Favorite PBS dramatic/comedic series

[Walden]

I thought the UK was somehow hopelessly trapped in the 1970's till one day I realized that the Britcoms on OETA were not current, but were, in fact, from the 1970's.

[IRTradRU?]

"Father Ted," "Are You Being Served?," "Yes, Prime Minister," and "Keeping up Appearances" are all great but Benny Hill was my "really most favoritist."

I dread to think what American tourists are expecting to find here if that's what they've been watching.

I think we Americans have more to dread about what's on some of our television shows...

"Reality" TV that is anything but reality. That's just for starters.... I don't watch sitcoms - they are just too silly these days.

"Keeping Up Appearances" is another one that I've enjoyed.

[Walden]

I think we Americans have more to dread about what's on some of our television shows...

"Reality" TV that is anything but reality. That's just for starters.... I don't watch sitcoms - they are just too silly these days.

A format borrowed from British and European television.

[Darwin]

I don't watch sitcoms - they are just too silly these days.

As compared with classics like "I Love Lucy", "Mr. Ed", "Life of Riley", "I Married Joan", "Car 54, Where Are You?", "My Little Margie", "My Favorite Martian", "Gilligan's Island", "It's About Time", "Mr. Peepers", "Our Miss Brooks", "You'll Never Get Rich", and "Green Acres", eh?

It's kind of sad to realize how bad some of my old favorites really were. TVLand, Nick at Night, and other cable rerun channels have now made this clear to me. Most of what I watched as a kid--and even as an adult--was either terminally silly or preachy ("Father Knows Best", "Make Room for Daddy", "Ozzie and Harriet").

[talasiga]

I don't know what you all mean by PBS - is that a North american term for something? Anyway I gather you're talking about British and Irish productions. we get our share in Australia.

The Rumpole series we know as Rumpole of the Bailey. Actually this is based on the writings of a real life London barrister, John Mortimer who shared chambers with the internationally famous Australian born human rights lawyer, Geoffrey Robertson, who presents the topical Hypotheticals from time to time.

Cynth mentioned Patrick McGoohan, a favourite of mine from the 60's. I remember him from the incomparable spy thriller, Danger Man. I think this surpassed the American Man from Uncle by a league even though Ilya was an interesting name.

Speaking of the 60's, does anyone remember The Avengers with another Patrick Mc..... (McNee) and Diana Rigg (and a list of other female actresses)?

And IMO the funniest comedy from that time was The Frost Report with more or less the same players (including John Cleese) as Monty Python which came later.

Reeling back to the present, has anybody mentioned "Absolutely Fabulous"? It relaxes me somewhat ........

[jbarter]

Speaking of the 60's, does anyone remember The Avengers with another Patrick Mc..... (McNee) and Diana Rigg (and a list of other female actresses)?

I can also remember the first series where P M was himself just the sidekick to Ian Hendry.

[Cynth]

talasiga--The series you know as Danger Man was called Secret Agent in the States. It was a really good series. I remember watching it and then my Dad sort of watched it and he ended up being hooked although he could hardly stand anything on television. It was one of the few times I ever got one up on him.

After Secret Agent, it seems like the spy shows got more humorous. Many were still enjoyable, but I thought Secret Agent was more spooky and dark and more realistic---at least so it seemed. He seemed like a lonely person basically, like a secret agent would have to be. I don't know, I might be embellishing my memories here.

I liked the Avengers a lot. There was something great about Diana Rigg---I don't know---was she one of the first women in a spy show? It seemed like quite a novelty I think, that a woman could be a spy.

PBS means something like Public Broadcasting System and it survives on grants and donations from the public. It is not anything to do with the government. I think it is non-profit. It is associated with better TV shows and shows from the UK. This is a bad explanation.

[jbarter]

I always liked Callan. The scenes between Callan and Lonely remain some of the best acting I've seen on TV.

[toughknot]

The Woodwrights Shop
RedDwarf
Mr. Bean
The Last of the Summer Wine
I Claudius was very good and I also then read the books. I think I was about 14
Nova
David Attenburoughs Life on Earth
Nature
Sesame Street (was cutting edge in the early years)
Almost forgot Kiss Me Kate and Barbera

[Lambchop]

PBS means something like Public Broadcasting System and it survives on grants and donations from the public. It is not anything to do with the government. I think it is non-profit. It is associated with better TV shows and shows from the UK. This is a bad explanation.

Right . . . Public Broadcasting System. It is an alternative to for-profit mass-market networks like NBC, ABC, Fox, and so forth. It is not funded by the usual crass commercial advertising, so it is not subject to the control of such advertisers. Instead, corporations donate money and, in return, get a little blurb to the effect of "This program was funded in part by a grant from the Something Corporation--funding research to discover the causes of forest fires in Nevada since 1945."

PBS is typically watched by more educated individuals interested in programs which have some redeeming social, educational, or artistic value. They strive for political balance while providing coverage of national and world affairs. Children's programming is usually excellent--they feature quality material which is educational and which is lacking in violence, filth, and the celebration of ignorance.

There is also National Public Radio, NPR, which is much the same thing. They feature classical and other quality musical programming, unbiased news (if that is possible), and so forth.

[Darwin]

Speaking of the 60's, does anyone remember The Avengers with another Patrick Mc..... (McNee) and Diana Rigg (and a list of other female actresses)?

We got two seasons-worth on DVD (from NetFlix), and I was shocked at how lame the storylines were. The show was a big favorite with my wife and me, but now I don't know why.

[Nanohedron]

I'm pretty sure it was on The Avengers that I saw a real gem of a bit: the lady's tied up to a 4x4 post awaiting whatever fate was impending. Was she flustered? Not a bit. "Spot of the old Kung Fu," she chirped, and stomped downward with the heel of her high heeled shoe, breaking the 4x4 as right as you could ask. Diagonal-like, right near the bottom.

I enrolled in self-defence classes forthwith.

[Charlene]

PBS means something like Public Broadcasting System and it survives on grants and donations from the public. It is not anything to do with the government. I think it is non-profit. It is associated with better TV shows and shows from the UK. This is a bad explanation.

Right . . . Public Broadcasting System. It is an alternative to for-profit mass-market networks like NBC, ABC, Fox, and so forth. It is not funded by the usual crass commercial advertising, so it is not subject to the control of such advertisers. Instead, corporations donate money and, in return, get a little blurb to the effect of "This program was funded in part by a grant from the Something Corporation--funding research to discover the causes of forest fires in Nevada since 1945."

PBS is typically watched by more educated individuals interested in programs which have some redeeming social, educational, or artistic value. They strive for political balance while providing coverage of national and world affairs. Children's programming is usually excellent--they feature quality material which is educational and which is lacking in violence, filth, and the celebration of ignorance.

There is also National Public Radio, NPR, which is much the same thing. They feature classical and other quality musical programming, unbiased news (if that is possible), and so forth.

At least, that's how it started. But lately I've noticed on our PBS station there are real ads. Not as loud and obnoxious as the ads on regular TV, but ads nonetheless - 30 seconds or so between shows.

And all the best shows are on during the pledge drives when the stations are asking people to call in and pledge to send money to keep the station going. Thank goodness for remote controls!

[Walden]

Public television does receive some funding from the government. They didn't like the way NET was going, and got their hands in it as PBS, via the Annenberg CPB Project.

[IRTradRU?]

As compared with classics like "I Love Lucy", "Mr. Ed", "Life of Riley", "I Married Joan", "Car 54, Where Are You?", "My Little Margie", "My Favorite Martian", "Gilligan's Island", "It's About Time", "Mr. Peepers", "Our Miss Brooks", "You'll Never Get Rich", and "Green Acres", eh?

It's kind of sad to realize how bad some of my old favorites really were. TVLand, Nick at Night, and other cable rerun channels have now made this clear to me. Most of what I watched as a kid--and even as an adult--was either terminally silly or preachy ("Father Knows Best", "Make Room for Daddy", "Ozzie and Harriet").

Mea culpa.

I watched "Family Guy" last night... perhaps the best sitcoms are the cartoons - "The Simpsons", "Family Guy", "South Park".