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Top 100 UK Televison Series

Started by JaseSF, September 17, 2011, 08:40:50 PM

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JaseSF

#30
29) My Family (2000-present): This comedy features the ups and downs of the Harper family, mainly focusing on neurotic dentist Ben Harper (Robert Lindsay), generally miserable in his work and home life, who cannot wait for his kids to move out of the house only when they get older, they still don't seem interested in doing so. Son Nick (Kris Marshall) is a bonafide idiot who cannot hold a job, daughter Janey (Daniela Denby-Ashe) is totally shallow and more worried about boys that anything else while son Michael (Gabriel Thomson) is smarter than everyone else and has little time for the rest of the family while wife Susan (Zoƫ Wanamaker) is largely the glue that holds the family together and basically wears the pants in the family despite being a little unconventional. While originally often quite hilarious, the show went a bit downhill after the depature of the character of Nick and replacements such as ditzy cousin Abi (Siobhan Hayes) and a naive dental assistant in Roger (Keiron Self), although the actors certainly tried, didn't really make up for the loss.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Ot_--W740

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxkgnT8v2-U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAYSUApVZUg
"This above all: To thine own self be true!"

Raffine

30) The Young Ones (1982-1984)

This comedy followed the adventures of four students sharing a flat in North London while attending (fictional?) Scumbag College. A mix of a traditional working class sitcom with  insane slapstick violence, surreal humor, punk music, and puppets.

Here, the boys are all sick with the flu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r711rZ4M5K0
If you're an Andy Milligan fan there's no hope for you.

JaseSF

31) Bottom (1991-1995): Speaking of the Young Ones, this series also stars Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson here as Richie and Eddie whose primarily concerns are shagging and finding money, both of which they seem to never be able to accomplish. Christopher Ryan would pop up on the show as well as Hedgehog. It also starred Steven O' Connell as Spudgun. While not quite as clever and inventive as the Young Ones, the show was outrageous, offensive and very, very funny. This series was IMO far ahead of its time and was a precursor to many popular shows today only I think it pulled it off better than most of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGl7kg_OQ08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsk1mZ8DTPc
"This above all: To thine own self be true!"

JaseSF

32) Coronation Street (1960-Present): Long running, in fact the longest running in the world, soap opera has been a mainstay for years and has proved popular with fans over the world. The show has gone through many changes over the years including production companies but like all soaps focuses on the ups and downs of ordinary people, in particular their love affairs. On the show, choices made by the characters do seem to resonate and set into motion all manner of other events allowing more things of interest to unfold. I have to say it's IMO the most entertaining soap on the airwaves today and I do find myself , despite not usually being a fan of soaps, watching it from time to time. The characters do seem to look and feel more like real people than in many American soaps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5isl0O4bAI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmFYTODEpio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPS43ea0hZE
"This above all: To thine own self be true!"

Doggett

33. Sherlock (2010)

The most modern incarnation of the famous detective and its brilliant.
Never been a fan before, but this is great. Writen by Doctor Who writers, this brings wit, smarts, a modern London feel and an un-ending cool to a chracter thats been portrayed more than any other.



                                             

If God exists, why did he make me an atheist? Thats His first mistake.

JaseSF

34. Bob and Margaret (1998-2001): Animated British series featuring a somewhat stuffy British married couple with no kids but two overfeed, overstuffed dogs. Bob is a struggling dentist while his wife Margaret works as a Chiropodist. Their everyday lives here work surprisingly well as comedic fodder and often acts as something of a clever reflection of society as well. Initially this show I felt was brilliantly done and I enjoyed its British setting (although I think it may have actually started off as a Canadian film board short?) but once the characters moved  to Canada, the show just seemed to lose something along the way. Still a very funny series in its own right and I personally prefer it over many of its American counterparts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_eQ38q3Njg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKiCEwjCeMA
"This above all: To thine own self be true!"

AndyC

35. Jekyll (2007)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wahKlUZyk-M&NR=1
After watching the whole series, I really think James Nesbitt would have made an excellent Doctor Who. Maybe next time.
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"Join me in the abyss of savings."

ulthar

36. Green Wing (2004)

Short lived, but absolutely hilarious.
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Professor Hathaway:  I noticed you stopped stuttering.
Bodie:      I've been giving myself shock treatments.
Professor Hathaway: Up the voltage.

--Real Genius

JaseSF

37. Doctor Who (2005-Present): The modern Doctor Who is pretty darn solid in its own right and is fairly faithful to its predecessor. Certainly one of the better shows on the current airwaves. The Doctor for the most part may have gotten a bit younger and seems to have taken on a more superheroic quality but there were elements of that in some of the old series Doctors as well. Seems a little less serious now at times too but still a good show for the most part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spSMChV_uoA
"This above all: To thine own self be true!"

JaseSF

38. 2point4 Children (1991-1999): Unusual family comedy featuring the Porter family starring Belinda Lang as Bill and Gary Olsen as Ben as a couple struggling to keep their family afloat and dealing with the general weirdness of everyday life. Actually there's a lot of sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre references in this one which might well please folks here. I found this hilarious and surprisingly realistic on some levels sometimes with a rather dark edge. It actually improved in its later seasons in terms of being funny. I'm surprised this series seems largely forgotten by many these days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs6ti_BkCU0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkD9KWfvb0
"This above all: To thine own self be true!"

Trevor

39: The Omega Factor (1979)

Probably the scariest TV series I have ever seen ~ a precursor to The X Files ~ involving a secret British government department's investigation into things paranormal and into the equally mysterious organization known as OMEGA. Utterly skin crawlingly frightening and unsettling, especially the episodes Visitations, St Anthony's Fire and the chilling Powers of Darkness:buggedout: :buggedout: :buggedout::buggedout:
We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.

Trevor

40) The Professionals* (1977 ~ 1982)

Rough tough crime / anti terrorism series dealing with an organization named CI5 and focusing chiefly on that organization's boss George Cowley and his two chief operatives Ray Doyle and the weirdly named William Andrew Phillip Bodie.  :teddyr:

* A one-off parody version of this was done in the UK, entitled The Bull$hitters  :teddyr:
We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.

Trevor

41) The Protectors (1972 ~ 1973): I loved this series as a child, starring Robert Vaughn and Nyree Dawn Porter.
We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.

Trevor

42) Randall and Hopkirk [Deceased] 1969 ~ 1970.

I may have been a bit young to see this in the early 70s but I still remember this series with a lot of fondness ~ it did really creep me out a lot, especially the opening credits.
We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.

Trevor

43) Hammer House of Horror (1980):  :buggedout: :buggedout: :buggedout: Nuff said: seriously creepy and my first encounter with Hammer Films.
We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.