Time for another round of "Name your favorite British TV show"

Zen is great, especially if you have read the Aurelio Zen mysteries and are familiar with the character. Rufus Sewell does a great job of portraying him. Unfortunately there are only 3 episodes.

I know, Lola! I was crushed as I felt like it really deserved another season (or more).

Have you seen Rowan Atkinson as Maigret? This is a recent series of about 3 or 4 episodes, much more recent than previous series. He doesn’t have the physique of the Maigret of the books, but he does well and I really enjoyed the series. (No memories of Mr Bean surfaced, for me at least!)

Taskmaster. Okay, it is no longer new and, incredibly, has been going for nearly ten years now, with 18 series already. It has also spawned a lot of international versions. The Spanish and USA ones failed, but it is doing well elsewhere - some suggest the Kiwi and various Scandi versions are as good as the original.

Also Ghosts. It has sadly finished now - but I think the USA version might still be going and, apparently, there is a new Oz version. I cannot comment on those, but the original British Ghosts was one of the greatest programmes of recent times. Very funny, but also very sad when it needed to be. The Captain's death story was heartbreaking.

Since you mention various murder programmes, might I also mention Sister Boniface? A crime-fighting show which was just weirdly daft and fun throughout.

Amanda, no I haven't, but it keeps catching my eye on BritBox so I will definitely try it out. Thanks!

Nick, not sure how I missed Taskmaster but it looks very interesting. And it looks like I can watch it on Pluto—thanks so much! I will keep an eye out for Ghosts as well.

I don’t know if either of these is available to view in this US, but they’re both quirky detective series with great location filming.

McDonald and Dodds is set in Bath and looks gorgeous. Feature-length episodes packed with famous faces. Cosy murder with an appealing pair of detectives.

Ludwig is a kind of comedy/crime/thriller on the BBC in which a genius crossword compiler tries to solve his police detective twin’s disappearance by posing as him, but of course keeps having to solve the murder of the week as well. It’s set in Cambridge so lots of lovely locations.

ALSO: I adore Taskmaster. It kept me joyful during the pandemic.

Call the Midwife (Netflix): Period drama about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s and 1960s. Generally a little too twee for my taste, but it turned out to be exactly the comforting show I needed to escape with this week.

Line of Duty (Acorn): The gold standard. I miss this show.

Karen Pirie (BritBox): Set in St. Andrews, Scotland. A young detective-sergeant, Karen Pirie, is put in charge of what appears to be a twenty-five year-old cold case.

The Moorside (BritBox): Based on the 2008 disappearance of 9-year-old Shannon Matthews and the search for her by police and volunteers in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

The Bay (BritBox): Police drama series set in Morecambe, Lancashire.

Grace (BritBox): Police procedural set in Brighton and Hove.

Broken (BritBox): Drama about a Catholic priest who presides over a large Northern parish in England.

Little Boy Blue (BritBox): Crime drama is based on the true story of Rhys Jones, an 11-year-old boy who was murdered on his way home from football practice in 2007 in Liverpool.

Time (BritBox): British prison drama follows Mark Cobden, a husband, teacher and father who is sentenced to four years in prison after accidentally killing a man. Season 2 is set in a women's prison.

What Remains(BritBox): Two years after her disappearance, the badly decomposed body of Melissa Young - a single woman in her early thirties - is discovered in the loft of her former apartment.

Miss Scarlet (PBS): Victorian London's first-ever female detective.

DI Ray (PBS): Parminder Nagra and Gemma Whelan in police procedural drama set in Birmingham.

Not British, but I enjoyed Astrid (PBS): Detective television series set in Paris about an impulsive police detective, Major Raphaëlle Coste, and an autistic archivist Astrid Nielsen.

There is a British version, filmed in York, called Patience (PBS) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patience_(TV_series)

Mardee, thanks for this post. I've watched about 75% of these shows. I watch BritBox and PBS mainly. I used to have Acorn and I loved Brokenwood Mysteries, set in New Zealand and I'm so happy to see it now on PBS I started reading the "Zen" series after I visited Sicily and was also disappointed that only those 3 were made into video. Some of my favorites you mention are Annika, The Tower and Blue Lights. I'm already hooked on Marlow Murder Club because I have always liked Samantha Bond.

Great post!!!! What a fun topic - and soooo many great shows mentioned!

I could add oodles of shows but am pressed for time right now so I am just going to say: Detectorists.

Mackenzie Crook (you’ll recognise him as Gareth from The Office) wrote and stars. With Toby Jones, Rachel Stirling, and Diana Rigg (Rachel Stirling’s real life mom).

It is a beautiful, lovely, sweet, quirky, understated show about love, loss, partnerships, competition, and gold. Cannot recommend highly enough.

Vera and Slow Horses are not mentioned but have to be top five at least. I only watch British shows, they are far superior to any American productions IMHO

Mardee, what a great topic and diversion.

McDonald &Dobbs is a lot of fun and well done.
Of course, there's Doc Martin, which is finished after 20 years. I did find a somewhat similar show, but set in Ireland, 1990's, also where a young man comes to live in a new village , and finds love. The show is Ballykissangel, but in this case, the man is a Catholic priest. The first three seasons are the best. The young man is Stephen Tompkinson, his breakout role, better known years later as DCI Banks.
And the third season of Van der Valk was great, especially after being in Amsterdam this past spring.
Miss Scarlett has now lost her Duke, so will be interesting if the new male lead is as interesting.

This is such an enjoyable topic. BritBox and Acorn TV are my go-to's these days.
Thanks

We really enjoyed The Detectorists, too, Volva. MacKenzie Crook and Toby Jones are awesome in this! It’s on Prime.

Speaking of Toby Jones, I had the pleasure of watching the mini series Mr, Bates vs. the Post Office on the flight over to London. Incredible story. I think it’s on Prime as well.

One more. Bodyguard with Richard Madden and Sophia Rundle. On Netflix.

I enjoyed the first season of The Nordic Murders --- it's in German. It is not Nordic but Baltic! Its location is a real place, an island called Usedom that is half German and half Polish. Here’s what Google says about it:

Usedom is an island divided between Germany and Poland in the Baltic Sea. It's known for beaches and nature parks. On the German side, the seaside towns of Ahlbeck, Heringsdorf and Bansin have resort architecture, promenades and piers. Northwest, the Peenemünde Historical Technical Museum displays WWII missiles. South, the Polish port of Świnoujście is home to the Museum of Sea Fishery and a 19th-century lighthouse. ― Google

So there is interesting built-in tension between the two halves of the island, plus a teenage Romeo and Juliet, and a woman cop whose mother just got out of prison. I can’t tell when people are speaking Polish rather than German, but it seems like they do sometimes. I didn't watch the other seasons because the actor I liked was switched out for some similar-looking but not as good actor. The woman police officer has a way of just looking intently at someone she is interviewing that makes me want to confess to everything.

I second the recommendation for all seasons of Astrid! My husband, who almost never watches TV shows especially not cop shows, watched every episode with me.

Really old British series, but being a gardener, I sure liked Rosemary & Thyme.

I have three suggestions, all great in different ways:
Chewing Gum is hilarious but incredibly rude and a bit gross
No Offence has intelligent, sympathetic women characters and is often funny
The Detectorists is gentle and positive

For all three shows I must recommend turning on the subtitles, especially for No Offence--I found the Mancunian accents impenetrable, and there are often simultaneous conversations going on that are important to the plot and/or character development.

Vera and Slow Horses are not mentioned

Mardee literally mentioned Vera in her very first sentence introducing the thread.

Adding my votes for Slow Horses and No Offence.

No Offence is funny and rude and irreverent and even I have the subtitles on for it.

Slow Horses is based on a series of brilliant books by Mick Herron, focusing on the squalid side of spying in London. A superb performance from Gary Oldman that you can almost smell. It’s on Apple TV in the UK.

I've finished watching all the Death in Paradise series, some detectives I liked better than others. Enjoyed the Beyond Paradise series with Kris Marshall which is just getting started.

Now we are on to New Tricks. Has taken a while to get into the characters but it's got some good lines. I think it goes for 12 years and we are just on year 2. It's a bit dated but that's OK, so am I!

We also enjoyed the few episodes of Murder in Provence. We watched some of Mallorca Files but I just did not click with either of the leads in that.

Robert Thorogood wrote the Marlow Murder Club book series and also wrote the original Death in Paradise series (not sure if he continued to write it).

Love this topic!

The new All Creatures is my very favorite. I also loved Shetland. Currently watching Foyle’s War. It’s been around for a while, but is excellent. It’s set during WWII and has wonderful characters and actors.

Next up — We are going to try Dec Martin. Now I have many more to check out. Thanks, Mardee and everyone who’s responded.

And I almost forgot — The Detectorists is delightful!

Golden Girl, McDonald and Dodds is available on Netflix, and I totally forgot about that. I started watching it then stopped for some reason and then forgot to back to it. I will rectify that!

I am waiting with baited breath for Ludwig to come to the states. Right now it's just in the UK but I've been reading the reviews and it sounds great.

Mary, I enjoyed Call the Midwife for several seasons but then life (and murder mysteries) got in the way. :-) My sister watches it all the time. I will add some of those to my queue and some are there already—I just need to watch them!

Laurie Beth, I will look for Brokenwood Mysteries—that sounds very interesting!

Volva, thanks for the Detectorists rec. I keep eyeing that so I'm already halfway there to watching it. It sounds really good! And I love Toby Jones!

Les, I agree about British shows. I especially like that the characters are not made-up actors but look like real people, with disabilities and much more diversity than the US.

Pat, Yes, I've been watching a lot of non-US TV lately as a diversion, lol! Van der Valk is another one that's on my IMDb watchlist. I'm inching closer to it.

Mustlovedogs, I'll have to look for Mr. Bates movie. That caught my eye once and then I forgot about it. I have seen Bodyguard and enjoyed that. I really like Keeley Hawes.

nancys8, The Nordic Murders sounds very nice—and I especially like that it's in German. That gives me a chance to practice mine.

NYCLibrary and GoldenGirl, I will check out No Offence—that definitely sounds like something I would be interested in. And FWIW, I use subtitles for just about everything. I watched 2 episodes of Slow Horses, and could not get into it at that time. But I keep meaning to go back and try again. I love Gary Oldman and feel like I need to give it another chance.

Has anyone watched Secret City with Anna Torv? Australian, not British, but I really liked it. It reminded me a little of Cobra, which I watched on PBS and liked. Not as much as I like other shows, but worth watching.

Pam, I did see that the same guy wrote both Marlow Murder Club and Death in Paradise, which makes me want to watch that latter now. I'll have to get it in somehow.

Carroll, the newest season of Shetland is supposed to be dropping in the states by the end of the year, according to BritBox. I can't wait! I love Ashley Jensen and think she and Tosh make a great team.

I mentioned Sherwood above, but did want to mention that a new season of that is coming in mid to late November, I believe. That series was absolutely amazing. I watched the whole series in one night. I could not bear to turn it off.

I also loved Detectorists. Thanks for starting this thread, Mardee.

...and I love Rufus Sewell in this. I became enamored of him after watching him in The Diplomat on Netflix.

If you really like Rufus Sewell, you should check out The Man in the High Castle on Prime. His role expands in the later seasons. Very ambiguous at the start - you need to be patient.

But where does one find time to watch all of these shows? I barely had time to finish A Gentleman in Moscow before the discounted first month ran out...

My absolute favorite is the original Mapp and Lucia with Geraldine McEwan, Prunella Scales, and Nigel Hawthorne. Perfection! As is Jeeves and Wooster with Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.

Also, Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister with Paul Eddington and Nigel Hawthorne. Cranford, The Duchess of Duke Street, To Serve Them All My Days, The Forsyte Saga, Brideshead Revisited (with Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews), The Barchester Chronicles, Home Fires, The Pallisers, The Way We Live Now, He Knew He Was Right, Wives and Daughters, North and South, South Riding, Lark Rise to Candleford, House of Elliott.

I've been rewatching As Time Goes By, comfort watching at its best.

Oooh Sherwood is starting another season soon? Yay! I had forgotten about that one. I just read ACGS Season 5 will be available in the US on PBS on Sunday, January 12, 2025 at 9 EST. Perfect timing for it to be released here. Such a “feel good” series, it’s my all time British fave. Watching it is like chicken soup for the soul and my soul needs some chicken soup rn!

This one isn’t British, but if you want to watch an Irish series that will make you laugh till you cry, try the Derry Girls. My family goes back and watches many of the episodes repeatedly bc they are just too good. I would swim to Ireland to beg Lisa McGee for a fourth season. It’s on Netflix.

Grier and everyone- so many great suggestions! Thank you!

I also love McDonald &Dobbs (BritBox)

Recently we have really enjoyed Jonathan Creek. Once you hit season 4 it loses alot of what i liked in the beginning though.

Mardee, great thread! We watch PBS mainly but I must get BritBox.

We're currently enjoying The Marlow Murder Club and yes, Mardee, now I can't wait to go explore Marlow.

We enjoyed Annika, Van Der Valk and DI Ray with Parminder Nagra. I enjoyed seeing Parminder Nagra again, as I loved the movie with her, Bend It Like Beckham (2002). This movie also starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers (who played a young Henry VIII in The Tudors) Archie Panjabi (played Calinda in the American TV series The Good Wife) and Keira Knightley.

Of course we have enjoyed Doc Martin and All Creatures Great And Small.
I tried Acorn TV for a while and enjoyed Midsomer Murders.

We enjoyed Seaside Hotel while it was on our local PBS channel. Now using Passport to watch additional seasons which were not shown in our area.

MaryLand was great, but I was surprised to hear and read it was not filmed on the Isle of Man, but in Ireland! After the last episode, there was an interview with the actors and the creators who said the authorities wouldn't let them film it on the Isle of Man!
Here's the IBDB list of
filming locations:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18556180/locations/?ref_=tt_dt_loc

Esplanade Hotel, Strand Rd, Newcourt, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
(The "Blue Haven" bed and breakfast.)

Seamount, Balscadden Rd, Howth, Dublin, Ireland
(The home inherited by Suranne Jones' and Eve Best's characters.)

Bray Head, Newcourt, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
(Eve Best begins her jog from the Strand Road end and runs south toward the Bray Head Cliff Walk.)

Verso Creative Studio, Cliff Rd, Rathdown Upper, Windgates, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
(Hugh Quarshie's clifftop home.)

Fred and Nancy's Killiney, The White Cottage, Killiney Beach, Dublin, A96 KXE6, Ireland
(Stockard Channing tells Eve Best she milked cows and was from Fisher, Texas.)

18 Raheen Park, Newcourt, Bray, Co. Wicklow, A98 C9K7, Ireland
(While jogging Eve Best trips and falls opposite this house.)

One of the creators of MaryLand explains a little in this article:

"Where was Maryland filmed? Filming locations revealed"--article written by Robert Oliver for Metro:
https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/22/where-was-maryland-filmed-filming-locations-revealed-18825027/

"Despite being set primarily in the Isle of Man, Maryland was actually filmed in Ireland, with many Irish locations standing in for Manx towns and villages.
The show’s co-creator, Anne-Marie O’Connor, said that she drew inspiration for Maryland’s filming locations after living in Ireland for a while.
However, O’Connor admitted she had another location in mind: ‘I was really disappointed not to use the Isle of Man. There’s a real specificity to the island.’ "

So we will have to go to Ireland to see the scenery in that series, I'm afraid. I'm still not clear about why the authorities on the Isle of Man would not approve filming there. I believe it was something like they were afraid it would draw huge crowds of spectators and disrupt island life for the locals.

I didn’t see a mention of The Crown.
I’m only just watching it now….superb acting and very gripping!

Also about the Royal Family, but a completely irreverent and hilarious spoof is “The Windsors”.

A movie, not a series, is the lovely “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”.

If you liked Doc Martin, a series about a similar quirky village in Scotland is “Hamish Macbeth “.
Hilarious if you understand Scots humour.
It’s about 30 years old, but might be found on YouTube.

For gardens: Gardener’s World” ! , shown every week in the UK, but all found on YouTube.
Some frequent visits to historic gardens and stately homes.

I’ll try to think of some more……

Three series I like are:

Hi-De Hi

You Rang, M'Lord

Oh Dr. Beeching

All three comedies have the same actors in them. But playing completely different characters.

I'm also a fan of Last of the Summer Wine. The first few series weren't great but it got much better over time.

Allo, Allo--very funny

Haven’t seen anyone mention One Day. It a British romantic drama that my daughter told me about and we watched together at the beach over the summer. Sweet, touching story that I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did.

We were on a Nicola Walker search after Unforgotten and Annika and found The Split. Really good! (but she is great in everything we’ve watched. Love her!)

A few classic.

Boys from the Black Stuff.

The peerless Edge of Darkness staring Bob Peck

The ultimate feel bad film, recently reshown after traumatising a generation in the 1980s....Threads.
For lighter relief.
Green Wing
Brass Eye

“Rebus” …there are a couple of series with different actors playing the lead.
Police drama set in Edinburgh, based on the Ian Rankin books.

“Taggart”, police in Glasgow…again, two series with different actors.

“Brideshead Revisited”.

“Inspector Morse”, then “Lewis”, the “Endeavour”…..watch in order.

“Pride and Prejudice”….two different versions.

Any of the Harlan Coben mysteries on Netflix: “Safe” is a good one, and “Fool me Once”.

Annika: Another PBS show about heads a woman (Nicola Walker), who heads up the Marine Homicide Unit in Glasgow, tasked with solving murders in and around the Scottish waters.

If you like Annika and Nicola Walker, give The Unforgotten a shot. Great premise and writing. We stream it on PBS Passport.

I see that some of you have come across ‘Race Across The World’.

Gavin & Stacey (not my cup of tea) is a popular BBC comedy in the UK starring James Corden. It is available via You Tube.

Loved Midsummer Murders and Call the Midwife.

As a Brit I’m enjoying reading others perspectives of our TV programmes. I was a little concerned that a previous poster thought Sherwood was a cosy feel good show until I re-read and realised they were referring to All Creatures Great and Small!

The recent series of Sherwood had some excellent performances particularly Monica Dolan and Lorraine Ashbourne but goodness me it was violent, not a cosy feel good show.

I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned the Strike series, based on the novels by Robert Galbraith Aka JK Rowling. Five of the seven books have been adapted so far and are pretty faithful to the original. Strike is a private detective, based in Soho, London and the series is on BBC, I’ve no idea if it can be found on any other platforms but if you can find it I would recommend. The lead actors are perfectly cast in my opinion.

Mardee, I bookmarked this post for the days when I've watched all my favs 3 times and I need a new British, Australian, New Zealand show to binge.

Has anyone mentioned Magpie Murders yet? Really clever mix of contemporary and Agatha Christie-style crime. The follow-up season Moonflower Murders is due soon. Based on novels by the prolific Anthony Horowitz, who also created Foyle’s War.

Barbara N, another rec for that! I definitely need to start on that. I also loved Detectorists.

markcw, I will check that outl. That's been on my radar for a long time, but now that I knew RS is in it, I will push it up. And yes, therein lies the problem. There are so many shows and so little time! I usually allocate an hour or two in the evening to relax with my current favorite, but they do pile up.

Grier, I will look for those; thanks! Have you seen A Bit of Fry and Laurie on BritBox right now? I just started watching it a week or so ago and it's so funny! It's an old collection of theirs with some of their characters, including yuppie couple John and Peter and secret agents Control and Tony. I'm dying watching it!

Mustlovedogs, yes, I'm very excited for the new season of All Creatures! And of course, Sherwood! I saw Derry Girls when it first came out and laughed myself silly! Such a wonderful show! It's hard to believe those "girls" were all in their late 20's or early 30's when they filmed that.

April, I will look for Jonathan Creek. Sadly, that's true of many shows (but not all)!

Rebecca, aI found out that the reason they did not file it on the Isle of Man was due to taxes. Evidently the filming company gets some kind of funding through corporation taxes, but only if the filming location offers it, and the Isle of Man did not have any provisions for that. So it boiled down to money. But I still loved it! I really enjoyed Eve Best, who I liked when she was in Nurse Jackie.

S J, yes, of course, the Crown! I have watched that, and enjoyed it. And thanks for the mention of YouTube. I forget how many shows can be found there.

Frank II, those look really interesting! I do like many of the older British shows, and found these on YouTube so will be looking out for them. Thanks!

Mustlovedogs, I loved the split! I'm a retired divorce attorney so it was especially interesting for me. I've heard that they are coming back with a new season that is filming now. I haven't heard of "One Day" but will look for it.

richard, those look great! Thanks! I might as well just glue myself to the seat for awhile with so many options. :-)

S J, I love Endeavor, but was not as enamored of Inspector Morse, and have seen both Pride and Prejudices over the years (in fact, I went to both Pemberley locations on my trip earlier this year).

JayMN, I love Unforgotten, and love the new character who replaced Nicola Walker. I'm very much looking forward to the next season.

James, yes, I was excited to hear about Race Across the World and look forward to watching as much of that as I can.

geovagriffith, I liked Call the Midwife, too. I watched Midsommer Murders for awhile and enjoyed it (although it boggles the mind how one village can have so many murders). :-)

Chris21, I just looked up "Strike" and found it's streaming on a number of platforms, including Max, Hulu, and Prime. That looks good and I will definitely add that to my queue.

Laurie Beth, I'm definitely keeping this post handy, too! Such great suggestions!

Golden Girl, No, I don't think so and I forgot about it! I have that in my queue to watch as it looks very good!

Slow Horses is on Apple TV but really good. About MI5

I also have Britbox and have watched Shetland and loved Douglas Henshall who placed Jimmy Perez, such a good actor! I tried to get into Murder in Provence, but I just couldn't get my head around the fact that they were trying to be French but British. My favorite British show which I don't think has been mentioned is Escape to the Country. They show three houses, the last one being the mystery house, and then in-between highlight a business in the area. The last tour company I used in the Cotswolds is going to be featured on a new series next year and I can't actually wait to see that episode. The couple escaped to the Cotswolds from London (working as police officers) and struggled making their business viable through Covid. Now thankfully their business is thriving.

I also watched an episode in Yorkshire, and one of the houses featured was a house we stayed in as a B&B. I Just love that show!

A fun and informative topic. Thanks for posting the topic and all the replies.

I bookmarked this post for the days when I've watched all my favs 3 times and I need a new British, Australian, New Zealand show to binge.

A Place to Call Home https://acorn.tv/placetocallhome

Jack Irish https://acorn.tv/jackirish

Wanted https://tv.apple.com/au/show/wanted/umc.cmc.1tlkafm0vujac3kzi5pv5b649

Mystery Road https://acorn.tv/mysteryroad/

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries https://acorn.tv/missfisher/

Darby and Joan https://acorn.tv/darbyjoan/

You might like the UK CH4 series ‘A Place in the Sun’. Brit’s go looking for property mainly in the Med. The You Tube link follows & readers might like to state their country and confirm that it works.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDTC79qOZ1Qb6rXc0d5MCM_bilmUlbNBp

A Confession https://www.britbox.com/us/show/p0891f13?autoplay=true

The Responder https://www.britbox.com/us/show/The_Responder_p0b61z9j

Hinterland https://acorn.tv/hinterland

The Fall https://acorn.tv/thefall/

The Accident https://acorn.tv/theaccident/

Kiri https://acorn.tv/kiri/

Mardee, yes, I also loved A Bit of Fry and Laurie! They are sooo talented.

I also recommend other P G Wodehouse adaptations, including Blandings and Wodehouse Playhouse

The Fall (Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan)
Broadchurch (Olivia Coleman and David Tenant)
Detectorists

And of course the greatest of them all - Peep Show.

Ludwig is great and Ellis is showing signs of being the new Vera.

mpaulynsettle I'm not much for reality shows but Escape to the Country does look intriguing! I'll watch an episode and see how it goes—it's streaming on Roku and YouTube, it looks like.

James, I checked the link and there are exactly 4 episodes that are available here. The others are hidden. But at least it's a taste! :-)

Grier, thanks! I'll check out those other ones as well.

Cambourne, I've seen The Fall and Broadchurch but Peep Show looks really funny! I will be checking that one out. I do like the comedy shows because unlike most series, where I feel obligated to follow it through episode by episode, I can watch a single comedic episode and then wait for a week or two to watch another.

Golden Girl mentioned Ludwig above, but it hasn't come to the states yet. Hopefully soon! And Ellis looks interesting! I hope she is less annoying than Vera. I liked the show but sometimes I just wanted to smack the character; especially when she stole someone's food. :-)

Oh, I forgot that there is a good show on Apple+ called "Trying" about a young couple living in Camden who want to adopt. It's funny and heartwarming and has some wonderful shots of London, especially Camden Town.

After seeing everything above, I have decided to add Acorn to my many streaming channels. After all, in the words of Dorothy Parker, you can never be too rich or too thin or watch too many British TV shows...

Thought twice about suggesting this as there are only 6 season available but it's gentle, kind, interesting social interactions of the times when it was filmed and the Yorkshire filming locations are beautiful.

From the wayyy back machine
BritBox
Heartbeat

We like lots of the shows already noted. Perhaps not mentioned yet of those we’ve enjoyed (although this thread is getting long so I can’t be sure) - Chelsea Detective, Whitstable Pearl and Lewis.

You might like to search various platforms for ‘Portillo’s Andalucia’ which is series of 4 programmes about this southern province of Spain. He also had a series about the Pyrenees.

I note that some of the above appear on You Tube but I think they are illegal uploads made by people who seek to cash in on material to which they have no copyright.

Not a show, but a show host: Rick Stein. On the last trip to London, I mentioned travel shows by Rick Steves to a local. She said, “Oh, I know Rick Stein!” Clearly, we were talking about two different Ricks.

I’m on a bus in Vietnam right now, bound for the Hanoi airport. Prior to leaving home for this adventure, I found a couple of Vietnam episodes from Rick Stein. He’s primarily food-focused, and the installments were several years old, but provided some preparation for what we might expect.

I used subtitles. Rick provided questionable pronunciation tips for viewers. He stressed that phô, the ubiquitous noodle soup (with either beef or chicken) the Vietnamese eat for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner, was pronounced “furrrrr.” Hearing his stress on the “r,” coming from an Englishman, was surprising. But so was his suggestion that that was how to pronounce “fuh.” There’s a subtle inflection on the vowel in that dish’s name, but “furrrr” it is not.

He’s got many episodes around the world from many seasons. Rick Steves and Rick Stein shows; both offer meaningful travel experience insight.

I quite liked The Chelsea Detective.

I found myself sitting next to Adrian Scarborough in the Kean’s Head in Nottingham recently. He was in a play at Nottingham Playhouse.

I can't think of a British TV show that I don't like...even the ones that fail to captivate completely are still a wonderful back-drop for while I'm knitting, love the accents and the scenery is always inspiring. All-time, many times re-watched, favorites include Downton Abbey, The Crown and Call the Midwife.

I wish Masterpiece Theatre had a suggestion box--for years I have read the wonderful Maisie Dobbs detective series by Jacqueline Winspear, and she published the final installment, #18, in June of this year. Maisie starts off destined to go into service, but ends up being a nurse in WWI--when she returns from the war she takes up detecting, and the series takes her through WWII and ends in 1945. Maisie is an intriguing character, and the supporting cast throughout the series has always been well-drawn as well, plenty of history, and interesting story lines. I can absolutely see this as a fabulous Masterpiece Mystery series!

The top number # 1 favourite is: "Death in Paradise"

Others favourites are "Vienna Blood," " Hope Creek' set in an island in Northern Ireland, "Astrid" ( in French).

One show I really enjoyed years ago is now on Prime, so I am re-watching.

Coupling

I watch a program about narrowboats....
Boring you say, but the program is about the narrowboat travels of the parents of actor Sam West....who plays
Siegfried on All Creatures Great and Small.
My first link to a video is of him on a narrowboat trip with his parents.
There's beautiful scenery along the canals.

Great Canal Journeys with actors Timothy West and Prunella Scales (Fawlty Towers)
This video is of their journey on the Oxford canal: (Keep watching when it seems to take a break halfway through):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD7c8OEYdBM&list=PLckQtGCdcmIw2Ikx2nYjW6ktrxZmzxx44&index=4
At 20:01, son Sam West shows up to join them on the boat.

Another favorite episode:
Journey through London on the canals.
They meet up with friend and fellow actor Sir Ian McKellen at a pub he owns, The Grapes (@ 40:27):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm4W3CRhsLA&list=PLckQtGCdcmIw2Ikx2nYjW6ktrxZmzxx44&index=5
Ian reading from Charles Dickens...priceless.

I watched this series first on PBS many years ago, then on Acorn TV many years ago, and then on BBCAmerica. Now they are not available on any of those channels, so I watch them on YouTube. There are several seasons and many locations--India, France & Italy included.
Canal Du Midi here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFTy66C0JO0&list=PLckQtGCdcmIw2Ikx2nYjW6ktrxZmzxx44&index=6

Making a note to myself.....Next trip to London, go to The Grapes pub. Chances are I won't see Sir Ian, but who knows? Seems to be a lovely pub anyhow.

Rebecca!! I've got your links bookmarked. Don't have time to see Sir Ian right now but wow...can't wait! Thanks for the tip!

I just read that BritBox has acquired Ludwig (mentioned above), to be aired in early 2025. It really sounds good. Here is a review by the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/sep/21/ludwig-this-hilarious-detective-drama-is-the-perfect-platform-for-david-mitchell

Pam, you are welcome! I think you'll enjoy these videos.
Mardee, thanks for posting the real reason MaryLand was not shot on the Isle Of Man...I didn't know about the money issue!!

Rebecca thank you! I just watched the first show you highlighted along the Oxford. It was so fun. My daughter and I saw our first longboats in London this past October in Camden and then along Regents Canal. Watching two women take their boat through the Camden Lock was fascinating. Turning the wheel is not easy! A kind gentleman nearby helped her out and the two of them together got it opened. Teamwork makes the dream work as they say. :) I think it would be amazing to go on trips like the Wests did. So grateful for you highlighting this!

CHRIS21 - Yes! The Strike series. I've read all the books. They're awesome. It streams on "Max" (previously HBO Max) here in the US. I hear a new season is coming soon!

And MARDEE - Trying is amazing! (Apple +) I absolutely adore those characters and can't for the series to return.

Thanks for the list. I am always looking for new things to watch despite the fact that I have a number of these in my queue to watch.

Earlier this year, I became strangely addicted to “24 Hours in A & E” (A & E = Accident and Emergency). It is a medical documentary and each episode typically follows three patients in A & E. They always spend time providing the life stories of the patients they follow. It can at times be sad but many of the stories of the ordinary people and the people who love them are very uplifting. It is on Amazon Prime and there are probably some 200 episodes. Each episode is self-contained.

We see almost all our British TV on PBS, as we're too miserly to pay for streaming services. The trio of Morse mystery series are my favorites ever, and I don't prefer any one to the others. I also loved the Case Histories series featuring Kate Atkinson's hero Jackson Brodie. Grantchester was great initially, I thought, but it's become stale IMO. Still love Geordie as played by Robson Green.

Of course Brideshead Revisited was in a class of its own, and I remain an enormous fan of Downton Abbey. Much earlier I was addicted to Monty Python. Something about how they recognized royalty struck a chord with me.

When we were in the UK, we got a big kick out of the British HGTV. What a hoot. Escape to the Country was our favorite.

Just out of interest, I thought I would give a link to what is on British TV as of now. BBC 1 and ITV 1 do have regional variations - especially for local news (ITV at 6pm & BBC at 6.30pm weekdays) but are mostly the same throughout the UK although Wales & Scotland do tend have more variations.

As well as BBC 1 & ITV 1, BBC 2, Channel 4 and Channel 5 make up the most popular channels and all are available for free via aerial or satellite throughout the UK (no encryption). Only BBC channels carry no adverts but every household with a TV must pay a yearly license fee. These channels have catch-up services via the internet and these are blocked to those outside the UK.

So, I give a link to the Freesat schedule and if you click on a programme, more details will come up. (If link does not work outside the UK - perhaps someone could confirm).

Rebecca, I didn't realize with the Isle of Man that it was about the money, either. :-) And thanks for the info on the narrowboats show. I'm sending that to my sister, too, as she loves ACGS and Sam West!

April, yes, Strike is on Max, but also Hulu, and Prime. Definitely will watch. I was happy to see another Trying fan—it was so charming, and the scenes of London are just wonderful!

James, yes, the link works and it was very cool to scroll through! I didn't realize you get shows like PBS: America. And I cracked up when I randomly clicked on a link for an episode of "Coronation Street" and got this description, lol!

Carol goes to berate Danny to the affair, but ends up trying to seduce him. Streetcars is plagued by hoax calls, and Liz gets a shock when she meets her toyboy's mother. [AD,S,HD]

mustlovedogs - sorry about this but my inner pedantic nature means I must say that they are narrowboats not longboats (although they are of course long!).

As a narrowboat owner I eventually lost patience with Great Canal Journeys as they tended to concentrate on comedy bumps with the boat and extended sessions with Tim and Prunella meeting up with their old theatre chums. I guess the latter is what many of you will find the most interesting though. For UK readers of a certain age it's very much that we know Tim and Prunella and that Sam is the new young kid!

If you want a much more representative show of what it's like to live on a narrowboat I can recommend Robbie Cummings and Canal Boat Diaries. the first series were on the BBC but latterly he has been on a separate streaming channel here but I suspect both are available on YouTube.

Thrilled to hear about a new season of Shetland!

Mardee - I am pleased that the link worked and that people outside the UK can see the type of programming that we have.

With a soap like Coronation Street - the listing often give a briefing of what will happen in each episode.

Yes, we do have PBS America and it is free to air from transmitters and satellite. I rarely watch it as many of the programmes have already been shown on the main UK channels. However, having viewed PBS America in America, I am pleased to say that we don’t have to out up with the over long inserts begging for money. Our version has adverts and the length of slots is controlled by regulation set by the UK Government.

If visiting the UK and staying in a hotel, the odds are that the 5 main channels will be in HD with BBC 1 on 101, BBC 2 on 102, ITV 1 on 103, CH on 10-4 & CH5 on 105. If you just press the single digit numbers, they will be only in standard definition - although some people delete the SD channels and move the HD channels to the single digits. (This can only be done with Freeview = TV coming in via aerial from a transmitter). The TV has the tuner in-built - some also have Freesat tuners in-built.

Hopefully visitors can view some British TV when on holiday to see the kind of programmes available.

Last Tango in Halifax.

Wolf Hall on Masterpiece (2015--Season 1) was a favorite PBS program. So well done with a stellar cast including Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell. It took 9 years before the final episodes for Season 2 were filmed last summer.
The new sequel picks up in May 1536 after the beheading of Anne Boleyn and follows the last four years of Thomas Cromwell’s life.
Details here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/specialfeatures/everything-we-know-now-about-wolf-hall-the-mirror-and-the-light/#
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light will air on Masterpiece Sunday nights from March 23 to April 20, 2025.

We watch what we can. I know my parents were big fans of All Creatures Big and Small, mainly the books, but also watched some of the early shows on PBS, plus they were excited when my Brother was stationed at Menwick Hill outside Harrogate (USAF) and they were able to visit many of the locations.

I also have seen all (well as available) of Doc Martin, Midsomer Murders, Hercule Poirot, and a half dozen other shows.

My wife actually bought the DVD set of BBC Ghosts, easier than finding on streaming services here, and less cost. She also is not as high brow as many of the shows on here, has a guilty pleasure for UK Love Island, UK Traitors, and of course how can you not mention The Great British Bake Off.

The other show I not see mentioned, and will not likely be offered on Britbox, BBC America, or PBS, was quite the topic of discussion at a conference among my peers in London some 5-6 years ago. Everybody came to breakfast asking if anyone else had caught the episode of Naked Attraction the night before. A bit of a shock compared to US network fare.

We love many that are mentioned here...a few that haven't come up yet (unless I missed them in this very comprehensive list):

Worzel Gummidge with Mackenzie Crook

Grand Designs

Would I Lie to You?

I don’t think I saw these mentioned:
Dalgliesh
Mrs. Sidhu Investigates
Good Ship Murder - this one is good on a day you need something light and kind of cheesy. The main character’s hook is that he’s a singer (won Britain’s X Factor in 2005), so he’s the headliner on a cruise ship and solves murders onboard and off. Each episode is set in a different port city.

As Time Goes By. is without a doubt my favorite. Love Judy Dench and Geoffrey Palmer in it.
Foyles War I'd have to say is next. Love Michael Kitchen and Honeysuckle Weeks.
After that, I really like most of the others. Too many to name. LOL

The episodes date back almost forty years, but The Black Adder series was phenomenally funny and witty, with bits of historical nuances woven in each storyline. Rowan Allison played Edmund Blackadder and Tony Robinson was brilliant as his sidekick, Baldrick in four distinct seasons. In the first, set in medieval times, Blackadder was a dim-witted noble, and Baldrick was clever. Subsequent season saw descendants of Blackadder becoming increasingly intelligent, while Baldrick’s descendants became increasingly stupid, to great comedic effect. These were depicted in Elizabethan, Georgian, and World War I times. Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry had prominent roles, too.

Great thread Mardee.

Nicola Walker also stars in Unforgotten which we enjoyed.

Another vote for Slow Horses - it's the best thing I've seen in years.

Also for crime you might explore the "Welsh Noir" scene. S4C and BBC have collaborated on three good series. Hinterland (Y Gwyll in Welsh), Hidden (Craith in Welsh) and most recently Cleddau (in Welsh with English subtitles).

Finally,Ludwig starring David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin was an unexpected delight.

As I was catching up on this thread, the news came through that Timothy West has died at the age of 90. A life well lived, it seems. An absolute pillar of British TV.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/nov/13/timothy-west-star-of-stage-screen-and-television-dies-aged-90?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I have been making lists like mad of all the shows I want to watch! So many good suggestions!

Golden Girl, thanks for the notice about Timothy West. And here we were just talking about his show with his family and narrowboats! What a wonderful life he had!

Becky, I did enjoy Last Tango in Halifax and anything else Sarah Lancashire is in. She was brilliant in Happy Valley, and will be featured in an upcoming show on Netflix called Black Doves, with Keira Knightley, that looks like it might be pretty good.

Skyegirl, Hinterland has been in my queue for awhile now, and maybe I'll bump it up a bit further. And I love Unforgotten and am really looking forward to the new season coming. I mentioned above that Ludwig is not yet available in the states but is coming to Britbox soon in early 2025. I definitely want to see that.

Oh Golden Girl that is sad news. I just watched he and “Pru” for the first time by the links Rebecca sent. Such lovely people they seem to be. You could just see and feel the love Samuel West has for his parents when he joined them on the narrow boat. I know he will be sorely missed, but as you said what a legacy and life!

Remembering all the great British tv shows illustrates the the sad state of drivel one finds on American tv.

Because I'm very low-brow (see my previous suggestions - Taskmaster? What was I thinking?), I'll mention a few sitcoms which might appeal. Over the years Channel Four has produced some great ones (and also some total dudds). I've no idea how available these are, but it could be worth seeing if you can get into Black Books, The IT Crowd, Friday Night Dinner and Father Ted (nominally Irish that last one). Also Spaced. If anyone enjoyed the cornetto trilogy of films (e.g. Hot Fuzz), then Spaced is the TV sitcom where they got their start.

Golden Girl, thank you so much for reporting this sad news about the death of Timothy West!
What a full life he had! I was always struck by his kindness to his wife and his love for her.
Their narrowboat journeys videos were about love for family and for each other as much as they were about their love of the canals and boating.
May he rest in peace.

“Inspector Morse”, then “Lewis”, then “Endeavour”…..watch in order.

Love these! My husband and I discovered Lewis first, not knowing it was a sequel to Morse. Then we watched Endeavour and finally Morse- not a very methodical approach! Having watched Endeavour before Morse, it was hard at times to reconcile the younger Morse with his older counterpart. And while dated (those shoulder pads on the women! And the phones!), we absolutely loved John Thaw as Morse in the original.

And another vote for Dalgliesh!

A couple of series I think not yet mentioned:

Mum, the first time I noticed the wonderful Lesley Manville. It's sort of hard to describe; it's a relatively lighthearted show about a middle-aged woman recently widowed. No murders. Mum listing on IMDb. I'm not the only one impressed; it has a rating of 8.3 on IMDb. It's apparently available from Britbox, not from PBS Passport. I think I watched broadcasts on PBS a few years ago, but it sort of flew under the radar.

MI-5 (original title Spooks): A long-running espionage series featuring some familiar faces during varying seasons, folks like Nicola Walker and Keeley Hawes. Available on Britbox and PlutoTV. While MI-5 was the PBS broadcast title, I think you may have better luck searching for Spooks on streaming services. MI-5/Spooks listing on IMDb

Speaking of which, there are free streaming services that have some good stuff if you don't require the things you watch to be too recent. The two I use are Tubi and (less often) PlutoTV. From Tubi I just recorded (but haven't yet watched) Reckless with Robson Green. It's not rare for those sources to have only some of the seasons of a show (usually but not always the earliest seasons), but if you can watch the early seasons for free, that reduces the number of months you need to pay for streaming in order to see the remainder. I see fewer and shorter advertisements on the streaming platforms than I used to encounter with commercial broadcast TV, so I don't find them terribly annoying.