What Are You Watching?

[Vicki]

I always like to hear about what other people like to watch on TV, especially shows from other countries.

I'll begin with my favorite British shows.  Keeping Up Appearances,  (love that Onslo) " Bless Me Father (the young priest is to die for),  Rising Damp, (Ive had landlords like him), The Avengers (I want to be Mrs. Peel when I grow up), Dr.Who? (Tom Baker...cool), Blake's 7 (I know, I know, some of these are REALLY old), and my favorite, The Last of the Summer Wine (just too funny).

There are lots more but that's all I can think of right now. My brain hurts. Oh yes, Monty Python's Flying Circus.

One question, why did the UK have to send us "The Weakest Link?"  Retaliation for losing the Colonies?

What US shows do you like? What shows form other countries do you like? Or don't you like for that matter.

Inquiring minds want to know.

[Ann]

Who played the young priest in "Bless Me Father"? I have a couple of the books here and have just looked in them, but all it says is that it starred Arthur Lowe and I'm sure he wasn't who you meant!!

I enjoyed "Keeping Up Appearances" and "Rising Damp" too. I've also been enjoying the reruns of "Yes Minister" we've been getting recently.

I've only watched "The Weakest Link" once and that was more than enough. I'm not sure we're so cruel that we'd send it over to you as retaliation!

My current US favourites are "Frasier" which never fails to make me laugh. I just have to see Niles on screen and I start to grin in anticipation. I often watch "Friends" too although I get a bit concerned at how often I can identify with Monica, especially when she's trying to organise everyone into doing things a specific way! I also watch "Ally McBeal".

I love the old black and white films from the 1930s and 1940s, British and US. They don't make them like that any more!!

Finally, as some of you already know, I've been acquiring videos of "Riverboat" which was my all time favourite programme circa 1960.  It's been amazing watching it over 40 years later. And yes, I'm still hooked on it, corny though it is.

(I once saw Paul Darrow (?) of Blake's 7 at the local theatre in a touring production, looking just as smooth as ever.)

Ann

[Jayne]

I like some of our soaps,casualty,Holby city,vets in practise.Big Brother,Ab Fab.
US inports- X-Files,The West Wing,A big star trek fan-although im still getting used to the new Enterprise-i keep expecting Scott Baluka to Quantem Leap somewhere at the end of the episode and there are so many contradictions.
I like most things on Discovery and the Nat Geo channels.
Sport im a huge F1 fan and also Horseracing over the jumps.films-Mostly action,thrillers and Horror,but i did love Brigid Jones s Diary.

[Maria]

One of the funniest British comedy shows I've seen recently has been 'The Office'. It's a spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary set in an office (obviously) and is pure genius. I'm also a big 'Father Ted' fan.

I liked the first episodes of 'Trigger Happy TV' but like a lot of things, it has lost it's appeal once the same gags are done over and over again.

Monty Python is something I never get tired of. My favourite is probably the 'Live at the Hollywood Bowl' film that they made, comprising all their most famous sketches. And the Life of Brian!

Of the US shows, Frasier is fantastic. I know exactly what Ann means about Niles! I do like Friends as well, and ER. I adored 'Happy Days' when it was on in the 70's.

The cats prefer the more educational programmes!

Maria
ps to Vicki - I met Tom Baker when I was a teenager and he was in Dr Who, filming an episode at a castle where my dad worked! I got his autograph and watched some of the filming.

[Lesley]

vicki, do you receive any of the canadian channels? they carry quite a lot of brit tv. ok, mysteries especially... ooh the blood... the gore..! just kidding,  i just love them. and ok, i know, me and everyone's gran is a fan of coronation street.  it's my father's fault. when i was 10 he caught me watching the american soaps *oops everyone was taking off their clothes!! well, that was the end of that; so, i started watching a show where all they did was drink. somehow, to my father this was alright!! and, twenty-something years later, i'm still watching.
and, oh, that frasier show. i'm a niles fan too! and yes, the young curate (priest) from 'bless me father', is very handsome. i watched just for him. perhaps, i have too much free time!
ann,
are you a fan of 'the thin man' movies? i really enjoy those ones.
happy easter everyone!
lesley, cleo, coco & family

[Ann]

Lesley,

I tend to go more for the straight dramas. I love looking at all the fashions from the 1930s and 1940s. I can just see myself in one of those tailored suits!

I also get intrigued by films that were made here in the UK during the war, as propaganda to boost the war effort. (There was also an excellent US one on here a few weeks ago about a group of women in the Far East. I think Joan Blondell was in it.)

I also watch Coronation Street and was pleased to read recently that they're going back to their old style and bringing in more humour again.

But who played the curate? I'm off to see if I can find a website that will tell me.

Ann

[Miles]

One of our favorite shows originated in Britain and then was picked up over here - the improvisational comedy show "Who's Line is it Anyway?"
The cable comedy channel over here shows the original British ones with Clive Anderson as host....we like those better than the new version being done with Drew Carey over here....

And, of course - Monty Python....(which skit would you like me to recite from memory....or do you not like Spam....?  

Miles

[Vicki]

The younger priest or I guess he was the Curate (you can tell I'm not Cathlolic) in "Bless Me Father", was Daniel Ab...something or the other. I'll watch tonight and find out.

[Vicki]

Maria and Ann,

I met Tom Baker at a convention in the US years and years ago. We all lined up to have our pictures taken and my roommate on the trip, a very shy lady, actually asked him for a kiss when it was her turn for a picture.

Not to be outdone, (don't know where I got the nerve) I told him she was my roommate and we share everything. He grinned and gave me two kisses. Boy was I walking on clouds the rest of the day. Ah We were all so young......

I have also had the pleasure of meeting and talking to the cast of Blake's Seven and Terry Nation. Some ladies in Chicago held a B7 convention every summer for about 7 years and the cast members were invitied.

I won Brian Croucher in a raffle! Well, breakfast with him anyway. What a nice man. I did a long and interesting interview with Jacquelyn Pearce for our local newspaper. Gareth Thomas was a favorite. Regarding Paul Darrow, well let's just say he seemed to think he really WAS Avon. Quite the ego but very charming.

Like Ann I enjoy watching the old black and white movies from the 40's and the 50's. Also Riverboat.

My cable subscription is limited so I don'tget the BBC channel but our public broadcast station and some of the other cable channels show British, Canadian and Australian programs at times.

I don't watch Science fiction too often but Farscape from Australia is amazing!

All in all, I am a great fan of the theater. I was a very amature actor for a long time. I think the British philosophy of acting is right on.

Oh and one more thing. I don't watch American soaps but I got hooked on Eastenders when I was in the UK a couple of years ago. And how could I forget "Are You Being Served?" which they show over here from time to time. Just the funniest thing I've ever seen.

[Maria]

Vicki and Ann, I adore the b&w movies of the 40's and 50's too. I love the clothes and the styling. The women seemed to be so perfect and glamerous, and there is something about a man in a suit and hat!!

I also like the very cheaply made 'juvenile delinquent' movies made in the US in the 50's. All the kids look about 35!

Of more recent films, 'East is East' is fantastic, and I just saw a move on video called (I think) 'Very Mary Ann' set in a small Welsh village. It was superb!!

.......and for Miles:
- This parrot is dead!
- He's not dead sir, he's just resting.
It still gets me every time!!!

[Vicki]

Leslie, alas, I do not get any Canadian channels except sometimes a news channel.

I like the Thin Man movies and the old TV show that was on in the 60's. The movies were the best though.

Maria and Miles, my favorite line from the parrot sketch: "tis an ex parrot." I understand that when one of the Pythoners gave a eulogy at Graham Chapman's funeral, her said "tis an ex-Python." Chapman had wanted that to be quoted.

Of course "The Life of Brain" has to be the greatest satire ever made.    

[Lesley]

ooh the parrot sketch!! my favourite *after the 'cheese shop'.
but the parrot - 'it's not dead, it's sleeping'
i can watch those sketches again and again!
those python boys!
our first siamese, a blue point, was named 'monty' in their honour.

[Miles]

"It's not pining, it's passed on...!!  This parrot is no more...it has ceased to be...!!  It's a stiff....bereft of life, it rests in peace...if you hadn't nailed it to the perch it'd be pushing up the daisies...!!!  It's kicked the bucket, rung down the curtain and joined the bleeding Choir Invisible....!!!  THIS....is an EX....parrot..!!!!!"

"Oh, I guess I'd better replace it then..."...



Miles

[topaz]

'The Prisoner'
I'm still looking for ways to escape the island.
Ann managed it some years ago.

[sass]

I love Frasier. It's the best and it always makes me laugh. I like firends too.

I've also been enjoying the new one Rescue Me that's running at the moment. Truly funny and I also love Smack The Pony, very original and very funny. I saw Dead Ringers on TV too but I'm sad that it's not on radio 4 anymore. It was the highlight of the week, especially the silly phone calls!

I love old b&w movies and anything sci fi too. Alias on sky 1 is pretty good, that's another US show that we like. And of course the West Wing. Wonderful drama!
We saw a show last year called The Strangerers on sky that was very funny. Don't know if any of you saw it but it was great. About a bunch of alien vegetables that found a way of creating human bodies and came to earth to learn about humans. Wonderfuly ridiculous!

We also love Robot Wars. Can't wait for the next series.

We've also been watching a lot of the winter sports on Eurosport. Skking and biathlon and some of the snowboarding stuff too. And of course the ice skating world championships which have just finished.

And of course the Simpsons and especially Futurama.