question for you Brits about your TV shows

[mrbadger]

...a comedy centered around department stores or something similar.

That could have been Are You Being Served?. Some of the humour in that probably wouldn't go down too well nowadays.

Well it did have a gay character who was a bit too gay. I 'm not sure I ever really liked it even then. The follow up series was awful, and the movie was barely watchable.

I wouldn't refuse to watch it for any political correctness reason, I wouldn't watch it because I wouldn't be entertained.

Hi-di-Hi was good, I have that digitised for my mother, but I'm not sure I'll watch it. I may watch Ello Ello.

[Vertigo 7]

...a comedy centered around department stores or something similar.

That could have been Are You Being Served?. Some of the humour in that probably wouldn't go down too well nowadays.

That rings a bell. It's been 30 years give or take since I saw it, I don't remember much about it other than I watched it and enjoyed it at the time.

[matthewfarmery]

Also things went downhill for ITV when Thatcher destroyed it, be closing down most of the independent studios, Before that, many of ITV shows were really good. But ITV isn't the same anymore. Too much junk on. Especially in the evenings. I also feel that the BBC isn't as great as they used to be either. But they did make some really good shows. But yes, they also more or less know when to kill off a series. But I would say that mistakes were made too. Only Fools and Horses last episodes. And yes, last of the summer wine did drag on too long. Once the main stars left, (or died) there was no soul in the program anymore.

I still like Life on Mars. and its 80s semi sequel Ashes to Ashes. But to me, Life on mars still has the edge. mainly due to the actors, and the period. As for Doctor Who, I think the BBC should consider killing that off, sure it lasted a long time, but maybe its time to make that come to an end?

So part from the BBC and channel 4, the other Free to watch channels aren't that great. Especailly channel 5. It started off been serious, now reduced to a junk channel with everyone else's second hand junk. They made the same mistakes with Big brother, and while finally dead. Channel 5 I don't really regard to be a decent channel anymore. Too much junk, with only a fraction what on it, worth watching.

But all the free to air channels are fighting for the piece of a pie, that is basically shrinking. especailly with the links of Amazon prime, and Netflix and Disney. So really only the BBC is semi decent, due to the license fee. While ITV and 5, I don't really consider to be all that good. I only wish they would clean themselves up and axe a lot of their junk, But that won't happen. So we are left with a channel is pretty bad, and I don't really consider worth watching. Of course others will disagree. But its a bad channel in my book, and I hate Thatcher on what she did to it.

[mrbadger]

I pay the license fee so my wife can use iPlayer, but these days it seems the only way to get decent programs is to wait for them to come out on DvD or BluRay then rip them to play on my internal streaming system.

At the moment it's still legal to do this (if you're not distributing them, obviously), but with new closer association with the US it's possible they may attempt to close off this option, which they've been trying to do for some time.

Even so, Most British comedy seems to be funded partially by foreign companies, which puts extra pressure on the producers and writers. And actors who were in UK comedies in the early 2000's are appearing in American comedies now.

[Rug]

To add another to the list of short but greats, Yes Minister (and Yes Prime Minister of course). Perfect little gems, no more to add, so stop. Just as it should be I think.

Rug

P.S. Good to hear (read, see, whatever) you are back again Mr Badger. It's been a while. Welcome home !

[Chips]

To add another to the list of short but greats, Yes Minister (and Yes Prime Minister of course).

TBH,for me that's my favourite all time sitcom - nearly all the topics it hits are still relevant today, implying the battles it depicted were entirely plausible/accurate and how little things change despite the years The writing and acting were just perfect.

Someone mentioned Felicity Kendall, and it has to be said "The Good Life" was also brilliantly entertaining. I can't comment on more modern sitcoms though, somehow I just don't seem to sit down at the right time to watch them.

[mrbadger]

To add another to the list of short but greats, Yes Minister (and Yes Prime Minister of course). Perfect little gems, no more to add, so stop. Just as it should be I think.

Rug

P.S. Good to hear (read, see, whatever) you are back again Mr Badger. It's been a while. Welcome home !

I'm only intermittently posting, mostly just reading because I'm too busy writing novels now.

I've not even found time to play the C&C remaster yet But I'm just starting a month off.

[Chips]

I'm only intermittently posting, mostly just reading because I'm too busy writing novels now.

Sounds exciting* Hope it's going well. Is this a case of write then send to publishers (i believe the traditional route?) Or writing and self publishing via online platforms (is it Amazon and so on?).

*meaning different, interesting rather than adrenaline fuelled life on the edge

[mrbadger]

I'm only intermittently posting, mostly just reading because I'm too busy writing novels now.

Sounds exciting* Hope it's going well. Is this a case of write then send to publishers (i believe the traditional route?) Or writing and self publishing via online platforms (is it Amazon and so on?).

*meaning different, interesting rather than adrenaline fuelled life on the edge

A publisher is looking at one, but the plague hit, so everything is on hold, I've no interest in bugging the editor, so don't know if it's dropped or just waiting, but honestly I'm not that bothered. I'm finishing the next one now, and working on a third.
More books are better, and each I write expands my universe further.