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i've been an anglophile all my life...i love the history, the literature, British comedy, the countryside, everything! that is not to say i am not a patriotic American :yh_flag . my parents are buried in our National Cemetary, my Dad was in the US Government. but they loved England also. no point to this post except to say England is a lovely country in so many ways. and... anyone want to talk about their favorite British comedies? mine are "thin blue line" and 'Ab-Fab', as well as the "Vicar of Dibley".

lady cop wrote: anyone want to talk about their favorite British comedies? mine are "thin blue line" and 'Ab-Fab', as well as the "Vicar of Dibley". ~ One Foot in the Grave

~ 2.4 Children

~ Keeping Up Appearances

~ All Creatures Great & Small

Nice to know someone loves England & also appreciates our sense of humour, have you heard of Peter Kay? he's a northern comic & a very funny guy.

If you get a chance to see his phoenix nights series or any of his stand-up acts you're in for a real treat.

Also Gimme, Gimme,Gimme..well what can i say, CLASSIC :yh_rotfl

New Labour, The tories :-5 :-5 :-5

Hi abbey ~ I have not heard of Peter or Gimme x3



I do however love Lenny Henry from "Chef!"

>>^..^ Hi abbey ~ I have not heard of Peter or Gimme x3



I do however love Lenny Henry from "Chef!"
Blimey i havent seen "CHEF" for years, Lenny Henry's married to Dawn French, (vicar of Dibley) don't seem to see him on the telly anymore.

Green Wing is good

gmc wrote: New Labour, The tories :-5 :-5 :-5


Got it in one my friend, he is a bit of a muppet Blair. :-5

letha wrote: Green Wing is good


Letha, BRILLIANT, can't wait for next series, have ya seen "Smoking Room" very funny, makes ya want a fag!!

abbey wrote: Letha, BRILLIANT, can't wait for next series, have ya seen "Smoking Room" very funny, makes ya want a fag!!I've seen a bit of it, but not really got into it.

Hoping I might get to see a bit of Green Wing being filmed, if I ask sweetly I should

No one has mentioned England's gift to the world Monty Python. I couldn't have survived without them.

BTW the Fairy Godmother was the only character I liked in Shrek 2 (played by that "chick" from Ab Fab...forget her name but she is brilliant)

then there's the brilliant English dramas on PBS Masterpiece Theatre. great stuff! I Claudius, Elizabeth I, Six Wives of Henry Vlll, Mystery, and my all-time favorite, Rumpole of the Bailey.

For dramas... I have not seen any recent shows.. but I love Cracker with Robbie Coltraine,



- Prime Suspect



- Touch of Frost



-McCallum with John Hannah

Robbie Coltraine made Cracker what it was, so the Americans if they haven't seen the British episodes missed out in the conversion.

Same as Ab Fab was the girls, not just the script so again they lost out in the conversion.

posted by abbey

Got it in one my friend, he is a bit of a muppet Blair.


no fair to kermit.

How about Rab C Nesbitt did the us miss out on that cultural icon?

Steptoe and son, love thy neighbour.

Posted by letha

Same as Ab Fab was the girls, not just the script so again they lost out in the conversion.


Did they remake that as well?

Saw the US remake of cracker, it really is better with a fat unappealling alcoholic a the main character.

How about sharpe or hornblower? Maybe they should make the captain from connecticut

Peter Kay, genius, although I am not sure about Max and Paddy's Road to nowhere.

Nighty Night also does not get the credit it deserves, very dark.

Peter Kay is the funniest thing to come out of England in a long while...Garlic bread!!

Max and Paddy is hilarious, although not up to his usual standards, if anyone saw last weeks, just think a midget is different to a dwarf!!!!

England has had some great comedians though if you think about it...

Hmm. Some comments and observations. I may add some things I like, if I can think of any - I don't see lots of TV these daze.

Have never (seen|heard of):

Chef!

Gimme, Gimme,Gimme.

Green Wing

Max and Paddy

McCallum

Nighty Night

Peter Kay

Prime Suspect

Smoking Room

Thin Blue Line

Have seen and OK:

Cracker (original was better than Coltrane's).

Hornblower

Monty Python. (very patchy, some brilliant though).

Rab C Nesbitt (have you heard the man without his fake accent?).

Sharpe (shame about the real-life traits of lead actor).

Steptoe and Son (very dated, somewhat patchy, avoid films like the plague).

Have seen, neutral:

2.4 Children

Ab Fab

All Creatures Great & Small

Keeping Up Appearances

Love thy Neighbour. (this is *old*)

One Foot in the Grave

Touch of Frost (Lead actor has only one personality in any film).

Have seen and would not see again.

Vicar of Dibley (Absolutely dire)

LOL , that's what makes it interesting, differences...i think Vicar is an absolute scream. and blackadder as well. i just bought "blackadder's Christmas carol" haven't watched it yet. has anyone seen "league of gentlemen"? now that one is dark! and weird. but i liked it. i hated "as time goes by" and adore hyacinth "bouquet" bucket. in Vicar that guy who plays owen makes me keel over from laughter. the writing is excellent. a friend in England sent me the minutes of a club meeting and it was exactly the same as a 'Vicar' church council meeting.

I have to admit I am not the biggest Vicar of Dibley fan but it is funny at times. I hated league of gentleman, disgusting programme. Now something that is funny but I'm not sure you'd get to see in America is a programme called Little Britain, takes the mickey out of Britain etc but its hilarious....it has to be seen to appreciate its greatness. it is fast becoming a cult classic in Britain

Hi Bill Sikes...



Coltrane was not the original Cracker? do tell. He is my absolute fav.



Touch of Frost, he is a bit of a wet blanket, but a touch of dry humour now and again.



I am with you on Monty Python... some classic moments but lots of lack lustre filler.

>>^..^ Hi Bill Sikes... Coltrane was not the original Cracker?

do tell. He is my absolute fav.


Erm, I think I've made a mistake - probably thinking of a programme called

"Taggart". Someone from Up North will probably know.



>>^..^ Touch of Frost, he is a bit of a wet blanket, but a touch of dry humour now and again.


What I've got against it is that the chap (David Jacob) only *ever* plays one

part, and that's himself - in everything he does. If you ever get to see a series

called "The Darling Buds of May", well, don't. Actively avoid it, especially if

you've read the book (one of five in a series about the Larkin family). Very

badly miscast, and inappropriate. "Pop" was made out as a bumkin. A vile

blowzy Mariette was played by... blast, I've forgotten, but it wasn't good.



>>^..^ I am with you on Monty Python... some classic moments but lots of lack lustre filler.


"Ripping Yarns" ? Rutland Weekend Television? "Fawlty Towers"? Monty Python

spawned a lot of good stuff. The Complete And Utter History Of Britain. Marty

Feldman was in there somewhere....

Good news for you Bill Sykes I saw last week that Ripping Yarns is now out on DVD. Tomkinson's schooldays one of the funniest episodes I have ever seen "How I dreamed to be allowed to exhale like the second year boys".

Cracker = Robby Coltraine

Taggert = Mark McManus

Little Britain great stuff, the only gay in the village is inspired. I loved the league of gentlemen it was just so bizarre, they are currently shooting a film of it.

Bothwell wrote:

Little Britain great stuff, the only gay in the village is inspired.


yeah he is funny but the guy in the wheel chair is hilarious, 'yeah i know' i' i want it' lol

have you seen the new series on BBC3?

Bothwell wrote: I loved the league of gentlemen it was just so bizarre, they are currently shooting a film of it.


Erm, they already have... Jack Hawkins was in it.

Bill is this the Jack hawkins who starred in many Brit films of the 50's and 60's if so I think we are talking about completely different things, which would be my normal state ie confused

Bothwell wrote: Bill is this the Jack hawkins who starred in many Brit films of the 50's and 60's if so I think we are talking about completely different things, which would be my normal state ie confused


That's him!

Then this league of gentlemen is a very very different thing. Jack Hawkins was one of the finest exponents of the "Stiff Upper Lip" I have ever seen.

Only Fools And Horses, the one when he leaned against the bar ,classic comedy. :wah:

oh so true Abbey,every episode was a classic!!

Oh Rodney, you plonker!!!!

Bill, it isn't David Jacob, it's David Jason who plays Frost and Del Boy :rolleyes:

gmc wrote: New Labour, The tories :-5 :-5 :-5 :wah:

Hollywood18 wrote: I am exactly the same--I absolutely adore England. But sadly I've never been there...I hope to go there very soon someday, though. And British comedy is the best. I watch BBC America as often as I get a chance to. My favourites are propably Monty Python's Flying Circus and Keeping Up Appearances. Everything about England seems somehow very nostalgic to me.
One foot in the grave, Where the heart is, Royal,Corrie, ITN smashing.....oh and the pubs :driving:

capt_buzzard wrote: Multi Cultural + Soccer Hooligans, Beat the Pakis and the Arabs. Not many English left in dear old England
OIY I'M ENGLISH, i'm here and proud of it and would like to be appreciated for it, as you are proud to be Irish Capt.

Don't knock us all eh?..... :-2

abbey wrote: OIY I'M ENGLISH, i'm here and proud of it and would like to be appreciated for it, as you are proud to be Irish Capt.

Don't knock us all eh?..... :-2 Hey Abbey, you got it wrong there. I'm not proud to be Irish., living in bandit country :-5

I'm here too... Although look at where I live, I'm the minority and not given as many benefits as those who are clased as the minority.

>>^..^ ~ One Foot in the Grave

~ 2.4 Children

~ Keeping Up Appearances

~ All Creatures Great & Small



I have Never ever missed any of the above,except All Creatures Great & Small. Today, its Heartbeat, Royal +

Can't beat it

abbey wrote: OIY I'M ENGLISH, i'm here and proud of it and would like to be appreciated for it, as you are proud to be Irish Capt.

Don't knock us all eh?..... :-2 You are right Abbey, there are lots of very good Englishmen and Women in England, and No, I'm not proud to be Irish...today

capt_buzzard wrote: You are right Abbey, there are lots of very good Englishmen and Women in England, and No, I'm not proud to be Irish...today
Why is that Buzz, was busy yesterday & went to the match last night so never saw the news, what did i miss??

delusion wrote: Mariette...was that the daughter? She was played by Catherine Zeta Jones before she was big. That girl is smokin!


But totally inappropriate if you have read the book..... as for picking David Jacob for "Pop", well, words fail me.

abbey wrote: Nice to know someone loves England & also appreciates our sense of humour, have you heard of Peter Kay? he's a northern comic & a very funny guy.

If you get a chance to see his phoenix nights series or any of his stand-up acts you're in for a real treat.

Also Gimme, Gimme,Gimme..well what can i say, CLASSIC :yh_rotfl


I completely agree, Peter Kay is a genius. I watched him live last year and he was fab. Also, Little Britain and The Office are among the all time British Greats :p

Hi Abbey. Whats TV .? Havent seen one in years

I would love to visit England someday. I now know where to come to find out some "hot spots" to go to. Right now, I have a small collection of postcards with castles in England. That would be at the top of my list.

Where I live in Warwickshire there are a couple of nice castles and a few stately homes. And we are only about an hour away from London

novelist wrote: Hi Abbey. Whats TV .? Havent seen one in years
Why's that??

It ruins the art of conversation and besides all you get on them is repeats.