The title of this show describes it perfectly. Hyacinth Bucket (“It’s pronounced Bouquet!”) is a middle-aged, middle-class housewife. Nothing is more important to her than keeping up appearances. She’s obsessed with perfection and proper etiquette. She’s a high maintenance woman who always has to be the center of attention, the most important person in the room, unless there’s someone of even higher social status nearby. If you don’t have a title, Hyacinth Bucket couldn’t care less about you. She’s desperate to climb the social ladder, even if while she’s trying she almost always falls off. She’s known far and wide for her tasteful candlelight suppers served on her Royal Doulton china with the hand-painted periwinkles.

What makes this show so funny is that no matter what Hyacinth does to impress everyone, the harder she tries, the more she embarrasses herself. And unbeknownst to her, most people, including the vicar, either dislike her or are afraid of her, trying to avoid an encounter with “The Bucket Woman” at all cost.

The rest of the characters are equally as entertaining. There’s Hyacinth’s family, a constant source of embarrassment to her. She once said, “I love my family, but I don’t have to acknowledge them in broad daylight.” She’s ashamed of how they look and live – in a rundown council house with a broken down car parked in the front garden. Brother-in-law Onslow never wears a shirt, spends most of the time either in bed or watching the telly. Sister Daisy is a romantic, married to the “bone-idle” Onslow and loves reading romance novels. Sister Rose is man crazy, always waiting on phone calls from different men, most of them married. And their senile father keeps running away and getting into all kinds of mischief, including dressing up in a spaceman outfit at a department store.

The only sister Hyacinth is not ashamed of is Violet. Hyacinth boasts that Violet owns a Mercedes and a house big enough for a swimming pool, a sauna, and room for a pony. One thing she doesn’t boast about is the fact that Violet’s husband Bruce seems to have a penchant for cross-dressing.

Hyacinth is always gushing over her beloved son, Sheridan, who is never seen. He’s at university taking courses in needlework. He’s always calling his “mummy” asking for money.

Next door neighbor, Elizabeth, can never say no to Hyacinth who’s always inviting her over for coffee. But Elizabeth is so nervous being around her that she never fails to spill her coffee or break something. Elizabeth’s divorced brother, Emmet, lives with her and directs the amateur operatic society. He tries so hard to avoid interactions with Hyacinth because she keeps “singing at him” trying to get him to include her in one of his musical productions.

And then there’s Richard, Hyacinth’s long-suffering, hen-pecked husband. He’s so beaten down that he just does what he’s told without argument. Like when Hyacinth makes him call the Chinese ambassador because she’s tired of getting wrong numbers, people calling in orders for a Chinese takeaway restaurant.

This is one of the classics of British TV, one you’ve probably seen airing on PBS. One of my favorite episodes is when Hyacinth finds out her neighbor is going on a lavish Caribbean holiday. Hyacinth will not be outdone. She gets some travel brochures, even though she’s not taking a holiday, and tries, in so many ridiculous ways, to get everyone to happen upon them and be impressed by her own lavish holiday.

The laugh track is a bit overdone here, but that was expected on situation comedies back then. It’s a funny show. You can’t wait to see what kind of embarrassing situation Hyacinth gets herself into. But don’t watch too many in a row, like I did. Hyacinth can really get on your nerves.

MAIN CAST:
Patricia Routledge – Hyacinth
Clive Swift – Richard
Geoffrey Hughes – Onslow
Judy Cornwell – Daisy
Josephine Tewson – Elizabeth
David Griffin – Emmet
Shirley Stelfox – Rose (Series 1)
Mary Millar – Rose (Series 2-5)

Total Seasons: 5 (44 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 5
In Production: 1990 – 1995
Viewer Discretion: Suitable for all audiences

The story opens with Morse typing up is resignation letter, ready to leave law enforcement. But he soon discovers that police work is what he’s made for. Though he’s not readily accepted by the more experienced police officers on the case (he ends up working alone for the most part), they soon discover that he knows what he’s talking about. His superior, Detective Inspector Fred Thursday, recognizes Morse’s talents and takes Endeavour under his wing.

Unfortunately, I have yet to see any episodes of Inspector Morse, the series of feature-length TV shows produced from 1987 to 2000 starring John Thaw. Not that I don’t want to, it’s just that there are so many British TV shows to write about, I just haven’t gotten to it yet. But after watching this prequel, I’m certainly interested in checking them out.

This show apparently contains a lot of references to Endeavour’s future self, including his love of opera and passion for crossword puzzles, both of which help him solve this case.

Since I had no preconceived ideas about the character of Endeavour Morse, I was able to watch this without comparing Shaun Evans’ portrayal to John Thaw’s. Although, even if you are a fan, the early Morse would be and should be very different from his older self anyway.

MAIN CAST:
Shaun Evans – Endeavour Morse
Roger Allam – Fred Thursday
James Bradshaw – Max DeBryn
Abigail Thaw – Dorothea Frazil

Total Seasons: 1 episode (90 minutes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 1
In Production: 2012
Viewer Discretion: Violence

Lovejoy is a divvie, a person with the extraordinary ability to recognize genuine antiques from fakes or forgeries. But even though Lovejoy is very skilled at his profession, he doesn’t seem to be able to keep himself afloat. He’s always strapped for cash, but his love for the hunt keeps him in the game. He says, “Among the bric-a-brac and tacky trinkets, there’s a gem.” And sometimes those gems have a mystery attached to them that Lovejoy cannot help but solve.

Lovejoy, played by Ian McShane, is an exceptional forger, conniver and liar, but a totally likeable guy. He loves women and antiques, but not necessarily in that order. With the help of his friend, Lady Jane Felsham, his dim assistant Eric, and often intoxicated buddy Tinker, Lovejoy scours the countryside for hidden treasures.

The show was adapted from the novels by Jonathan Gash and was apparently created to take advantage of the great popularity of Antiques Roadshow. What’s a bit unusual about the show is that in every episode Lovejoy “breaks the fourth wall” and talks to camera, revealing his thoughts. I found it kind of odd, but it seemed appropriate for his character.

My first experience with Ian McShane was as the foul-mouthed brothel and saloon owner, Al Swearengen, on HBO’s Deadwood. To see him earlier in his career is entertaining. But the best part of the show for me was seeing a young Phyllis Logan as Lady Jane. She plays Mrs. Hughes on Downton Abbey.

In my opinion, this isn’t British TV at its absolute best. I’ve only watched the first two seasons, mainly because it really hasn’t grown on me. I’ll keep giving it a try. The show lasted 6 seasons, so it must have either gotten better, or at the time there wasn’t much else to watch!

MAIN CAST:
Ian McShane – Lovejoy
Phyllis Logan – Lady Jane Felsham
Dudley Sutton – Tinker Dill
Chris Jury – Eric Catchpole
Diane Parish – Beth Taylor
Malcolm Tierney – Charlie Gimbert

Total Seasons: 6 (71 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 6
In Production: 1986, 1991 – 1994
Viewer Discretion: Language, adult situations, brief nudity

It’s 1889 and six months after Jack the Ripper’s crime spree in London’s East End Whitechapel district. H Division is the police precinct in charge of Whitechapel, one of the poorest sections of the city, home to factories, brothels and pubs. H Division failed to catch Jack the Ripper and when the series opens and more women are murdered in Whitechapel, it is thought that the Ripper has returned.

Detective Inspector Edmund Reid is in charge of H Division. He’s a man with a troubled marriage, due to the disappearance, and possible death, of his young daughter. He blames himself for this situation and it has taken a toll on his wife, Emily, and their relationship. Reid is joined by Detective Sergeant Bennet Drake and an American, Homer Jackson. Jackson is a former US Army surgeon, a man who seems to know his way around dead bodies. Together they police the Whitechapel district, trying to keep some semblance of law and order.

Ripper Street is dark, dirty, gritty and nasty, not unlike HBO’s Deadwood, of which I am a big fan. But I gather it’s an accurate representation of London’s East End at that time in history. It’s also a show that investigates the early days of forensic pathology. Many clues are gleaned through Jackson’s autopsies and experiments in his “lab.”

As I’ve said in previous posts, I adore Matthew Macfayden. And he’s the reason I tuned into the show. But I have to admit, though the production is excellent, writing and acting more so, it isn’t a “can’t wait until the next episode” kind of a show for me. I do look forward to the second series, which is scheduled to air in 2014, just to see how the show and the characters evolve.

MAIN CAST:
Matthew Macfayden – Edmund Reid
Jerome Flynn – Bennet Drake
Adam Rothenberg – Homer Jackson
MyAnna Buring – Long Susan
Charlene McKenna – Rose Erskine
Amanda Hale – Emily Reid

Total Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 1
In Production: 2012
Viewer Discretion: Violence, adult situations, language

I have to say that the British have been good at coming up with different ways to tell stories. And Accused is a new way of telling stories of law and order.

Each episode is a different story of an ordinary person awaiting trial for a crime. (The last two episodes are linked with the outcome of one story leading into the next.) Each episode opens with the main character being lead to the courtroom and portions of the trial are intercut with the backstory of how this person got there.

A man at the end of his tether finds a bag of cash that can get him out of debt. A mother loses her son in a workplace accident she considers suspicious and she needs someone to blame. A taxi driver becomes obsessed with one of his fares. How far will he go to have her? A father believes his daughter has been molested and takes the law into his own hands. What circumstances would compel you to commit a crime? Would you go to such extreme measures?

Accused features many well-known UK actors including Christopher Eccleston, the ninth Dr. Who, Juliet Stevenson (Place of Execution), Olivia Colman (Peep Show), MacKenzie Crook (The Office) and film actors Andy Serkis and Sean Bean. I enjoyed seeing Olivia Colman in a seriously dramatic role, quite the opposite of anything else I’ve seen her in previously. And if you’re a fan of Sean Bean, his role in Accused is quite a surprise.

This is not in any way a feel-good show. Sometimes it’s quite sad, and definitely serious. I had a bit of sympathy for some of the accused, but others not so much. I thought the first six episodes were the best.

MAIN CAST:
Christopher Eccleston – Willy Houlihan
Juliet Stevenson – Helen Ryland
Olivia Colman – Sue
Andy Serkis – Liam Black
Sean Bean – Simon
Mackenzie Crook – Alan Buckley

Total Seasons: 2 (10 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 0
In Production: 2010 – 2012
Viewer Discretion: language, violence, adult situations, brief nudity

William Shawcross is looking for love. He’s a widower with two teenage daughters. But he’s also an undertaker, which makes meeting woman difficult. Mary Gilcrest is also a single parent with two teenage sons. She’s a very busy midwife who’s not necessarily looking to find love, even though her meddling mother keeps pushing her towards an old boyfriend.

William and Mary join a dating service. When William lays eyes on Mary, he’s immediately smitten and wants to meet her. Though their first date doesn’t go as well as planned, they end up getting together, falling in love, and dealing with all the complications and the challenges life throws at them. Their work lives are just a part of it. They’ve got even more to contend with when they blend their families. The Brady Bunch it isn’t.

I thought the idea of these two people hooking up, one who deals with the beginning of life and the other with the end, was pretty interesting and a different take on the comedy/drama/romance genre. And not all the funerals are sad nor are the births all happy. Both William and Mary experience a wide range of emotions throughout the series from elation to despair.

I respect and admire Martin Clunes as an actor. He has great range, can play a wide variety of characters. If you’ve only seen him as Doc Martin, you’re in for a surprise here. I have to say, though, that Martin is not what I would call a handsome man, not your traditional romantic lead type. But he plays William so brilliantly – he’s sweet, charming, affectionate – you can’t help but fall in love with him. And the first time I saw Julie Graham in Bonekickers, I didn’t like her at all. She’s totally different in this series, much more likeable.

I was only able to see the first 12 episodes of the series. I hope to see the last 6 at some point.

MAIN CAST:
Martin Clunes – William Shawcross
Julie Graham – Mary Gilcrest
Cheryl Campbell – Molly Gilcrest
Michael Begley – Rick Straud
Clair Hackett – Doris
Peta Cornish – Kate Shawcross
Ricci McLeod – Brendan Gilcrest
Dominick Baron – Terence Gilcrest
Georgina Terry – Julia Shawcross

Total Seasons: 3 (18 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 2
In Production: 2003 – 2005
Viewer Discretion: Adult situations, nudity, language

Almost 20 years before Hugh Laurie limped into his role as Dr. Gregory House, he and his buddy Stephen Fry introduced us to their comic genius on a TV show called, A Bit of Fry and Laurie. Well, actually they did that in Jeeves & Wooster also, but that’s another story.

Fry and Laurie met when they were members of Cambridge University’s Footlights Dramatic Club. With Fry’s talent as a wordsmith and Laurie’s as a musician who could parody all musical genres, the two formed an incomparable comedy duo. (Although, I guess you could compare them to Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.)

I have great admiration for actors and comedians who have range, who can play so many different roles effectively. And if you take on a sketch comedy show, that’s exactly what you have to be proficient in, many different roles, many different characters. Fry and Laurie do it all in this show.

Some of their most memorable recurring characters are: Control and Tony, two overly polite secret agents who discuss issues of national security over coffee; John and Peter, hard-drinking executives who complain about their competition; and Gelliant Gutfright, the host of “The Seventh Dimension,” a show similar to The Twilight Zone.

And in between the sketches, like the most famous of all absurd sketch comedy shows, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, A Bit of Fry and Laurie features many men (and women) on the street commenting on unrelated subjects.

Even though the show is a bit dated and many of the topics were inspired by the issues of the day, it’s still great entertainment. If you only know Hugh Laurie from House, this is a great way to see him, when he was starting out as a comedian.

MAIN CAST:
Hugh Laurie
Stephen Fry

Total Seasons: 4 (26 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 4
In Production: 1987 – 1995
Viewer Discretion: Some adult situations

Before Ricky Gervais created The Office, there was another parody of the working world called People Like Us.

At first glance People Like Us appears to be a serious documentary about a day in the life of an average person in his or her average job, but it’s not. Listen carefully to the voice over narration and you’ll hear such absurd commentary like “It’s 4pm and everybody has left school except for those who have stayed behind.” Or “Although since the beginning of the 20th century the number of people attending church regularly has fallen by twice that amount over the same period of time.”

The unseen narrator and interviewer is Roy Mallard, played flawlessly by Chris Langham. He travels Britain talking to ordinary people in their ordinary jobs: a police officer, photographer, teacher, vicar, airline pilot, mother, managing director, estate agent, solicitor, journalist, actor and bank manager.

And although we don’t see Roy at all throughout the series – except when he’s dodging the camera to get out of the shot – some of the funniest bits are based on that fact. Everyone around Roy considers him to be somewhat unattractive. The running joke throughout the series is that nobody can believe he’s actually married. He’s also rather accident prone – getting hit in the face with a golf club, spilling coffee all over himself or getting covered in acidic photo developer – and the comments made about his appearance are laugh out loud funny.

The comedy actors do such a fantastic job of playing “real people,” you forget they actually are actors in these roles. They’re so natural at delivering the most absurd lines of dialogue, making this show absolutely hilarious.   Some of those actors are: Julie Davis from Gavin & Stacey; Olivia Colman, Sarah Alexander, Tamsin Greig and Mark Heap, all from Green Wing; Jessica Stevenson (Hynes) from Spaced; David Tennant, the tenth Dr. Who; and film actor Bill Nighy.

What I love the most about this show is the dry, understated humor that’s derived from misstatements and misunderstandings, along with the ridiculous dead-pan voice over narration by Langham.

People Like Us is a very clever parody of the documentary genre that I plan to watch again, just to make sure I haven’t missed anything.

MAIN CAST:
Chris Langham – Roy Mallard

Total Seasons: 2 (12 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 2
In Production: 1999
Viewer Discretion: Language

Linda used to be involved with Greg before she married Richard. And if that wasn’t complicated enough, Linda is asked to consult on a murder investigation with her ex-lover, Detective Sergeant Angie Morton, who still has strong feelings for Linda. The case involves auto-erotic asphyxiation and could be linked back to her and Richard when a second victim is found and she’s one of Linda’s patients.

I found this show kind of odd in that it really is two shows in one. Why bring the murder case into it? It’s enough of a show without it. How do you successfully integrate the story of a sex therapist with that of a murder investigation? I guess because the case has a sexual angle.

The rest of the show centers around Linda’s and Greg’s various patients with sexual dysfunctions. These stories are almost like comic relief compared to the serious storylines of the murder and Linda’s desire to have a child.

And unfortunately, rather than sympathize with Linda, I didn’t care much for her. She blames Richard for their inability to conceive, which is out of his control. This pushes her into the arms of her brother-in-law, whom she guiltlessly has an affair with.

Is this show worth watching? Depends. Some viewers will be put off by the strong sexual content. But some of the acting is good, especially by Kate Isitt, who might be best known for her role as Sally on Coupling.

MAIN CAST:
Suranne Jones – Linda Nelson
Cristian Solimeno – Richard Nelson
Tristan Gemmill – Greg Nelson
Eva Pope – Angie Morton
Kate Isitt – Penny Nelson
Stacey Roca – Claudie

Total Seasons: 1 (6 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 1
In Production: 2006
Viewer Discretion: Strong sexual content, language, nudity

Archie MacDonald is in the process of opening up a restaurant in London, when his mother, Molly, begs him to return to his childhood home, Glenbogle, in the Scottish Highlands. Molly claims his father, Hector, is on his deathbed and Archie must return home. Upon arriving, Archie discovers his father is not even close to dying, but that Archie is now the Laird and it’s his responsibility to get the huge debt-ridden family estate back on its feet.

The series is loosely based on Compton Mackenzie’s Highland Novels which take place in the same location as Monarch of the Glen. And the title of the show comes from both the first book in Mackenzie’s series and a famous painting of a stag.

Throughout the series, the family tries many schemes to raise money to make the estate turn a profit like making Glenbogle a bed and breakfast, marketing its spring water and making it a healing center. And I suppose it can get very tiresome in that every episode the family is looking for a new income stream to save the estate, but the characters are very likeable and you want them to succeed. And sometimes the show can be a wee bit corny, but it’s still one of my favorites for so many reasons, one of which is the gorgeous locations in the Scottish Highlands.

The show also has a bit of a soap opera element to it. Archie finds himself in love triangles and even squares. When it comes to women, Archie is just clueless.  He’s totally inept at reading signals. But Alastair Mackenzie is such a cutie, especially in his kilt, so I can see why all the women in the show want to be with him.

The lovely Susan Hampshire plays Molly and she is delightful. Richard Briers, who many know from his work on The Good Life, plays Hector. Fans of Downton Abbey will enjoy seeing that show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, as Lord Kilwillie, Hector’s friend, neighbor and sometimes nemesis.

MAIN CAST:
Richard Briers – Hector MacDonald
Susan Hampshire – Molly MacDonald
Alastair Mackenzie- Archie MacDonald
Dawn Steele – Lexie McTavish
Alexander Morton – Golly Mackenzie
Hamish Clark – Duncan McKay
Lorraine Pilkington – Katrina Finlay
Julian Fellowes – Lord Kilwillie

Total Seasons: 7 (64 episodes)
Seasons Available on US Formatted DVD: 7
In Production: 2000 – 2005
Viewer Discretion: Suitable for all audiences