English Obsession

[BethyVic]

For a while now I am have been a little obsessed with England.  I haven't been there for more than ten years, but I often think about how wonderful it is and how lovely the accents are.  I just love movies that are set there.  Especially ones that show daily life.  I love the parts in the Harry Potter movies that feature Harry at home or in the countryside.  Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are two of my favorite movies.  Mr. Bean, Fawlty Towers: so awesome! It seems like it would be such an awesome place to live.  What are some good shows I could find online or On Demand that showcase modern life in England?  Do you live in England?  What is the best part of it?

[kaoskat]

Doctor Who? That's English right? *shrugs and hangs head* I have no idea........

[ringwraith10]

Oh wow, there are whole groups/forums/websites online devoted to shows for anglophiles. Most of those communities tend to talk about Sherlock and Doctor Who, but there are some other slightly less prominent shows that people like. Of course, right now in the middle of the night (for me) I can't remember the titles. But I'm sure the British members who are just now waking up can give you some tips.

[BethyVic]

I can't believe I never knew the word anglophile before!  Thank you for adding it to the dictionary in my brain. 

[Pokeyonekenobie]

I've never been to England but my sister-in-law works for a company called "London Connection."  They hire out flats.  The owner is knighted (how cool is that?) and he has sent my sister-in-law and my brother to London as part of her job.  So if you're looking to travel there, you can keep them in mind if you'd rather rent a flat than stay in a hotel.  (I don't know what the price range is, sorry, but they have a website you can check out.) 

My brother's favorite part was the gardens everywhere and eating in the local pubs.  He said it was an awesome experience.

[pickwick_pirate]

I actually couldn't name a single TV show that was related to life in England that is current ... We do seem to like documentaries exploring modern England though, which seem.to have become more and more popular with documentary series becoming more common, but I can't claim to have ever watched any. Just seen commercials.

If you like Shaun of the dead and hot fuzz then I'd say watch Spaced, which I really liked. And Black Books. Other than that ... I liked a lot of the darker 'comedies' but to be honest I think most people just found then disturbing. 

I've never been presented with the question what do I like about living in England. Mainly ... I don't know because I've never lived anywhere else. I can think of lots I don't like but I suspect most people could say that about where they live. I do however love our countryside, we has some outstandingly beautiful places of nature. My favorite places are derbyshire and staffordshirr. I webt to ubivercity in derby and if you drive, or walk 30 mins out of the city you would be in beautiful, silebt, picturesque countryside. Sometimes now, when I'm driving to work there is a point where I can see straight out across the fens with no buildings or traffic for miles and miles except 2 church spires. First thing in autumn, when the sun is rising and the fields are foggy it is stunning to look at. We have great seaside towns, even if we don't have sea side weather. I like how you can go through pretty much any town or village and see a building that is really, really old.

I think poleonekenobes brother is right about the gardens,  houses (and even a lot of groubd floor flats) have their own gardens, then there all the public gardens and parks and then communal gardens in cities and urban area where there might not be much green space. We do like our green spaces! I love sitting in a country pub and having some dinner.

I hate cities, and I think London is horrendously over-rated, and over priced. I just looked at the london connection flats and the price of some of those for a night is half of what i earn a month! Although they look veary luxurious my family are all Londoners who left as soon as they could. I only have a few aunts and uncles and a cousin living there now.

I think you may gather from that, that I am rather antisocial

[ArtyAmy]

Red dwarf is a good British Sci-fi. For something a bit more current you could try popular soaps like Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Eastenders. All set in various parts of England with a variety of accents. C:

[Miniature Sheep]

I'm England born and bred and this country does have its ups and downs in spades. The area I live in is absolute garbage but on the plus side, it's only a short walk up to Macclesfield forest and some beautiful hillside, so I guess the scenery around rural Cheshire is the best thing about living here for me! Also this country has churned out some fabulous bands lately, especially Fearless Vampire Killers, Creeper and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes (all featuring very overtly English accents of varying persuasions - I personally have the hots for Frank Carter's cockney accent, it's jast a bit noice!) 

In terms of UK TV shows that feature everyday life, you could try the Adam and Joe Show, Vic and Bob's House of Fools and Man Down (also like pickwick_pirate mentioned, Spaced and Black Books are amazing shows!), also on the more overtly adult comedy-oriented end of the spectrum, there's Peep Show (mostly well-written but from series 3 onward, it gets extremely hit-and-miss), Fresh Meat, The Inbetweeners and The Mighty Boosh. We also have some great stand-up comedians; Bill Bailey in particular is an inspiration and I love Ross Noble (who has the most endearing Geordie accent ever) but his comedy might not be for everyone because sometimes it gets a bit... well, it doesn't really come close but the only word I can think of to describe it is outrageous.

[BethyVic]

Thank you guys for all your replies!  I have so many new shows to try.  I have started watching the Inspector Lynley mysteries.  Mostly because Richard Armitage was in one and he is my newest crush.  Now I really like the characters and the accents. 

[ArtyAmy]

If you'd like more Richard Armitage, some other TV things he's done are the BBC Robin Hood series, spooks and more recently the hobbit films. He's also appears in the Vicor of Dibley I think. C:

[GazeboMouse]

Don't forget regional English cultures, classics such as 'Last of the Summer Wine' which ran for decades about a group of Yorkshire pensioners and their (occasionally rather wacky) exploits in the Yorkshire Dales. Only finished a few years ago, shows a pace of life very different to the cities!

[Sebby6]

Life on Mars. It's a time travel kinda thing that I absolutely loved. Make sure you stop after season one though

[Artemesia's Garden]

Things I like about living in the UK: Stewart Lee, Charlie Brooker, Hilary Mantel, JRR Tolkien, pop/rock/folk music, Victorian steam museums, city of Cambridge, Cascade's waterfall, countryside, coast line, mountains, islands, Skins, Drum n Bass, art museums, gardens, afternoon tea, canals and narrow boats, wildlife, pubs, nature reserves and networks of footpaths and cycle paths, arts cinemas, theatre, fashion, the weather, festivals, seasons, the BBC, mad aristocrats, stately homes, farms, farming, regional food, ales... thank you for being so positive about my small country! I hate it a lot of the time but I don't want to live anywhere else.

[BethyVic]

Because of my lupus, traveling to England isn't realistic, but my tentative plan is to return in no more than five years.