On the telly

I’ve been crazy about British stuff forever. The music, the books, the actors, the history, the accents. I even followed West Ham football for awhile when I had a British roomie. Sigh! I seriously want to go to the UK!

My new British obsession came about when we switched from Cablevision to Fios and BBC America became part of my lineup. There were a few British shows I already loved, but now I’m really hooked. Here are some of my past and present faves.


Couplings: (Netflix) It’s like a British version of friends, but a bit spicier since they can get away with a lot more on the BBC. So very funny and I developed a huge crush on Jack Davenport, who you may know from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.


The Office: (Netflix) One of my favorite things about the original Office was its limited run. It doesn’t have the same heart that the U.S. version has, but the cringe-worthy moments are excruciatingly awesome and Ricky Gervais is a maniac. The British version of Jim, who is called Tim, is played by Martin Freeman, who will be Bilbo in the Hobbit!

Extras: (HBO) Another hilarious Gervais series. I love all the celebrity cameos, like Daniel Radcliffe hitting on Ashley Jensen. And the show within a show is just a great spoof on the sorry state of sitcoms. “Are you havin’ a laugh?”


An Idiot Abroad: (Science) This show had me laughing so much it hurts. Ricky Gervais and his partner in crime Stephen Merchant send Karl Pilkington around the world to see the Seven Wonders. They describe Karl as a real-life Homer Simpson. The guy is dumb, but at times brilliant. And as someone who hates to travel, I can relate to some of his frustration as Ricky and Stephen screw around with his plans. They put him up in the worst hotels, make him eat horrible foods and finds endless ways to humiliate him. And the things that come out of Karl’s mouth are unbelievable. “It’s the alright wall of China.”


Doctor Who: (BBC America) This has become one of my favorite shows ever! I’m so obsessed that I got a TARDIS cell phone case. I decided to check it out after seeing a Craig Ferguson episode dedicated to the Doctor. It’s kind of hard to explain the show, but it’s been on in various forms for about 40 years and it got a reboot a few years ago.

The doctor is a time lord who travels in time and space, usually with a human companion, in a space ship that looks like a British police box. The tenth doctor, played by David Tennant, is my favorite, but the current doctor, Matt Smith, is also fun and quirky. There are crazy planets and aliens as well as lots of historical figures that they meet along the way as they save the world and the universe over and over again. I love the cameos by British stars – Michael Gambon in the last Christmas episode and Carrey Mulligan in epsidode Don’t Blink. Some of the aliens and enemies are the creepiest things I’ve ever seen. The mid-season finale was last night and it was just amazing. I think this is turning out to be my favorite season.

Torchwood: (Netflix/BBCA/Starz) I just love Jack Harkness. He can never die and he’s not too hard to look at either. Torchwood is a spin off of Doctor Who (rearranged letters!). Capt. Jack spent some time travelling with the Doctors before he got his own show. He heads up an agency that deals with all the aliens trolling around Wales. The newest season is going to be on Starz this summer.

Merlin: (SyFy) This show feels like it should be on the CW. It’s a silly update of the Camelot stories, in which Merlin, Arthur and Gwen are teenagers. I like it a lot better than the Camelot show on Starz.

Being Human: (BBCA) I’ve only seen the latest season of this show, but I’ve seen the first season of the American remake on SyFy, which I also enjoy. A vampire, a wolf and a ghost live together under one roof. The premise sounds like the start of a joke, but it’s drama and the characters all help each other deal with their conditions and trying to get by in the human world. The BBC version’s Aiden Turner is going to be in the Hobbit.

AbFab: I watched lots of AbFab with my roommate David in college. Boozy broads and lots of hilarity.

The Tudors: (Showtime/BBCA) Jonathan Rhys Meyers made a pretty hot Henry VIII. I loved the richness of the series – the costumes, the sets and all the details. And of course all the fighting, treachery and marriages. One of my favorite stars of the show, Henry Cavill (that's him up there), is going to be the next Superman.

I have even more British series on my to-see list: Sherlock, Gavin & Stacy, Life on Mars, Spaced. But for now, I have a new reason to love BBCA. They just started showing Battlestar Galactica from the beginning. Because I need another show to obsess over.