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Short-Lived American shows available in R2 (1 Viewer)

Neil Brock

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When I was over in the UK a few years ago I discovered the sitcom Miranda. I hate modern comedies but that show is hysterical. Don't know if its even aired in America at all yet but I bought the 2 sets they put out on DVD.
 

Neil Brock

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The Performance Channel in England around 5-6 years ago ran a slew of rare and obscure U.S. shows from the Four Star library. Things like Mrs. G Goes to College, Peter Loves Mary, The June Allyson Show and a bunch of others that haven't run here in decades. Other rarities that have aired in the UK in the taping era are Dundee and the Culhane, Saints and Sinners, Dan August, The Smith Family, The Debbie Reynolds Show, Pruitts of Southhampton, Target: The Corrupters. Unfortunately, they usually only run these things once through so if you don't have someone who knows to record them from the beginning, sometimes you miss out on much of the series.
 

Statskeeper

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Maureen
Neil Brock said:
When I was over in the UK a few years ago I discovered the sitcom Miranda. I hate modern comedies but that show is hysterical. Don't know if its even aired in America at all yet but I bought the 2 sets they put out on DVD.
It's now running on PBS stations. I just saw a promo for it on WSBE Providence, RI. I'll have to check it out tomorrow night.
 

andrew markworthy

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When I was over in the UK a few years ago I discovered the sitcom Miranda.
Still running in the UK, but apparently the Christmas special this last year was not liked by the critics or public, I've never watched much of it, so cannot judge. FWIW, I used to know Miranda Hart's uncle and aunt. Her uncle used to be Vice Chancellor of the university I worked for and I had drinks with him a couple of times. I'd like to say that a young Miranda was wandering round serving drinks, but alas I can't. Miranda Hart also writes books which are supposed to be funny (I say 'supposed to be' not in any spiteful way - I simply mean I've not read them but people say they are good).
There'd be weekly viewer parties in gay bars and drag queens would come in dressed as Alexis
Interestingly, of my friends the two biggest fans were both flamboyant homosexuals (though neither dressed in drag). They also loved Knott's Landing (wasn't that the one that ended with a space ship landing?).
Another one would be 'The Andy Griffith show', almost an institution in the US but hardly anyone in the UK would know him.
Leave it to Beaver, Mr Ed also join the list of shows that Americans of a certain age have as cultural references and Brits haven't a clue what they are about. I saw Mr Ed a couple of times during its relatively brief appearance on UK TV (my dad loved Mr Ed). I don't know if Leave it to Beaver was ever on UK television. On the other hand, you seemingly couldn't escape the Beverley Hillbillies (I still can remember the words to that song). To be honest, they need only have made one episode and endlessly repeated it as they all seemed to be exactly the same. I Love Lucy always seemed to be on as well.
 

Sky Captain

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andrew markworthy said:
But our mainstream programming now really is awful. We have nothing to compare with Broadwalk Empire, The Wire, etc.
The UK has Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Luther, Misfits, and Coronation Street. The Jimmy Saville incident and the coverage of the big event that you mentioned aside, UK TV's still just as good as the examples of U.S. TV you mentioned above. In fact, I'm envious of the high production values of Doctor Who and wish that we could get some space opera here on TV in North America as well (maybe an American remake of Doctor Who would help matters?
 
S

silverking

andrew markworthy said:
Still running in the UK, but apparently the Christmas special this last year was not liked by the critics or public, I've never watched much of it, so cannot judge. FWIW, I used to know Miranda Hart's uncle and aunt. Her uncle used to be Vice Chancellor of the university I worked for and I had drinks with him a couple of times. I'd like to say that a young Miranda was wandering round serving drinks, but alas I can't. Miranda Hart also writes books which are supposed to be funny (I say 'supposed to be' not in any spiteful way - I simply mean I've not read them but people say they are good). Interestingly, of my friends the two biggest fans were both flamboyant homosexuals (though neither dressed in drag). They also loved Knott's Landing (wasn't that the one that ended with a space ship landing?). Leave it to Beaver, Mr Ed also join the list of shows that Americans of a certain age have as cultural references and Brits haven't a clue what they are about. I saw Mr Ed a couple of times during its relatively brief appearance on UK TV (my dad loved Mr Ed). I don't know if Leave it to Beaver was ever on UK television. On the other hand, you seemingly couldn't escape the Beverley Hillbillies (I still can remember the words to that song). To be honest, they need only have made one episode and endlessly repeated it as they all seemed to be exactly the same. I Love Lucy always seemed to be on as well.
Miranda Hart is the latest BBC 'celebrity' they seem anxious to promote to the point of overkill. She appears on endless 'chat' shows & guest spots on other shows. 'Leave It to Beaver' never played in the UK although other US comedies from the period such as 'Mr. Ed' ''Greenacres' Denis the Menace- retitled 'Just Denis ' for the UK,'Hazel' , 'My Three Sons', 'Tugboat Annie' certainly did. They were usually on in a teatime slot early evening.
 

andrew markworthy

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The UK has Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Luther, Misfits, and Coronation Street.
With the exception of Doctor Who, I give the rest of that list a wide berth. I must immediately confess that I am a misfit in this. Sherlock was last year's 'must see'. I saw it and thought it was very silly - not least because Moriarty seemed to be nothing more than a petulant camp narcissist having a hissy fit. I just could not find him threatening at all and could not for a minute see how he could have organised a criminal empire. Anyone he tried to threaten would just laugh at him. Everyone else's mileage differs on this, I know! Doctor Who, however, is another matter. I am definitely biased on this because most of it is filmed at a studio about a mile from my house. My daughter saw the main cast filming in Caerphilly (where she goes to school) the other day. I also have a work colleague who has written several of the official spin off Doctor Who novels, and I am privy to a few bits of gossip about the new series. I won't divulge anything, except to say that the original Doctor and his grand-daughter appear in one of the episodes of the new series, to tie in with the 50th anniversary. Oh, and if you haven't seen her, the new assistant is HOT.
 

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