The Greatest EVER.........American programme on British TV.

Soldier_Of_The_White_Army · Post by **Soldier_Of_The_White_Army** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 2:50 pm

MC Numpty wrote:House, house and house.

Sounds like a good night at the bingo for Mr Numpty!

fatshaft · Post by **fatshaft** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:54 pm

Soldier_Of_The_White_Army wrote:Oh now come on!!

There really is only one show for this category.

SCRUBS!

Never really bothered with it until lately. Yet once I'd watch a few episodes, I was crying with laughter. This is beyond any doubt the greatest TV show to come out of America in decades!!

Any of you partial to a bit of yank?

Would have to agree, it's not often you actually LOL @ TV comedies, but Scrubs does it.

Friends is way way under-rated probably as it started out too PC, Frasier was pretty good and much better than Cheers which is not nearly as good as you remember when seeing it again.

Non-comedy - NYPD Blue, Homicide, Hill Street Blues, all the CSI's, early x-Files, Twin Peaks (1st season), original Star Trek, House, ER.

EDIT: Forgot South Park, and warthog has one I'd never have remembered - Murder One which was absolutely brilliant, esp the 1st series.

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:56 pm

On the Cheers/Frasier discussion, I'd say the latter programme has much tighter scripts and better acting. David Hyde Pierce's physical comedy is often quite exquisite.

fatshaft · Post by **fatshaft** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:58 pm

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:On the Cheers/Frasier discussion, I'd say the latter programme has much tighter scripts and better acting. David Hyde Pierce's physical comedy is often quite exquisite.

yes dahling

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:01 pm

fatshaft wrote:
Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:On the Cheers/Frasier discussion, I'd say the latter programme has much tighter scripts and better acting. David Hyde Pierce's physical comedy is often quite exquisite.
yes dahling

A very Phrasieresque frase, I thought

Some episodes are classic farces, doors opening left and right, interweaving dialogue, I don't think I've ever seen a more technically superb comedy.

FD · Post by FD » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:01 pm

bobby5 wrote: It does annoy me that British tv is celebrity driven, even the dramas. Shows are written with stars in mind, David Jason for example. always billed 'A new drama starring (insert crusty old British actor/actress)'. The casting system in the UK is pants. Most US shows have actors that you've never seen or heard of before. The writing is the main draw, not the actor.

I'm not so sure it's fair to compare British TV to American TV. They have SO MANY networks over there with so many shows, you're bound to find some excellent stuff in there. However, they have their fair share of shite, celebrity crap and reality bullshit too.

Lord Kangana · Post by **Lord Kangana** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:03 pm

Cheers had the greatest Theme-tune ever* though, hence it retaining some mystical presence in most peoples minds. Truth is it wasn't that good.

It was all down to the music

http://www.culttelly.co.uk/lyrics/cheers.html

(this is the best I could do

)

Edit; *apart from Mash, as DLH has just pointed out...

David Lee's Hair · Post by **David Lee's Hair** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:04 pm

M*A*S*H

warthog · Post by **warthog** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:17 pm

fatshaft wrote: and warthog has one I'd never have remembered - Murder One which was absolutely brilliant, esp the 1st series.

Available as a box set for a reasonable price from HMV online.

For my money, the best TV ever.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:45 pm

Obvious this discussion will disagree due to eras, but there used to be some cracking westerns about. Sadly, these days, thay all seem to have disappeared along with shows like 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaian Eye, Hawai Five-0, Sword of Freedom, Ironside and all that. Gues it's the age thing again.

fatshaft · Post by **fatshaft** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:50 pm

Lord Kangana wrote:Cheers had the greatest Theme-tune ever* though, hence it retaining some mystical presence in most peoples minds. Truth is it wasn't that good.

The characters were all very strong (like Scrubs) which undoubtedly helped it, and set it apart from the run of the mill cringeworthy comedies churned out by the US.

superjohnmcginlay · Post by **superjohnmcginlay** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 4:52 pm

Ren and Stimpy. Bizzare but funny

communistworkethic · Post by **communistworkethic** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:24 pm

House is very watchable, more for seeing Jeeves with a limp than anything else. But surely to goodness when you've seen one, you've seen them all?

House Series 1 Episode 1

House is irritable and rude
Patient arrives with sudden illness
Symptons suggest disease A
House tells jnr docs to treat A
Patient gets worse, different symptoms appear
Discussion of changed symptoms
Cancer doctor looks befuddled by something house does
"it's <insert>" Treat it with <insert>
Patient nearly dies
Cutty tells house to do clinic work while wearing low cut top and tight skirt (her not house)
An otherwise extraneous comment/event happens, close-in on House's face as the diagnosis dawns
House saves patient in last 3 minutes of show

House Series 1 episode 2

see above

Zulus Thousand of em · Post by **Zulus Thousand of em** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:07 pm

communistworkethic wrote:House is very watchable, more for seeing Jeeves with a limp than anything else. But surely to goodness when you've seen one, you've seen them all?

House Series 1 Episode 1

House is irritable and rude
Patient arrives with sudden illness
Symptons suggest disease A
House tells jnr docs to treat A
Patient gets worse, different symptoms appear
Discussion of changed symptoms
Cancer doctor looks befuddled by something house does
"it's <insert>" Treat it with <insert>
Patient nearly dies
Cutty tells house to do clinic work while wearing low cut top and tight skirt (her not house)
An otherwise extraneous comment/event happens, close-in on House's face as the diagnosis dawns
House saves patient in last 3 minutes of show

House Series 1 episode 2

see above

Well, I'll not bother then, now you've blown the ending!

Trelford_Mills · Post by **Trelford_Mills** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:13 pm

All time Dallas then X Files

Currently,Dexter

communistworkethic · Post by **communistworkethic** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:19 pm

hmm not getting Dexter at all. Though "Chuck" is like a kind of spy version of Scrubs.

Dave Sutton's barnet · Post by **Dave Sutton's barnet** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:23 pm

Commie, you missed out:

House imposes upon faithful friend Wilson, who absorbs his cynicism with bemused stoicism
Cuddy smiles benignly as a subordinate House makes a sexual reference
Patient's relative verbally abused by House remains mysteriously non-litigious

It follows a pattern, and it's not the sort of thing you could gorge on in boxset stylee, but it does its job well...

communistworkethic · Post by **communistworkethic** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:40 pm

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:Commie, you missed out:

House imposes upon faithful friend Wilson, who absorbs his cynicism with bemused stoicism
Cuddy smiles benignly as a subordinate House makes a sexual reference
Patient's relative verbally abused by House remains mysteriously non-litigious

It follows a pattern, and it's not the sort of thing you could gorge on in boxset stylee, but it does its job well...

did get the first one , second one was referred to in her tight skirt, third one was at the start (and they often threaten litigation)

officer_dibble · Post by **officer_dibble** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:42 pm

Gertie wrote:Yeah I did really like Darnell's song. Randy cracked me up in his leopard skin print dressing gown. But found the whole thing a bit strange!!!

thats because he didn't do anything off his list...

mrplow · Post by **mrplow** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:44 pm

The Wire. Best TV series ever, sadly now ended.

The Greatest EVER.........American programme on British TV.

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The Greatest EVER.........American programme on British TV.

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Re: The Greatest EVER.........American programme on British

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