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.