The Trip (2010)

Sometimes when I am on social networking sites I notice that two people I know for completely different reasons are also friends with each other. How does someone I know from Virginia know someone I know from Rhode Island? It happens pretty often, actually. Anyway, that's how I felt when this video went viral about a year ago. How did all of my Facebook friends discover Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan, both of whom are famous in Britain but are practically unknown in America?

"YOU WERE ONLY SUPPOSED TO BLOW THE BLOODY DOORS OFF!"

Actually, Steve Coogan has gotten some attention in the States. He made a couple of movies that did well with critics...and he was blamed for Owen Wilson's suicide attempt back in 2007. Courtney Love (of all people) called Coogan out in the press for his hard-partying ways, which apparently rubbed off on Wilson and caused the unfortunate episode. Really. Coogan and Brydon did get the Internet's attention with this video, too. It's actually a clip from their television show, The Trip, in which they play themselves on a culinary tour of the north of England. That's right, they play themselves. They both are known for doing impressions, and they exploit that ability multiple times in The Trip. 

"I do this for a living, now get out your textbooks."

I could happily watch Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon do impressions for six episodes, but that's not all there is to The Trip. It is often quite poignant. Steve Coogan-the-character comes off as kind of tragic. He is lonely and deeply self-conscious, especially about his image in the UK and his lack of an image in the US. He cannot escape the awkward character that made him famous, and dreams about people chasing him and yelling a particular catchphrase to him. He doesn't really have any friends besides Rob Brydon-the-character, who comes off as silly and adorable, especially in the scenes with his onscreen wife. 

Instead of being shown on BBC America, The Trip was released in the States as a movie. The trailer might just be the best celebrity impressions clip show ever.

The trip is available to watch instantly on Netflix and Amazon. It is also available on DVD.

The It Crowd (2006-2010)

I used to work for a local Parks Department, and I am often reminded of the experience when I watch NBC's Parks and Recreation. A lot of my friends work/used to work with computers, and they feel the same way about The It Crowd. The It Crowd revolves around Jen Barber (Katherine Parkinson), Roy Trenneman (Chris O'Dowd), and Maurice Moss (Richard Ayoade). They make up the IT Department at London's Reynholm Industries. Jen, Roy, and Moss make for an unlikely trio. Best friends Roy and Moss are "standard nerds" while Jen is a computer illiterate girly-girl who fakes her way through the job interview for department manager.

A typical interaction between Roy and Jen.

It doesn't take long for the guys to realize that Jen has no idea what she's doing, and they make a plan to  oust her. They are even prepared to rat her out to the boss until they realize they will all lose their jobs if they cannot work as a team. Eventually, the become good friends and start to socialize outside of work. They even go to the theatre together!

Roy, Moss, and Jen go to see Gay: The Musical.

The IT department is located in the basement, but Roy and Moss occasionally go upstairs to unsuccessfully flirt with women. When Jen goes upstairs, she is frequently sexually harassed by Reynholm Industries' odious boss, Douglas (Matt Berry). This is usually ends badly for Douglas.

Douglas makes the mistake of trying to drug Jen.

The It Crowd was renewed for a fifth season in 2011, and the show's creator, Graham Lineham, intended for it to be the last. In October, Lineham announced that the fifth season would not be happening. Instead, there would be a one-off special to wrap the story up, but I don't know whether or not that's still happening. Fortunately, Chris O'Dowd and Richard Ayoade have been keeping themselves busy in America. I mean, remember a little movie from last year called Bridesmaids? Look who played Kristen Wiig's love interest!

Annie (Kristen Wiig) and Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd) in Bridesmaids.

Also, Richard Ayoade has a new movie coming out with some random guys named Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Jonah Hill on Friday, June 27.

The cast of The Watch.

I'm looking forward to seeing their careers continue to flourish in the States, but I hope they won't be too busy to return to Reynholm Industries.

The IT Crowd is available to watch instantly on Netflix and Amazon. It is also available on DVD.

Downton Abbey: Emmy and Season Three Buzz

This post contains major spoilers. This is your cue to leave if you have not watched Downton Abbey's second season or the 2011 Christmas special.

I, like the seemingly the rest of America, love Downton Abbey. I'm not above a soapy costume drama, people!  So I was very excited by the fact that Downton Abbey racked up a nice handful of Emmy nominations last week. Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley), Hugh Bonneville (Robert, Earl of Grantham), Maggie Smith (Violet, Dowager Countess of Granthan), Joanne Froggart (Anna), Brendan Coyle (Bates), and Jim Carter (Mr. Carson) all received nominations for their performances. Downton was also recognized in the writing and directing categories. The most exciting news of all, though, is that is was nominated for best Drama Series!

All of this Emmy buzz has gotten me worked up about the upcoming next season. It won't air in America until January 2013, so until then I'll just have to speculate on what's to come! These are the story lines I'm most looking forward to getting back into:

1. Lady and Mr. Sybil Crawley

Lady Sybil and Branson informing the Crawleys of their engagement during the Series Two finale. 

Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay), the youngest Crawley daughter, and Branson (Allen Leech), the family's longtime chauffeur, married and moved to Ireland sometime between the Series Two finale and the Christmas special. Lord Grantham made it pretty clear that the newlyweds weren't welcome at Downton, so they were absent from the Christmas special. Well, mostly. Sybil did send a letter to her mother (Elizabeth McGovern) revealing that a little Sybil or Branson was on the way. When Lady Grantham dropped this bomb on her husband, she made it clear that she would not be kept away from their first grandchild. Hopefully this means that Sybil and Branson will be back in a major way in Series Three. They are both such independent and passionate characters, so their married life is guaranteed to be an interesting one. I only hope it's not quite as dramatic as Anna and Bates's, which brings me to...

2. FREE BATES

Anna visiting Bates in prison during the Christmas special.

Anna, Downton's head housemaid, and Bates, Lord Grantham's valet, were the couple I cheered for from the very start of the show. They had to deal with a lot of complications that kept them apart, most of which had to do with Bates's mysterious past. I cried when they (finally!) snuck off and got married during the Series Two finale. Unfortunately, their happiness was short-lived: Bates was arrested for the murder of his ex-wife, Vera (Maria Doyle Kennedy). 

Bates's innocence was hotly debated by Downton's upstairs and downstairs residents, but Anna obviously always believed that her husband was innocent. The cry she let out in the courtroom after he was found guilty and sentenced the death was totally heartbreaking. The good news is that Bates's sentence was reduced to life in prison, but a lot of difficulties are inevitably ahead for him and his missus. Hopefully we'll see a free Bates by the end of the season.

Hugh Bonneville (Lord Grantham) showing his support at a press event in Beverly Hills on Saturday.

3. Shirley You Jest

Shirley MacLaine on the set.

A new face is coming to Downton Abbey this season, and what a face it is! Oscar winner Shirley MacLaine will be playing Lady Grantham's mother, Martha Levinson. I'm really looking forward to the scenes between mother and daughter. However, the main event is sure to be MARTHA LEVINSON VS. THE DOWAGER COUNTESS. There's no way those two legends won't be going head to head this season. 

To hold us over until then, here are some of the Dowager Countess's best moments from the last season:

Violet's greatest hits.

The third season of Downton Abbey will premiere on PBS on January 6, 2013. The first two seasons are available to watch instantly on Amazon, as well as on DVD and Blu-Ray.

John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show (2010-present)

One of my favorite ways to waste time on the Internet is to read Nerve.com's "Sex Advice From" series. It must be the most random advice "column" ever. You can get sex advice from "People with Old-Person Names," "Extremely Tall Women," and "TV Comedy Writers," as well as Aubrey Plaza (Terminally deadpan April Ludgate on Parks & Recreation) and motivational speaker/musician Andrew W.K., among other strange people. 

I always get excited when I see a new "Sex Advice From," but I was practically beside myself when I noticed that the most recent one is with John Oliver. I love, love, love John Oliver. I find him to be totally dreamy. His answer to the question "What's the best way to seduce John Oliver?"is "I think the old Victorian way: a firm, firm handshake." Swoon! When asked to "Describe a John Oliver groupie," he said he doesn't think he has any! Lies! I'm a John Oliver groupie! 

Just in case you have no idea who I'm talking about, John Oliver is a comedian who has made a name for himself on this side of the pond as a The Daily Show correspondent. 

You know, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart?

Jon Stewart behind his Daily Show desk

Mr. Oliver also hosts John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show...which is not a British TV show. Neither is The Daily Show! But John Oliver is a real live British person!

John Oliver on stage hosting his NewYork Stand-Up Show, adorably.

I don't know if Mr. Oliver would appreciate the comparison, but he's basically a grown-up Harry Potter. What's more dreamy British than Harry Potter? Well, maybe the University of Cambridge, which J.O. conveniently attended! He studied English and was a member of a little amateur drama club called the Footlights. Some other former Footlights members, just for your information: Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson; Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes; novelist Salman Rushdie; Hugh Laurie, master of the American accent; and HALF OF MONTY PYTHON. Yeah, John Oliver is a part of a significant British comedy "family." He just so happens to be working in America these days. 

Here's my favorite bit of John's from the previous season, and it is rather Not Safe For Work:

Jokes.com
John Oliver - A Footballer's Penis
comedians.comedycentral.com
John Oliver Comedians Stand-Up

"How am I, as a British person, the least repressed human being in this room?"

The third season of John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show premieres on Comedy Central on Friday, July 20 at 11 PM.

Pulling (2006-2009)

So far in my blogging experience, I've mentioned about a dozen actors but only two actress. This seems like a great opportunity to talk about Pulling. Pulling was co-created by Sharon Horgan (a woman!) and Dennis Kelly, and starred Horgan, Tanya Franks, and Rebekah Staton as best friends who move in together after shallow Donna (Horgan) ends her engagement to Karl (Cavan Clerkin). Donna's new "flatmates" are Karen, a foulmouthed, promiscuous teacher and Louise, a naive waitress.

Here's a classic Donna moment:

Apparently Donna does not have a future as an art critic.

Now one from Karen:

Karen mistakes a student's parent for an old one night stand. Easy mistake.

Finally, Louise and Carl:

Louise stalks a restaurant patron and Carl has sex in the kitchen.

 If there's anything I think you can get from those three clips, it's that Pulling is secondhand embarrassment, I-can't-stop-cringing funny. Also, none of these characters seem to have any redeeming qualities. Is it bad that I find them immensely relatable? They have normal jobs, wear normal clothes, and live in normal houses. That's not something I see a lot in American TV. I mean, Carrie Bradshaw couldn't have afforded all of those shoes on a freelance writer's budget. Donna, Karen, and Louise don't live fabulous lives, but they sure are interesting!

A night out on the town turns into a morning in a primary school classroom for Karen and her ex, Billy.

You can watch Pulling on Amazon Instant Video. It is also available on DVD.

QI (2003-present)

I don't want anyone to think I'm some kind of British TV supremacist. I watch a lot of American shows, too! I'm actually watching Mad Men right now.

Hello, Don Draper.

However, I think American TV is missing something: Panel shows. Panel shows are a type of game show that rounds up celebrities (mostly comedians) and quizzes them on different topics. Some shows revolve around a certain theme, like pop music (Never Mind the Buzzcocks), statistics (8 Out of 10 Cats), or current events (Have I Got News for You and Mock the Week).

Then there's QI.

QI, which stands for Quite Interesting, is all about obscure knowledge. The only theme is that every season revolves around a different letter of the alphabet. The first season was "A," the second season was "B," and so on. The questions seem designed specifically so the panelists can't answer them. That might sound like a terrible premise for a game show, but consider this: Panelists get points not only for (rare) correct answers but also interesting ones. There is also plenty of room for silly tangents. Here's what happens after host Stephen Fry brings up liquid nitrogen/dry ice:

Here's what happened to Daniel "Harry Potter" Radcliffe when he was a guest on the Christmas episode during the "G" season:

Stephen Fry, who you might recognize as Booth's first psychologist Dr. "Gordon Gordon" Wyatt on Bones, is considered a natural treasure in England. He's the perfect person to host a show like this because he comes off as being made of tweed. Here's a picture of him with his BFF Hugh Laurie (there I go again with that initialism):

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie

QI is available on DVD. 

Luther (2010-present)

I'm not going to lie, I get a little giddy when I see Brits pick up at American award shows. It's not that I'm un-American, I just want certain actors to get famous and work over here. I was particularly happy after I watched the Golden Globes back in January. For me, the most exciting category was Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Four of the five nominations were for English actors: Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Billy Nighy (Page Eight), Dominic West (The Hour), and Idris Elba (Luther). I love all of these actors, but I was really rooting for Idris Elba. And he won!

Idris Elba's Golden Globes acceptance speech.

Luther is about the brilliant Detective Chief Inspector John Luther (Elba), a member of the London Metropolitan Police's Serious Crimes Unit. Luther's first case after he returns from a long suspension is an unusual one: a former child prodigy, Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson), finds her parents dead in their home. They have been shot execution-style, but there is no sign of a struggle, and the Morgans have no enemies. It quickly becomes clear to Luther that the Alice is not all that she seems. However, if Alice has done anything wrong, Luther can't prove it. Alice appears to be the only person who outmatches Luther intellectually, and Luther is usually the prey in their subsequent game of cat and mouse.

Luther and Alice meet.

While Alice is busy wreaking havoc, Luther still has to work on other cases, each one more stressful than the last. After all, he does work in the Serious Crimes Unit. Luther is absolutely married to his job; he's a workaholic with his own moral code. This is reminiscent of the Cowboy Cop trope, but Luther never fails to take it to a whole new level. He is also trying to reconcile with his estranged wife, Zoe (Indira Varma). Unfortunately, Zoe has a new boyfriend (Paul McGann), which obviously does not endear her to Alice.

Alice Morgan obviously did never earned a Master of Disguise degree.

Luther is available to watch instantly on Netflix and Amazon, and on DVD. New episodes are expected to debut in 2013.

Black Books (2000-2004)

Writing and reading about television is kind of a funny thing. Unless you're into subtitles, television is all about watching. I can write about my favorites shows all I want, but you need to watch to really know what's so great about them. I especially feel this way about Black Books (2000-2004). Why? Black Books is about Bernard Black (Dylan Moran), a man who owns and operates a small bookshop in London. 

Bernard falls asleep with a cigarette in his mouth.

Chain-smoking has rendered Bernard's sense of taste so useless that he mistakes a coaster for a cookie. He's perpetually drunk. He doesn't have any people skills or business sense to speak of. Luckily, his lone employee, Manny Bianco (Bill Bailey), does. Manny, a high strung, scatterbrained accountant, effectively takes a job as Bernard's babysitter after a near death experience. 

Manny, awake, with a playing card in his mouth.

Their friend Fran Katzenjammer (Tamsin Greig) owns the gift shop next door.

Fran falls asleep with a cigarette in her mouth, too!

Fran and Bernard obviously have a lot in common. She does try to give up smoking and drinking at least once, though. 

The main characters on Black Books might not be as recognizable as Rowan Atkinson or Hugh Laurie, but there's a good chance you've seen them before. 

Here's Dylan Moran in Shaun of the Dead (2004):

An ordinary day in London.

Tamsin Greig is in Shaun of the Dead, too, in a blink-and-you'll-miss-her way.

Here's Billy Bailey (playing twins) in Hot Fuzz (2007):

Identical twins, but with differently-textured hair.

What else do Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz have in common besides Black Books connections? Simon Pegg! He wrote and starred in both of those movies alongside his BFF Nick Frost. Yes, I did just use "BFF" to describe a the friendship of two grown men. I don't think they'd mind. Simon and Nick (since I just referred to them as BFFs I might as well be on a first name basis) both made appearances in Black Books, actually. Here's a lil' bit of S.P.'s:

Black Books is available to watch instantly on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. It's also available on DVD.

Blackadder (1983-1989)

You might not be able to tell one member of Monty Python from another, but you definitely know who this man is.

Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean.

 It's Mr. Bean, of course! The dimwitted title character of the TV show Mr. Bean (1990-1995) and the films Bean (1997) and Mr. Bean Takes a Holiday (2007)!

So, how about this guy? 

Mr. Atkinson, now with pencils up his nose.

It's Edmund Blackadder, of course! What, that name doesn't ring a bell?

Even with the pencils up his nose, it's not hard to tell that the man in the second picture is the same as the man in the first. The important difference, I think, is that while Mr. Bean made Rowan Atkinson's face famous worldwide, his work in Blackadder is practically unknown in America. I find this utterly confusing since British polls regularly name Blackadder one of the best television shows of all time.

Rowan Atkinson starred in Blackadder from 1983 to 1989, first as Edmund, The Duke or Edinburgh; then as Edmund, Lord Blackadder; then as Edmund Blackadder, Esquire; and finally as Captain Edmund Blackadder. During each of the show's four seasons, Atkinson played the character in a different time period, ranging from the Middle Ages to World War I. Blackadder isn't the only character to reborn with each new era, though. His dimwitted servant, Baldrick (Tony Robinson), is also a main character in all four seasons. Other characters who made repeat appearances were Lord Percy Percy (Tim McInnery) in the first and second seasons (and as Captain Kevin Darling in the fourth), Lord/General Melchett (Stephen Fry) in the second and fourth seasons, and Prince/Lieutenant George (Hugh Laurie) in the third and fourth seasons.

Yeah, this guy:

Hugh Laurie in the role that made him America's favorite doctor.

Played this guy:

Mr. Laurie, now as a dimwitted, foppish royal.

AND this guy:

And now as a wounded teddy bear-snuggler.

Have you noticed a theme in how each character's name from season to season? You know, Prince to Lord, Lord to General, Prince to Lieutenant...their social stock is sinking. I'm not sure what the reason for this is, but it's consistent with every character except for Baldrick. He's always just a servant, poor dumb thing.

"Dumb" is an important word here, because it accurately describes every character. Not Blackadder, of course. Unfortunately for him (and fortunately for the viewer), he has to deal with these idiots. 

Here's a perfect example from the fourth season, which is known as Blackadder Goes Fourth.

Blackadder Goes Fourth is the first season I watched, and it's still my favorite. The trenches of World War I doesn't sound like much of a set up for a comedy, but the bleakness of the situation only adds to the humor. If World War I isn't your thing, maybe the Middle Ages, the Elizabethan period, or the Regency period is. There's something for everybody!

Blackadder is available to watch instantly on Netflix and Amazon. It is also available on DVD.