It seems that only recently people have discovered British television. From Downton Abbey to Sherlock to Doctor Who, my friends have quickly become obsessed with British TV and a person called Benedict Cumberbatch. So, if you currently can’t get enough of the BBC and need to slake your thirst for quality and unique programming, then I have some excellent recommendations that you need check out. All of these series can be found online. They are also rather easy to catch up on because one season of a British series often only runs six episodes. To borrow a very accurate quote from the American show Community: “That’s the great thing about British TV, they give you closure”.
The Hour – This show stars stellar actors Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai and Dominic West. You’ve probably seen and fallen in love with Ben Whishaw before, if you remember him as the dry-humored and adorable Q from the most recent installment of James Bond, Skyfall. Ben Whishaw is what drew me into the series but once I started I could not stop watching it. Romola Garai plays the impeccably dressed, in control, highly professional, excellent at her job heroine that we all want to be — and there’s tons of excitement, adventure and dalliances on the side. The Hour has been described as a British version of Mad Men, undoubtedly by people who have never seen it, because once you get past the glorious 1950’s outfits and constant barrage of alcohol and tobacco you understand that The Hour is so much more. The first series of The Hour weaves a thrilling tale of espionage and secret love affairs between very intense journalists. The second series of The Hour spins an even more dramatic tale of crime conspiracy and secret love affairs between very intense journalists. I’m kidding — and only because The Hour is so good as to defy its labels. It is a gorgeous looking show as well, stylish with beautifully crafted deep atmospherics and intricate set design faithful to the Cold War setting. Before the first episode is over you will be drawn into the dreary yet portentous mist and you won’t ever want to leave. Sadly, the BBC has not chosen to renew The Hour (a show about the BBC) for a third series, following a nail-biting cliffhanger of a second series finale, but fans of the show are rallying to get it renewed. So who knows, by the time you finish watching, the third series might come around.
Misfits – This Channel 4 show just finished its fourth series, and will be back for a fifth, but no worries, each season has no more than six or eight episodes so it won’t take you forever to get on top of it. Also, it is highly likely that you will finish all four series within a few weeks or less because each episode is just so incredibly entertaining. This show is nearly impossible to describe because it is so different from anything you can see on North American television. In terms of basic plot and characters it is a show about young people, who have been given super powers through a freak storm, doing community service for various minor criminal offences. And it goes from there. But it’s insane, and dirty, and beautiful. It’s also hilarious. I have bonded with so many people over this show that I can safely guarantee you won’t regret watching it.
IT Crowd – The IT Crowd is very different from Misfits and The Hour; the first two are hour-long dramatic series and the IT Crowd is a half-hour sitcom. For some reason though, maybe there’s a rule in Britain I don’t know about, this show also only has six episodes per season. It’s like 30 Rock or Parks and Recreation, a workplace comedy, except with much fewer episodes. Anyway it stars Chris O’Dowd before he became famous overseas with Bridesmaids and Girls, Richard Ayoade and Katherine Parkinson. As the title hints they all work in an IT department. Misadventures ensue as well as hilarity. You would think that not understanding half the British references in a show would stop it from being funny, but lo and behold someone recommended this sitcom to me and it become one of my favorite comedy shows.
Tess of the d’Urbervilles – Now if Downton Abbey and PBS Masterpiece Classics like Pride and Prejudice are more your thing then this show is for you. It is a four-hour BBC television adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s (not to be confused with Tom Hardy) book of the same name. It tells the story of Tess Durbeyfield, a low-born country girl whose family find they have noble connections. It stars Gemma Arterton and Eddie Redmayne who have recently become big stars overseas with Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and Les Miserables respectively. Be warned, however, if you haven’t read the book, this story is pretty dark. You might end up hating all men at the end of it. But it is a very good adaptation of an interesting 1891 novel, which is considered to be an important work of English literature.