h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

But then there was the American remake of the British remake of the American show Friends. Coupling was brilliant. Coupling (U.S) stank on ice.

I was sure that The Office (U.S.) was going to be dreadful, and it was for a while. It still doesn't hold a candle to the original but it is still on the air. I don't watch it because every time I see them break the "documentary" filming style I cringe. It's basically a dumb and lazy version of the original. Of course the majority of shows on US TV are dumb and lazy.

Now, Life On Mars (UK) was great for the first series, but then it started annoying me. There was no way I was going to watch the US version.

Your right Count, it did get annoying near the end didn't it and the actual ending was pretty lame.

Movies made by stand-ups. I'm thinking of Steve Martin,here, and Woody Allen (Allen's early work was OK: Love and Death and Play It Again, Sam, but his stand-up work is brilliant).

Also Morecame & Wise.

I don't get why the US doesn't just buy the UK version... We buy lots of their TV shows. Or do they buy them and then make their own as well? I'm not sure how it works.

The major networks NEVER air original British series... EVER. They always have remade them for the US audience (see Sanford and Son, Three's Company, &c.)

The only exception to this that I'm aware of was in the late 70's. NBC ran Monty Python's Flying CirCUS following Saturday Night Live (when it was still funny). Of course, that meant it didn't start until 1:00am EST.

Smaller independent broadcasters have ran British shows (and even some Canadian shows... I loved The Red Green Show), especially PBS stations. MTV (back when they still mostly aired MUSIC) brought The Young Ones to our shores.

When BBCAmerica started, they made an agreement with PBS to continue airing some BBC shows on PBS stations. On Saturday nights, I still get my fix for Are You Being Served, Keeping Up Appearances and Last of the Summer Wine. I'm glad for that as BBCAmerica seems now to be endless airings of Gordon Ramsey's bile or docutainment shows about chavs, transvestites or various sized breasts. (Monday nights I do enjoy Top Gear though.)

Anyways, now I mostly get to see UK programmes via DVD from Netflix.

I remember watching repeats of those shows when I was little in the 90s, they're shows from ages ago, 70s, 80s and early 90s I believe. Do you not get anything more up to date?

Not on PBS...

When BBC America first started up it was great. Over the years I've seen Father Ted, Coupling, The Office, Ab-Fab, A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Little Britain, Lord of the Manor, Hamish McBeth, Bottom, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Black Books, Spaced, Knowing You Knowing Me, The Thin Blue Line, Blackadder, Chef and many other shows on BBC America*.



*BBC America is a separate company with a limited partnership with the BBC.