What have you watched on TV?

[EastStandBlue]

Yeah that's right but then you have newer stuff like Boardwalk and Mad Men. I'm struggling to think of anything from the UK that can be held up there with those shows.

It's too easy for UK Networks to import their dramas from the US, who have endless funds with which to produce them.

 

[Pubey]

It's too easy for UK Networks to import their dramas from the US, who have endless funds with which to produce them.

I guess another issue is something like The Office, where they buy the show and also the rights to make a (superior) US version.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Anyone else bothered by the fact that there isn't much decent UK TV at the moment. The Wire/Generation Kill/The Sopranos/The West Wing are all incredible, why is UK TV in such a bad way these days?

There has been a few gems on. Recently The Promise was fantastic, Mad Dogs was pretty decent. It bugs me that when any new TV drama comes on the telly it's the same old faces - David Morrissey is in everything!.....Equity has a strong hold over the acting talent, obviously not so in America.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Yeah that's right but then you have newer stuff like Boardwalk and Mad Men. I'm struggling to think of anything from the UK that can be held up there with those shows.

These days we do tend to get the best of US TV this wasn't the case around 20-30 years ago when we'd get endless US soaps and detective series. And I'd imagine there's still a fair amount of dross dished up in the US. I do think there's some good stuff produced here, Mad Dogs was good, Waking the Dead, Spooks, Shameless and Luther are pretty good IMO. I'm more worried that ITV doesn't seem to produce much in the way of drama, just formulaic medical series, soaps and reality crap.

 

[Supernaut]

And The Killing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killing_(TV_series)] just keeps getting better and better. No UK crime drama from the past 20 years comes close, it's simply superb.

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

The event two parter.

 

[Uncle Leo]

It's too easy for UK Networks to import their dramas from the US, who have endless funds with which to produce them.

Absolutely. Writers are the big thing - the UK Office only had two main writers and as such only went on for two series and a couple of specials. The US Office has had an army of writers over the years and is still going strong. I don't want to check what season they're up to in case I see a spoiler, but it must be at least six, and these aren't brief six-episodes series either.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Absolutely. Writers are the big thing - the UK Office only had two main writers and as such only went on for two series and a couple of specials. The US Office has had an army of writers over the years and is still going strong. I don't want to check what season they're up to in case I see a spoiler, but it must be at least six, and these aren't brief six-episodes series either.

Hurtling towards the end of season seven at the moment... All but season one, which was a direct copy of the UK version, and season four, which was blighted by the WGA strikes, have contained 23/24 episodes, and some of those are double-features.

It never ceases to amaze me, though, the risks that certain networks will take on dramas from the US. BBC2 initially got 24 for peanuts, then Sky poached it for a huge sum. BBC2 picked up The Wire relatively cheaply too. Channel Four spent a small fortune on Lost which, in fairness, was a huge success for them, but Channel Five emptied the banks in order to grab Prison Break (one season wonder) and FlashForward which was axed.

 

[Pubey]

And The Killing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Killing_(TV_series)] just keeps getting better and better. No UK crime drama from the past 20 years comes close, it's simply superb.

yeah i've heard it's good, will check it out

 

[canveyshrimper]

yeah i've heard it's good, will check it out

It's well worth it Jon.

 

[BrettieAngell]

I'm currently watching Series 2 of Mad Men on DVD.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I'm currently watching Series 2 of Mad Men on DVD.

:clap:

Back on Raising Hope and Modern Family. Head and shoulders over British comedies.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Saw Twenty Twelve, pastiche of the cogs behind our Olympic delivery team. Had it's moments and stars Jessica Hynes (who I still remember fondly from Spaced) and I'll give it another go.

Also getting into Treme. The music is fabulous.

 

[Pubey]

Saw Twenty Twelve, pastiche of the cogs behind our Olympic delivery team. Had it's moments and stars Jessica Hynes (who I still remember fondly from Spaced) and I'll give it another go.

Also getting into Treme. The music is fabulous.

[video=youtube;7sXCEHJfnRM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sXCEHJfnRM[/video]

 

[MK Shrimper]

I watched Eastenders - now I usually surf the interweb or play Plants vs Zombies/Angry Birds when the missus has it on, but the current storyline with Whitney was enthralling. Top quality once again when the story lines move into reality rather than a 10yr old goes in Borstal and comes out aged 16 after just 6 months inside.

 

[marvel315]

five minutes of 'the only way is essex'...............my dog has got more braincells than all the 'cast' combined and sometimes he can entertain himself with his own faeces. Shocking

 

[Bluesmanager]

Watching Serenity on ITVSomethingOrOther.


Not getting most of it. Suspect that's due to never watching Firefly. Still, at least the crazy chick's fit.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Watched "Bored to Death" - Jason Schwartzman, beady bloke from The Hangover and Ted Danson, from the bestsest channel ever Sky Atlantic/HBO. JS plays a recently dumped slacker/writer who reads a hard boiled Detective book, sets up his own agency an goes crime solving ala Sam Spade. Promising intro, still far better than anything British comedy wise at the moment.

 

[Pubey]

anyone still watching Friday Night Dinner? We're enjoying it, perhaps a little repetitive but still pretty funny!

 

[MK Shrimper]

anyone still watching Friday Night Dinner? We're enjoying it, perhaps a little repetitive but still pretty funny!