-- but some of the mysteries are good, and some of the other shows are okay, like Monarch of the Glen. I see Eddie Izzard and Graham Norton once in a while, and one other I like is The Kumars At No 42. I don't know if it's still on.

One of my very favorite characters ever--Robin Hood--the version playing now on BBC is so boring... To me. It's the first time I've ever actually liked the Sheriff of Nottingham. lol I think I was spoiled by Robin of Sherwood (Michael Praed was Robin), if anyone ever saw that. The 'perfect' Robin Hood has already happened, and the new one isn't it. Some of the characters/actors are okay, though.

[Guest 2552]

Footballers Wives.

Skins - It's like Degrassi but SO MUCH better.

[Guest frankbirch]

I stumbled across Laptop Telly down here, shows all the UK & US TV channels BBC, ITV, Hulu etc
http://www.laptoptelly.com

[Guest annmer]

MISFITS!! I love Misfits, except for their more recent seasons since actors kept getting cut :C But it's hilarious, not to mention vulgar, but great! I totally recommend it. 

[cel]

I would recommend Strike Back which started as a UK series but later picked-upby Cinemax.  Totally hooked on it but sadly season 5 would be the last.  Also loved Spooks (MI5) also cancelled, Sherlock (BBC). 

[Guest jellylovesfaith]

Hi everyone!I'm kind of new to this thread (i really joined Soompi for the sole purpose of supporting Lee Min Ho) but i was wondering, is there an official thread for Sherlock, or Johnlock or anything sherlock related? Thanks in advance

@bebe9wish Hi! couldn't help but noticing that you wanted tv show recomendations so i highly recommend Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Big bang Theory, The Middle or How I met your mother. all of them are pretty fantastic (Sherlock is the best though IMO )