Dateline: June 23, 1999
On June 14th, we held an online debate in the chat room about which is better: British or American TV. A special guest from England (GuestAllen) weighed in with his views. Like any chat, sometimes the conversation meanders a bit, but here is an edited transcript of what occurred. GuideRyan's comments are in blue, GuestAllen's in red.
| GuideRyan | Allen, my guest from England, is here and ready for a fight...er, debate. |
| Maggie | I'm english, live in US |
| GuestAllen | From where in England, Maggie? |
| GuideRyan | We'll be getting started momentarily. |
| Maggie | Cambridge |
| GuestAllen | Just up the road from me (Peterborough). |
| Maggie | yes |
| GuestAllen | Which part of Cambridge? |
| Maggie | used to go xmas shopping there |
| Maggie | Milton |
| GuestAllen | I know where that is. |
| Trish47 | gee real people from England!! |
| GuideRyan | Well let's get this show on the road. |
| GuestAllen | Yeah, but no one's actually IN England right now. |
| GuideRyan | Let me introduce myself (if you don't already know), I'm Ryan K. Johnson, the Guide here and supposed (at least the BBC thinks so) expert on British TV. I'm American. |
| GuestAllen | I'm Allen Adams, a lesser known author and second-rate convention guest at British media conventions. |
| GuideRyan | We're going to cover different aspects of British TV and how it compares with US TV. Feel free to jump in with your two-cents worth. |
| spitty | I for one dont think there is any comparison!!!! |
| GuideRyan | Here goes with my opening statement: |
| GuideRyan | The British make funnier comedies, better dramas, and use better writing, therefore British TV is superior to U.S. |
| spitty | applause, applause!!!!!d'accord |
| booboo28547 | I agree |
| GuestAllen | American TV has more money to play with even if this doesn't always mean it's spent in the right places. |
| GuestAllen | British TV is like a poor relation. |
| Trish47 | that's true |
| GuideRyan | How about some examples? |
| Maggie | Better writing cause that,s important in uk |
| Trish47 | Chef! |
| spitty | They may have more money, but spend it foolishly, poor writing etc... |
| Trish47 | Eastenders out ranks any US soap |
| GuestAllen | The X-Files, Twin Peaks, Quantum Leap, Profiler, Millennium. They are really good shows with good production values. When Americans make really good shows they ARE really good shows. |
| booboo28547 | I agree Trish47 |
| Trish47 | The mysteries are definately creepier |
| GuestAllen | I'm not into soaps. |
| SpinCycle | The mysteries are the best part |
| Trish47 | I never liked soaps until I saw Eastenders |
| GuideRyan | On the British side, how about GBH, Our Friends In The North or Jonathan Creek for good, intelligent, well-made dramas? |
| Maggie | the presentation of us stuff is weird-- |
| GuestAllen | But for every good one they turn out, there are a dozen bad ones. |
| Trish47 | I think what we see here is pretty old |
| Trish47 | Hamish Macbeth |
| booboo28547 | Ab Fab is very funny.I can't imagine an American version It wouldn't work. |
| Trish47 | Balleykissangel |
| spitty | way too old!!!1 |
| GuestAllen | Usually poor copies of the ones they think worked before. With Britain, ratings are the end-all and be-all to everything, even at the BBC which doesn't rely on advertising. |
| GuideRyan | Booboo, I agree with you. Rosanne was smart not to try when she realized it would be emasculated by American TV. |
| spitty | Ratings in the US mean everything...... |
| Trish47 | the BBC does put out some seriously poor "comedies" eg Bottom etc |
| Maggie | us tv spoils good shows with too many breaks spscially the one at the end where you go back to the show just for the credits |
| spitty | US comedies rely on bathroom humor to make the grade |
| GuestAllen | All British humour relies on toilet humour. |
| Trish47 | on the BBC do they show as many comercials throughout the program? |
| spitty | Dont agree with you Allen, what about As Time Goes By, no toilet humor there |
| GuideRyan | There aren't any commercials on the BBC. |
| Trish47 | there is toilet humor and then junk |
| GuestAllen | Spitty, that's a sad, awful one as far as I'm concerned. |
| SpinCycle | even the cartoons are hilarious, eg Bob & Margaret |
| Trish47 | NO COMMercials! |
| Trish47 | Where is my passport |
| spitty | No toilet humor in To the Manor Born, |
| GuestAllen | What about King of the Hill, The Simpsons, and Futurama? |
| Trish47 | Wallace and Grommit is that BBC?? |
| spitty | Crap, pure and simple |
| GuideRyan | I will defend British comedies with Father Ted, Monty Python and Goodness Gracious Me. And Vicar of Dibley. |
| Maggie | you pay for a license instead of commercials paying for costs |
| Trish47 | I love the vicar |
| GuideRyan | Trish, yes the Beeb made Wallace and Gromit. |
| Trish47 | Dawn French is hysterical |
| spitty | Monty Python has been done to death here, |
| Trish47 | and here |
| Maggie | wallce and grommit is clever |
| Krina | Oh, Spitty, nudge, nudge, wink, wink |
| GuideRyan | I think something that helps breed good shows in the UK is radio is a "farm team" where a lot of the best shows are tested out first. |
| spitty | BBC America needs to update its programs also |
| Trish47 | is the farm team like the previews they have here |
| Trish47 | or do they do more than 6 episodes |
| GuestAllen | When American sitcoms work, they are really good, but the ones that don't are cringe and sickmaking. |
| Steed | Oops...Too quiet...Doesn't American TV make other countries assume that America is all about style over substance? Or are we? :-) |
| spitty | If BBC America showed better programs I'd buy a dish tomorrow!!!! |
| Krina | Steed, define style |
| GuideRyan | Trish, they will do a complete series on radio first and sometimes transfer it (just with pictures) to TV (remade though, of course). |
| Trish47 | sounds great |
| Trish47 | No one here bothers with radio |
| Trish47 | I miss the old programs |
| Steed | Something that leaves an impression on you would be a good start I think Krina. |
| Krina | spitty, how can you not want to watch Ballyk and Hamish Macbeth and Resnick? |
| Krina | Ah, thanks, Steed. No matter what the impression. ;) |
| spitty | Sorry Krina, never heard of any of those!!!!!! |
| Trish47 | Even if they are older shows that have been seen in England... |
| Trish47 | they are new to me |
| GuideRyan | Just to clarify, everyone here does understand that the BBC is funded entirely with mandatory license fees (and doesn't show ads) whereas ITV and the other channels run ads just like in America. |
| Trish47 | spitty get with it |
| Krina | spitty, they're on BBC America and I like them. Stephen Tompkinson, Tom Wilkinson, Robert Carlye |
| spitty | Yes, but Jasper Carrot has good programs, why arnt they shown here? |
| GuestAllen | The BBC has been taken over by accountants and the programming consequently has suffered. They've gotten rid of their ability to make programs themselves. They are all bought by outside production companies. |
| Krina | I think BBC America is slowly evolving. Hi, Si |
| booboo28547 | I love BBC America.I got my dish just for that channel |
| Maggie | All I know is that I usually have a good feeling after a brit show which is not there with a us show |
| GuestAllen | It's obvious the British don't know how to market their programmes properly abroad. |
| Krina | I like it, too, booboo. Not everything. But a lot of it. |
| spitty | I think I will just move back to England, then I can enjoy good programmes! |
| Krina | When do we leave, spitty |
| Trish47 | before cable the only way into American TV was on PBS |
| spitty | Best answer yet Allen!!! |
| GuestAllen | I have a great feeling after watching The X-Files and many other shows. |
| Maggie | didn ,t they try abfab over here? and it bombed? |
| Trish47 | abfab? |
| GuideRyan | There was no American AbFab. |
| Krina | I thought abfab had a great cult following. |
| GuideRyan | Absolutely Fabulous. |
| SpinCycle | PBS is the only thing worth watching for me besides A&E |
| Trish47 | i get 2 history channels now too |
| Krina | SpinCycle, sometimes Bravo and Ovation are great, too. |
| GuestAllen | PBS tries self-financing, it's dire. Are You Being Served? reruns and the same concerts repeated during pledges. |
| Steed | Comedy central kept showing the same 3 episodes of Ab Fab, It made you think that's all there was. |
| Trish47 | I hardly watch the major channels |
| spitty | PBS where I live is the pits, they are hung up on gay life, abuse, all the sad stories... |
| SpinCycle | I am not sure what ovation is.. I have heard of bravo |
| Krina | PBS in Denver is rerunning its pledges. |
| Maggie | anyone seen the us attempt at fawlty towers? |
| Krina | SpinCycle, Ovation is somewhat similar |
| GuestAllen | I enjoyed the American Fawlty Towers. It was like a car wreck happening in front of you. |
| Trish47 | I wonder if there is a way to ask the BBC for certain programs on BEEB America |
| GuestAllen | The formats have to be radically changed for a sitcom to cross over the Atlanta and work. |
| Krina | GuestAllen, also, sometimes it's the actors. Like Cleese versus Laroquette. Not the same styles. |
| GuestAllen | That 70s Show - brilliant in America, Days Like These (the British one taken off because it was so bad), the comedy timing was rubbish, even though they tried to cast it properly. The researchers couldn't even research the names of bands correctly. |
| spitty | Nothing wrong with the latest ones on PBS, keeping up appearances and As time goes by |
| Krina | Those are great, spitty |
| GuestAllen | I concede that Fawlty Towers, like Father Ted is a perfect show that you can't remake. |
| spitty | they are quietly entertaining... |
| Trish47 | have they ever tried to mix the american and british actors in some of the shows |
| GuideRyan | We ARE in trouble in this country if we rely on PBS to come to the rescue all the time. |
| SpinCycle | Hyacinth makes me laugh |
| Steed | Terry Gilliam was american. |
| SpinCycle | yes |
| GuideRyan | Yeah, Robbie Coltrane popped up in the American Cracker! |
| Trish47 | that's right |
| Maggie | Goodnight sweetheart is my favorite---it ought not to work because its so impossible but it does |
| Krina | True, Ryan. SpinCycle, have you seen Patricia Routledge in the mystery series, Hattie Wainthrope (sp?) |
| spitty | I used to subscribe to PBS, and tho I love animals, I got tired of them so much |
| GuestAllen | Keeping Up Appearances is a stereotyped form of British comedy concerning "the family." |
| SpinCycle | yes I love Hetty Wainethrope |
| Trish47 | Fawtelty Towers is still the classic |
| spitty | Keeping up Appearances is a womans program, males usually dont like it |
| GuideRyan | Hetty Wainthropp is great. At first I was afraid it would be the British Murder She Wrote but it is just so much better in every way. |
| Maggie | keeping up appearances is all about social climbing--not a familiar concept here |
| Krina | I agree, Ryan |
| Trish47 | Miss Marple was good |
| Trish47 | Poirot |
| SpinCycle | I watch anything I can get my hands on, I think I might be brainwashed but I love everything |
| Trish47 | Sherlock Holms |
| GuestAllen | I don't like 4.2 Children either. But I do like Til Death Us Do Part. I'm afraid to say the best British sitcoms were made in the 60s and 70s. |
| Krina | Yes, Trish, Hickman and that great David Suchet |
| Krina | Ah, Jeremy Brett, Trish. Yes |
| Trish47 | Jeremy - the "real" Holmes |
| GuideRyan | In England, nearly every show is written by one or two people. In the America they use "teams" to create enough jokes to fill half an hour. |
| spitty | Yes Allen, I have been trying to get Dont Tell Father, and Dont wait up they were good, but out of print |
| Krina | And often fail, Ryan? |
| Maggie | too many cooks spoil the brorh |
| GuestAllen | But a lot of people can come up with a lot of different jokes. And they are able to play them through and make sure they work with a bigger group of people to make sure they're funny. |
| Trish47 | Don't wait up is on here sometimes - it's fun |
| SpinCycle | where are you Trish? |
| spitty | Trish,k where are you, I'll be there tomorrow!!!! |
| Trish47 | hehehe |
| Trish47 | salt lake city |
| GuideRyan | I'm always worried when 27 writers work on a movie. "Too many cooks" and all that. |
| Trish47 | no takers |
| SpinCycle | oh,,, poopies on rye,, cant get there |
| Maggie | if ther are too many jokes its hard to fully enjoy them all |
| GuestAllen | 3rd Rock From The Sun has many writers and it's funny. |
| Krina | I think it contributes to losing coherence and build up, Ryan |
| Vicar | how about the dry,caustic wit that is so evident in the best british comedys? everything in the us is dummyed-up! |
| spitty | Trish, is it on a pbs station? |
| GuideRyan | I certainly wouldn't want anyone other than David Renwick writing Jonathan Creek. |
| Trish47 | i like jokes too but what happened to a plot line and character development and what vicar said |
| Krina | Vicar, it's like they are trying to hard to play to the camera |
| SpinCycle | Jonathan creek is on often in this area |
| Trish47 | spitty, yes PBS |
| GuestAllen | Vicar, on the bad sitcoms that's true, they have to hit you on the head with a cricket bat to get the joke, but it's no different here. Bad sitcoms are bad sitcoms, even here. |
| spitty | Thanx, I will burn up the phone wires tomorrow!!!! |
| Vicar | or just trying for the cheapest laugh,nothing that requires any thought |
| Krina | Right, Vicar |
| Trish47 | Between the Lines is on here now |
| SpinCycle | everyones so greedy.. hhe |
| GuideRyan | I can hardly watch any US sitcoms - even Frasier and that's really popular in the UK (even the BBC radio guy cited it to me). |
| Steed | And it's in Seattle too. :-) |
| Trish47 | Frasier is innocuous compared to some of the swill |
| Krina | All that latte. :) |
| spitty | I like Frasier, it is more like a Brit comedy |
| GuestAllen | I think most American cop shows are better than any cop shows in Britain. I'll cite NYPD Blue, Homicide, and Law and Order. |
| Trish47 | resnick |
| SpinCycle | even if they made enough to reduce the amount of adverts on tv, they wouldnt in favor of more money |
| GuestAllen | Maisie Raine, a British one, is crap. |
| Steed | Thin Blue Line!!!! |
| Krina | Maybe, GuestAllen, but the actual mystery series like Resnick, as Trish said, are wonderful. |
| Maggie | what about Dixon? showing my age now |
| Trish47 | love thin blue line |
| GuestAllen | Steed, not one of Rowan Atkinson's best. In fact, a good cast ruined by bad writing. |
| Maggie | that was nother era! |
| GuideRyan | Thin Blue Line grew on me, but considering the talent behind it, I guess I expected more at first. |
| Krina | Stanton Blues, Guest? |
| spitty | Thin blue line is out in video now |
| Steed | Actually, It's a Mars Bar. Some of it is good. |
| Trish47 | I'm sick to death of Mr. Bean and they show it here all the time |
| GuestAllen | I loved Dixon of Dock Green, that's what I grew up on. |
| Maggie | Blackadder! there was a show |
| GuestAllen | But I also like Ironside, Kojak, Columbo, and Starsky and Hutch. |
| spitty | Trish, thats hhow I feel about John Cleese!!!!!! |
| Trish47 | I miss In the Heat of the Night here |
| GuideRyan | Trish, anything can get overexposed. PBS should get used to more variety instead of just pandering to what is popular - that makes them no better than commerical TV. |
| Trish47 | Blackadder has some great bits |
| Trish47 | you're right Ryan |
| GuestAllen | PBS just use Red Dwarf and Dr Who to pull in money. |
| Trish47 | too much of a good thing |
| Trish47 | tom baker |
| Maggie | Is badder on over here? |
| spitty | Yes Ryan, I agree, have written more letters on that subject to PBS, but they dont listen to me!!!! |
| GuideRyan | Cable is going to put the fire underneath PBS, even if it makes the prices of shows go up. |
| Vicar | still,the writing on most brit-tv was more involved,more obscure references,more pride maybe in a quality product? |
| Krina | PBS in Denver has even started showing Ballyk |
| Trish47 | We have digital cable with about 200 channels |
| Trish47 | not bad |
| spitty | Are you in Denver Krina? |
| SpinCycle | but nothing to watch |
| Trish47 | most of them are trash |
| Krina | Wyoming, but we get Denver PBS |
| Trish47 | but more discovery, history channel, BBC America and learning channel |
| Trish47 | I am an information junkie |
| GuideRyan | The British *can* make their dollars (er, pounds) stretch: I'd match the production values in Hornblower to anything on glossy US stuff like ER. |
| Krina | Classic movies, too, Trish |
| SpinCycle | more discovery, history,, you get more that one of each? |
| Trish47 | 6 discovery channels |
| Maggie | At least PBS coes the World News---the only way to stay informed in the US |
| Trish47 | 2 history channels |
| GuestAllen | Gulliver's Travels was pretty good - they even hired British actors. |
| Trish47 | A & E plus a biography channel |
| Krina | Or on BBC America news, Maggie |
| SpinCycle | wierd, all different programming |
| Trish47 | yeah, spin |
| spitty | The ITV news twice per day on PBS is excellent coverage world wide |
| Trish47 | for the different sciences |
| Maggie | how do I get bbc am news Krina? |
| GuideRyan | On the news front I think the British *own* news. |
| Krina | They do very thorough coverage, Ryan |
| Trish47 | I like to watch BBC News because there is a whole world out there that Americans know nothing of |
| SpinCycle | BBC WorldService is a prime example (although not TV) |
| GuestAllen | I have to agree, on this one thing, the British know to do news better than anyone. American news has the attention span of a goldfish. |
| Trish47 | Americans are incredibly segregated globaly |
| Krina | And often features goldfish, Guest. :) |
| Trish47 | but don't tell them they don't know |
| spitty | American news is too much hype on violence, repeating over and over again |
| GuideRyan | "If it bleeds, it leads" seems to be the dictum of US news. |
| GuideRyan | I think we have a consensus on this one. |
| SpinCycle | very funny |
| Trish47 | good one Ryan |
| Maggie | Yes Krina, Americans are very insular, they think ther is nothing going on anywhere else in the world |
| spitty | Ichat with several Brits, and am amazed they all watch Jerry Springer!!! they cant believe their eyes!!!! |
| GuestAllen | All American talk shows are popular in Britain. We only have a few left now. |
| Krina | Hey, now, spitty. I hear he promised to tone down the violence. |
| Trish47 | jerry springer now there is an interesting topic |
| Krina | We have a pleathora, Guest |
| Vicar | keeps us away from the real news of the world, all action-all the time |
| GuideRyan | And the ratings dropped 30% this week alone! |
| Trish47 | he promised once before |
| Maggie | Does anyone else think Americans are prudes on the one hand and too 'free' on the other? |
| Krina | Too many talk shows here. |
| Krina | Yes, Maggie |
| GuestAllen | It turns out on a lot of UK chat shows, the guests were actors so they could be controversal. You'd see the same ones over and over playing different parts. |
| Trish47 | How many BBC channels are there and how do we get a selection here |
| Krina | Alan Partridge was faked, Guest?? :) |
| spitty | I do not think Americans are prudes at all Maggie, they are the opposite in my opinion |
| Trish47 | Do we get something from each channel |
| GuestAllen | Alan Partridge is a spoof show. |
| Trish47 | I hate alan Partridge |
| Maggie | two bbc channels |
| GuideRyan | There are two BBC channels in the UK. |
| Krina | I know, Guest, just teasing. |
| spitty | But only one BBC here, right? |
| GuideRyan | Let me ask you folks here: do production values matter? Have you ever turned off a show because it looked "cheap"? |
| Trish47 | BBC America is the only one that I know |
| Krina | I don't know, spitty, some of the things I see on older British tv would never had made it here at the time. |
| Trish47 | yes ryan |
| GuideRyan | BBC America just shows reruns and is not like a "feed" from England or anything (except for the daily newscast which is live). |
| Trish47 | low budget and cheap are two different things though |
| Krina | I have, Ryan, except I think it might have been the quality of the tape, itself. |
| GuideRyan | Blake's 7 for example is generally regarded as a cheap-looking show, and yet if you could get past that, it had some really good ideas and writing going on. |
| Steed | It depends Ryan on the subject. Sci-Fi can't be cheap anymore... |
| spitty | Wehave to remember that there are two ways of life here, Brit & American |
| Vicar | a story can dictate the show, look at dr who! effects stunk but made up for it in spades,sci-fi channel here has great effects but the programs stink! |
| Krina | Yes, Maggie, I meant I thought that's the topic you were addressing. |
| Trish47 | Sci-fi has gone to flashy sites to no plot line |
| Krina | Some of the classic Alfred Hitchcock and Twighlight Zones don |
| Krina | oops. don't look expensive |
| GuideRyan | Yeah, it's gotten bad with SF shows that *any* jerk with a computer can have splashy effects. It used to be that good effects at least indicated that it would be a good movie or show. |
| Maggie | It was but its nothing to do with tv which is what were supposed to be doing! |
| Vicar | no character development either, just crashes,lasers etc. |
| spitty | Always a question of personal taste, where any program is concerned, or even movies for that matter |
| GuideRyan | Was anyone here ever bothered by the BBC's insistence on shooting dramas on video tape instead of film? |
| Krina | Yes, Ryan |
| Trish47 | american education does not require a background in the classics and does not emphasise reading... |
| GuestAllen | Shooting on tape looks really bad. It was the biggest mistake they ever made. |
| Trish47 | i think that is a problem in the understanding of programs |
| spitty | Applause to you Trish! |
| spitty | No culture, |
| GuideRyan | It's heartening to see NBC (at least once a year) doing some sort of "classic" adaptation each Spring. |
| SpinCycle | Well I dont know if it is the film/tape thing you are talking about, but I prefer the look of the british filming technique, the colors look better |
| Trish47 | there is a serious derth of cultural understanding here |
| Vicar | exactly trish! |
| GuestAllen | The BBC have done period classics to death and as a consequence the viewing figures have dropped. Moll Flanders, wonderfully done, but because it didn't do the figures, the BBC went into a terminal decline over these. |
| Trish47 | I got my TV about 1978 so the colors all look the same to me |
| GuideRyan | Does everyone know that Hornblower was made by ITV (co-produced by A&E) and not the BBC. |
| Trish47 | Hornblower was well done |
| Trish47 | NOT the beeb |
| Trish47 | wow |
| GuideRyan | But the BBC doing historical dramas keeps ITV "honest" so they have do some to keep up as well. |
| GuestAllen | Or they use Robson Green. |
| Trish47 | well at least A&E was involved, they do some good stuff |
| spitty | Trish, if you want to see lack of cultural understanding at its best, come to L.A. |
| Trish47 | that's OK spitty, Salt lake is about all I can handle |
| GuestAllen | At least I can swim in Salt Lake. :-) |
| spitty | lol |
| Trish47 | i've smelled that lake i wouldn't swim in it |
| GuideRyan | Generally speaking, I think the British can get away with more sex on TV, while the Americans can have more violence. |
| Trish47 | british tv programs generally look more like real life than american |
| Trish47 | not "real" but it could happen |
| spitty | I agree Trish |
| GuideRyan | But they've been criticized lately for being *too* dreary and they can't export them. |
| Trish47 | the actors interact without always screaming and shooting |
| Vicar | more believable |
| GuestAllen | No guns in Britain. |
| Trish47 | not enough blood for americans |
| SpinCycle | that was basically the description I was searching for earlier Trish |
| GuideRyan | The actors come from a better theatrical background in the UK. Not just picked out of a model book. |
| Trish47 | gee, actors that can act how novel |
| Krina | I like that, Ryan. Sometimes here, I can't tell them a part. They all look the same -- same type that is. |
| GuestAllen | There are some violence British TV shows. Liverpool 1. |
| Trish47 | the guy that plays resnick, I don't think he would have gotten on American TV |
| GuestAllen | We're always doing psychological thrillers. It seems it's all we're doing. |
| Trish47 | Neither would Dawn French |
| spitty | Scouse I thinkk they are called!! |
| Steed | Have they been forced to be more violent to compete with American TV/ |
| Krina | Tom Wilkinson, Trish? I agree. |
| Trish47 | He plays great rolls |
| Trish47 | roles |
| GuestAllen | Steed, no. There is a perception that all Scousers are a bit on the dodgy side criminally (allegedly). |
| Trish47 | scousers? |
| GuideRyan | Wilkinson is great. He was the older guy in The Full Monty |
| Trish47 | He has varied talent |
| GuestAllen | Scousers = People from Liverpool. |
| spitty | a Scouser is a Liverpudlian I think |
| Trish47 | Ahhhh |
| GuideRyan | So are co-productions the wave of the future? Worked well with Hornblower and even those NBC things like Gulliver's Travels were made with Channel 4. |
| Trish47 | Time for This Life |
| Krina | Like the American Cracker. The guy who plays that is much more "acceptable" than Robbie S. |
| spitty | I wonder why Maggie Smith has never done a series? |
| GuestAllen | I agree that co-productions can bring out the best in both countries. |
| Krina | Oops. Robbie C. |
| Trish47 | Ryan, channel 4 is very special |
| Trish47 | not the usual american TV |
| GuestAllen | This Life was a soap opera for thirtysomethings who were sexually deviant. |
| GuideRyan | I've only seen a few This Life but I liked it. I see the actors now in all sorts of other things. |
| GuestAllen | London Bridge is another show in that same style. And a sitcom in that style: Cold Feet. |
| SpinCycle | Two Fat Ladies is on FoodTV |
| Trish47 | Haven't seen those |
| GuideRyan | Cold Feet is being remade by NBC this fall. The British one is great though - Helen Baxendale is terrific. |
| Krina | That's good, SpinCycle |
| GuestAllen | I like Two Fat Ladies but Ryan doesn't. |
| SpinCycle | heh |
| Trish47 | I will have to see those ladies |
| GuestAllen | They honestly look like they enjoy their food and they don't take any rubbish. They're cooks with attitude. |
| spitty | They look too unsavorary to me to be cooking!!! |
| Trish47 | i like attitude |
| GuestAllen | It's they are always smoking and drinking. |
| Krina | Like Monty Python housewives. |
| Trish47 | you want unsavory, you should see my cooking |
| spitty | besides, they cook things we wouldnt want!!!!!!!! |
| Steed | What do you want with your jugged fish? |
| GuestAllen | They've led interesting lives and make interesting meals. Britain seems to turn out the more eccentric type of cooking presenters. |
| SpinCycle | they remind me of my Nana |
| GuideRyan | There are an awful lot of cooking shows on British TV. |
| SpinCycle | jugged kippers |
| Steed | Rat Tart! |
| Krina | There are whole channels of nothing else but here, Ryan |
| Trish47 | I need shows with directions for boiling water |
| spitty | Trish I meant the fat ladies look unsavorary, meaning trashy in a way |
| GuestAllen | Graham Kerr used to drink most of the wine during a show and get drunk. So did Fanny Craddock. |
| Trish47 | yes spitty |
| GuestAllen | I don't think the Two Fat Ladies look trashy at all. |
| GuideRyan | Spitty, are you just biased against those on motorcycles? |
| SpinCycle | they seem wealthy too, they eat expensive food |
| spitty | do you know what I mean by unsavory Allen? They look as tho a good bath would improve them |
| Krina | Would you give us they look "unkempt", Guest? :) |
| GuestAllen | They are both wealthy. One owns a restaurant and both have been married to very wealthy men. |
| Trish47 | I think the british programs I have seen have more "real" people than the american ones |
| GuestAllen | I don't think they look unkempt, they just dress in a bohemian style. |
| spitty | unkempt, you got it!!!! Hair hanging down over the food, UGH |
| GuideRyan | Like Tom Baker. |
| Trish47 | tom baker |
| GuestAllen | They haven't poisoned anyone they've cooked for yet. |
| Steed | Another consensus. |
| GuideRyan | Well, as Allen said, the Fat Ladies don't really do much for me. |
| Krina | If they do get real people on American tv, they take them off because they aren't good looking enough. |
| Trish47 | one problem with british TV that I have heard here is that no one can understand the language |
| SpinCycle | well i wouldnt really want to watch them cook in hairnets ,, hehhe |
| Trish47 | I can't believe it |
| Krina | It is difficult sometimes, Trish, for me. |
| Trish47 | I do believe it |
| GuestAllen | We're back to style over content. The Americans are obsessed with the body beautiful. Unfortunately the majority of most Americans fail to meet this criteria. |
| GuestAllen | British as well. |
| GuestAllen | In fact, most of the world. |
| GuideRyan | Allen, you're undermining your own argument. |
| GuestAllen | I'm not. I'm just agreeing to a good point. |
| Trish47 | yes, I would need a wide screen TV |
| SpinCycle | I am used to some of it.. when I visit my nana she speaks that way.. |
| Krina | Like Daniel Benzali in Murder One being replaced... |
| spitty | I suspect a chauvanist or two!!!!! |
| GuideRyan | Krina, but he turned up in NYPD Blue again recently. |
| Krina | For a guest role, only, Ryan. :) |
| GuestAllen | I never really understood the hype about Murder One (or Murder Two) |
| Krina | Oh, I liked it Allen. |
| GuestAllen | But then I did like Wild Palms. |
| Trish47 | I guess I missed those |
| GuestAllen | It would be a boring world if we all liked the same programs. |
| Trish47 | true |
| Trish47 | thank goodness for cable TV |
| GuideRyan | Americans don't really have a good breed of character actors any more. |
| Steed | Allen, if you liked Wild Palms, did you see Maximum Bob last summer? |
| Krina | Or looked the same |
| GuestAllen | No, they have to get Canadians to do it. |
| GuestAllen | I loved Maximum Bob. |
| Trish47 | There is no more Humphry Bogart |
| SpinCycle | thank goodness for 6 discovery channels.. I still am awe struck that there are 6 |
| GuideRyan | I agree, Bob was really great, a breath of fresh air. Of course they had to take it off. |
| Steed | Same here, I wish they'd pick it up again. |
| spitty | Does Anthony Andrews appear in any tv programs? |
| GuideRyan | Geez, there are six Discovery channels? Wow! |
| Trish47 | well there was Max Headroom |
| GuestAllen | Spitty, he only does theatre or films now. |
| GuideRyan | Smitty, try the Internet Movie Database to see what he's up to lately. |
| spitty | thanx, I was wondering |
| GuideRyan | I loved Max Headroom, but it started as a British show don't forget! |
| GuestAllen | The British make really good science programmes, I'll cite Horizon and Equinox. Although a lot of these seem to be made as co-productions with WGBH in Boston. |
| Trish47 | I would like to see the british science programmes |
| spitty | There was a series from Agatha Christie, one about a discontented housewife , do they ever replay those? |
| GuideRyan | A lot turn up here under different names. |
| Trish47 | WGBH is very special and innovative |
| Krina | I don't remember that one, spitty. |
| GuestAllen | Or on the Discovery Channel. The "weather porn" ie hurricanes, lightning, volcanoes were made in Britain. |
| GuideRyan | One woman is in charge of WGBH. She controls all the money and decides what can get made. |
| spitty | It was not a mystery, but an interesting study |
| GuideRyan | Rebecca Eaton is her name. |
| spitty | see, I knew we had a chauvenist here!!!!!lol |
| Krina | spitty, I remember Miss Marple, Hercule, Tommy and Tuppence and one with a quiet male detective. |
| Trish47 | hmmm I never knew that |
| Steed | Ted Turners sister/ |
| GuestAllen | I've never heard of Tommy and Tuppence. |
| Trish47 | the house of elliott - is that A&E? |
| GuideRyan | It was BBC, Trish. |
| Krina | Allen, Francesca Annis was Tuppence. |
| spitty | Krina, this was a different type of series, I have a copy of the houswife one, it was done years ago on beta, and is a bad copy, but I just love it!!!! |
| GuestAllen | Doesn't ring a bell but I just remember Bill And Ben The Flowerpot Men (little weeeeed). |
| Trish47 | Blue Peter? |
| spitty | Tommy and Tuppence played here on pbs a few years ago |
| Krina | I'd like to see it, spitty. I like all the Agatha Christie mysteries. |
| GuestAllen | I have to concede the British win hands down when it comes to Children's programs. |
| Krina | Parker Pyne, that's the other one, spitty. |
| GuestAllen | Because when Americans do live-action children's programmes they are extremely patronising and simplistic. |
| Trish47 | Just watched the Cronicles of Narnia again |
| GuestAllen | I agree, that was good. |
| GuideRyan | And it had Tom Baker in it! |
| Trish47 | ooops...classics again |
| Trish47 | tom baker |
| spitty | Krina, its not a mystery, just a study of a discontented housewife, but is very good. |
| Trish47 | guess who I liked as an actor |
| Krina | Oh, spitty, I'll bet that's from a book Agatha wrote under her pseudynom. |
| spitty | I'll send you a copy if you like |
| Krina | Oh, spitty, I couldn't ask you to do that. Too much trouble. |
| GuestAllen | I think the best answer to this is you take all the best American programmes and all the best British programmes and you have one channel called Most Excellent TV. |
| spitty | Hell no, I do it all the time, I enjoy the fact that other people enjoy this stuff |
| GuideRyan | Well yeah, we'd all like to have that. But it's not likely to happen, is it? |
| Trish47 | METV |
| Krina | We could start our own channel. |
| Trish47 | who get's to pick the shows |
| GuestAllen | We're just going to have more and more channels, showing more and more crap. |
| spitty | So does Allen feel the US is the best? |
| Krina | spitty, could I pay you? |
| Trish47 | I hope it's not my brother in law |
| Trish47 | he watches fishing |
| GuestAllen | We'll have to be a gold miner trying to find a needle in a haystack. |
| GuideRyan | Well even though we're not "The Mining Co" any more, I will try to point out the good ones so people can catch them. |
| spitty | Nope, no pay, 'tis for love of the Brits!!!! |
| GuestAllen | Spitty, for science fiction programmes. |
| GuestAllen | And cop programmes. |
| GuestAllen | And animated sitcoms. |
| GuideRyan | What's left? |
| Krina | Well, thanks, spitty. Let me think about it. You'll be back here sometime, won't you? |
| Trish47 | wallace and grommit |
| GuestAllen | Made in England by Aardman Animation. |
| spitty | yes, I will. YKou can tape something for me if you would feel better |
| Steed | Allen, What did you think of Stressed Eric? |
| spitty | So Allen, sum it up percentage wise!!! |
| GuestAllen | Steed, I loved the exploding donkey episode. |
| GuideRyan | yeah, I have to agree, that was the high point. |
| GuestAllen | 60/40 in favour of the US. |
| Steed | Another series not given the chance to grow out of it's growing pains, IMO. |
| Trish47 | oh no |
| GuideRyan | I thought there would be a second series but Allen is saying apparently not. |
| Trish47 | 60/20 british favor <--bad at math |
| GuideRyan | LOL. |
| GuideRyan | I'm going to stick my neck out here and say 75/25 in favor of British. |
| GuestAllen | All I'll concede is 55/45. |
| GuideRyan | I feel like eBay. |
| Trish47 | i like ryan's better ... sorry alan |
| GuestAllen | Anyway, I've discovered a new American show, The X Show on FX. I've made notes and I intend to present my own version to Channel 4 when I get home. |
| Trish47 | does this happen every week |
| spitty | I go with Ryan!!!!! I belong to the old school, and remember the good old days, especially he London Palladium |
| GuestAllen | Because we have a lack of male chauvinist pig programmes at home. |
| Steed | Bye Trish. Looks like it's wrapping up so I'll go too. Thanks everyone! |
| GuideRyan | I can't recommend The X Show. It's lame. |