British Television and Programs of Note

[Romy Overdorp]

and on that note, "Keeping up Appearances"? That's my favorite!

Oh I can't stand that woman! She's awful! Just like Marie in Everybody loves Raymond. Makes me want to smack the telly.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Hyacinth is a bit much! Onslo is my favorite character by far!

Oh I can't stand that woman! She's awful! Just like Marie in Everybody loves Raymond. Makes me want to smack the telly.

 

[Widebrim]

Kind of off topic, but .....
Maybe I'm wrong and I don't know if it was just in the US, but didn't laugh tracks start in radio, because the vaudevillians had a hard time not hearing anyone laugh when they crossed over?
Although, nowadays I don't see a point in them.

It is true about vaudevillians needing to hear laughs in order to "cross over," but it was a live audience, not a canned laugh track.

 

[Tiller]

and on that note, "Keeping up Appearances"? That's my favorite!

I'd rather watch Dad's Army, but to each their own.

Don't Panic! Don't Panic!

[video=youtube;tuple20I2vs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuple20I2vs[/video]

 

[Dixon Cannon]

I am currently enjoying 'Doc Martin' on PBS as of late. There is something about Dr. Martin Ellington that you can't help feel for.

-dixon cannon

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Dad's army is also a very funny show, I even watch 'As Time Goes By' when it's on, though it's less amusing.

 

[rue]

It is true about vaudevillians needing to hear laughs in order to "cross over," but it was a live audience, not a canned laugh track.

Well, at least I was half right

 

[John in Covina]

We are lucky to have access to some of these fine programs (Doc Martin just came to my attention recently) but I'd like to get back to how the US and the BBC treat period / vintage programs.

I thought it was neat when they did the 1940 House where they had a family living in (I think it was) 1940 London parameters. It showed how different the conditions were and the response of a modern family to those conditions. I did not catch all of the programs but what i did see was pretty eye opening.

 

[Geiamama]

BBC Wales had a similar series, well two. The Coal House which was set in 1927 and The Coal House at War set in 1944. Three families moved into tiny miner's cottages and had to live according to the time periods, even down to the children attending a one-room school house and the men working down the mine.
I watched it with my grandmother, which made it all the more interesting as she was the same age in 1927 as one of the little girls in the show and lived in a similar house. It was wonderful being able to hear her perspective on how realistic it was and how well they managed.

 

[John in Covina]

BBC Wales had a similar series, well two. The Coal House which was set in 1927 and The Coal House at War set in 1944. Three families moved into tiny miner's cottages and had to live according to the time periods, even down to the children attending a one-room school house and the men working down the mine. I watched it with my grandmother, which made it all the more interesting as she was the same age in 1927 as one of the little girls in the show and lived in a similar house. It was wonderful being able to hear her perspective on how realistic it was and how well they managed.

Those sound pretty neat, I wish one of our local PBS stations would consider showing them.

 

[AmateisGal]

Dad's army is also a very funny show, I even watch 'As Time Goes By' when it's on, though it's less amusing.

I LOVE As Time Goes By. And my ten-year-old daughter loves it, too!

I've been watching BritComs since I was a kid. Our local PBS station had them all. Remember 'Allo, 'Allo? Finally bought the first season on DVD of that one. I even got my husband hooked on One Foot in the Grave. Hilarious stuff.

I'd also say the BBC does a better job of period shows than the U.S., though we do have our stand-outs, like Band of Brothers, as others have mentioned.

 

[Geiamama]

Those sound pretty neat, I wish one of our local PBS stations would consider showing them.

I think most of the episodes are on youtube, if that helps. But be warned some of the Welsh accents are pretty strong!

 

[John in Covina]

I think most of the episodes are on youtube, if that helps. But be warned some of the Welsh accents are pretty strong!

Maybe that has kept them from showing it in the US, it might need subtitles.

 

[ukali1066]

I agree that we Brits do have a better sense of when to end something.... a lot of US stuff never ends and just becomes ridiculous [ LOST is a fine example ]

But HBO has produced some of my favourite TV.... Deadwood [ now THAT ended TOO early ] Band of Brothers, Boardwalk Empire, Curb your Enthusiasm....

 

[Lily Powers]

BBC's vintage era productions seem much more real and natural. U.S. productions - HBO being an exception most of the time - seem to be very conscious of trends and styles in it's programing centered in bygone eras ("Mad Men" comes to mind as an example).

 

[Geiamama]

Maybe that has kept them from showing it in the US, it might need subtitles.

Actually subtitles might have been a good idea even in the UK, I'm Welsh and even I struggled in places! lol

BBC's vintage era productions seem much more real and natural. U.S. productions - HBO being an exception most of the time - seem to be very conscious of trends and styles in it's programing centered in bygone eras ("Mad Men" comes to mind as an example).

I agree completely. I really tried to get into Mad Men but it just seemed too slick, more of a fashion show. But oh what a fashion show!

 

[Widebrim]

BBC's vintage era productions seem much more real and natural. U.S. productions - HBO being an exception most of the time - seem to be very conscious of trends and styles in it's programing centered in bygone eras ("Mad Men" comes to mind as an example).

I agree completely. I really tried to get into Mad Men but it just seemed too slick, more of a fashion show. But oh what a fashion show!

I think that you've both made valid observations regarding US-produced period pieces: very often they do turn out too slick, and make it seem that everybody was closely following fashion (although I grant that Mad Men takes place in an environment where keeping current would be desirable).

 

[John in Covina]

Actually that raises a question.

Doesn't it seem that when doing vintage and trying to set a period "correctly" for most normal situations having everyone in what ever the current fashion was for the time makes for a an novice costuming type error?

i am not the authority on suits but when you watch movies and serials from the actual period you'll see that there was always people that had fashion hold over. Not everyone ran out to get the latest fashions, it might be a number years between suits for a man and a woman woulds easily have had dress from last year and the year before and so on.

 

[Warden]

If you’re from this side of the pond (UK) you know all about the broadcasts from Ally Pally.

75 years since TV was broadcasted from the Ally the BBC have put online some cracking pictures

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15524004

Don't you think it would be better if all broadcasters had to dress 'properly' before they were allowed on screen?

 

[Philip Adams]

Even BBC radio announcers were wearing dinner jackets in the evening at that time


http://news.bbc.co.uk/aboutbbcnews/spl/hi/history/noflash/html/1930s.stm


"....since January 1926, announcers had been under orders to wear dinner-jackets in the evening....."