British TV Podcast Show #76 - Simon Pegg

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 76 has a feature on actor/writer/comedian Simon Pegg. His latest movie, "Paul" opens in the US on March 18th, providing us with the perfect excuse to talk about his start in British TV in the 1990s before he broke out into films. Also, reviews of "Monroe" and "Twenty Twelve" and a look at this week's upcoming TV highlights including "Comic Relief 2011" and Matt Smith in "Christopher and His Kind."

Listen to show 76

Doctor Who

Allow me to geek out for a moment.

The new series of Doctor Who will be premiering on both sides of the Atlantic on April 23rd and BBC America has some cool wallpapers and images, if you like that kinda thing!
Check out
http://bbcamerica.com/shows/doctor-who/extras/wallpapers.jsp

British TV Podcast Show #75 - Comic Relief's Red Nose Day

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 75 has a feature on Comic Relief's Red Nose Day which will be on March 18th this year. We'll talk about the history of the event, some of the classic comedy sketches that have appeared over the years, and what to expect this time. Plus a review of "Friday Night Dinner." In the news, Kevin Spacey in a remake of "House of Cards," the international iPlayer for iPad will be $10 but will it be good value for money?, and "QI" moves back to BBC2.

Listen to Show 75

British TV Podcast Show #74 - The Evolution of British Sitcoms

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 74 has a somewhat rambling but hopefully informative discussion about the evolution of British sitcoms. It used to be that all you ever saw were characters telling jokes in front of a studio audience (a tradition which carries on today in popular shows like "The IT Crowd" and "Miranda") but formats have also evolved (for example "The Office" and "Gavin & Stacey") with nary a joke being made and no laugh track. In the news, Showtime renews "Episodes" but the BBC cancels "Whites." This weekend David Walliams will attempt to do 24 hours of panel shows for Comic Relief.

Listen to Show 74

British TV Podcast Show #73 - Harry Hill

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 73 has a feature on comedian Harry Hill. Though he's made many appearances on David Letterman's show, the "TV Burp" presenter can't quite make the big time in the American market. Why? In the news, Nicholas Courtney ("Doctor Who's" Brigadier) passes away, "Outcasts" gets moved to a graveyard slot on Sundays, and the BBC cancels "Zen." Plus the usual: this week's TV highlights in the UK & USA, and DVD releases.

Listen to Show 73

British TV Podcast Show #72 - Being Human

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 72 has a feature on "Being Human" to bring you up to the third season premiere on February 19th on BBC America. Also reviews of "Mad Dogs" and "The Promise." More "Upstairs Downstairs" is coming, Paul Merton is doing another travelogue, and David Walliams will have to spend 24 hours being funny for Comic Relief.

Listen to show 72

British TV Podcast Show #71 - Paul McGann

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 71 has a feature on actor Paul McGann, best known for "Withnail and I" as well as playing the 8th Doctor in the 1996 "Doctor Who" TV Movie that finally has been released on DVD in the USA after 15 years. Also reviews of "Marchlands" with Alex Kingston, "Lunch Monkeys," and the BBC's ambitious new science fiction series "Outcasts." David Walliams is going to play an alien in "Doctor Who," and Danny Boyle's new "Frankenstein" stage show with Benedict Cumberbatch will be shown in select cinemas on March 17th. Plus news, what's on TV this week in the UK & USA, and DVD releases.

Listen to Show 71

Wayne's World Reunion

11.30 pm Saturday night on NBC we were transported back 20 years to Aurora, Illinois' Cable 10 Public Access Channel...



...Apart from one close up on 'Garth' they'd not changed a bit. Now, how about a Wayne's World 3?

British TV Podcast Show #70 - Timothy Spall

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 70 has a feature on actor Timothy Spall. Currently he's playing Winston Churchill in "The King's Speech" but his TV career stretches all the way back to the classic 1983 series "Auf Wiedersehen Pet." We'll also talk about his son Rafe.

"Lark Rise To Candleford" is canceled by the BBC which prompts a discussion about what is the natural lifespan of a TV series? Are BBC comedies too middle class (the Controller of BBC1 thinks so). The Doctor does the introduction to the National Television Awards and then fails to win any. And Sky Atlantic begins in the UK, a pay channel running mostly HBO shows but with commercials.

"Marchlands," a new spooky series begins this week on ITV1, as does the science fiction drama "Outcasts" on BBC1.

Listen to Show 70

Classic Theme Tunes

I love the old vocal theme tunes that used to accompany TV shows. These cleverly crafted songs managed to sum up the whole show in 60 seconds and would perfectly prepare you for what you were about to watch. Unfortunately they seemed to pretty much die out in the 90s and most shows now either have a short instrumental piece or no theme at all. So for your enjoyment here are 6 of my all time favorites...

Happy Days

Sounding like a classic 1950s single, the song fits the show probably better than any other theme tune has managed.

The Fall Guy

"It's true I hire my body out for pay" - I do charge for that service, just to cover expenses.

Diff'rent Strokes

"The world don't move to the beat of just one drum" - We could all learn a little here.

Moonlighting

Sung by Al Jarreau and nicely setting the scene for shocking images of Bruce Willis with hair.

Baywatch

What the show lacked in story lines it made up for in semi naked women and this intro song. If only David Hasselhoff had sung it!

 Friends

I wonder, if Friends had started 5 years later would have had the same catchy Rembrandts tune or ended up with an instrumental?

Finally, an honorable mention to HBO, with shows like Big Love reusing clasic pop songs to great effect they are keeping the vocal theme songs tradition kinda alive. Here's the music from True Blood. It's a song by Jace Everett called 'Bad Things' and although it wasn't originally recorded for the HBO show it sounds perfect and really sets the mood for Sookie, Bill & co...

What's your favourite?

The 6 Nations Rugby Championship on BBC America

BBC AMERICA SIGNS EMBASSY ROW FOR RBS 6 NATIONS RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP

BBC AMERICA and Embassy Row announced today a deal for Embassy Row to produce live pre- and post-game shows as well as digital content around BBC AMERICA’s coverage of the RBS 6 Nations Rugby Championship, one of Europe’s biggest annual sporting events. The deal was signed by Perry Simon, General Manager, Channels, BBC Worldwide America, and Michael Davies, President, Embassy Row. 

BBC AMERICA starts its live coverage of the legendary tournament featuring the national rugby teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Wales and France facing off, on Saturday, February 5, 11:30 a.m. ET. The channel will broadcast five matches live over seven weeks, each wrapped with 30-minute live pre- and post-game shows. The shows will focus on key elements of the matches and feature interviews with celebrity guests including actor and avid rugby fan Billy Campbell (The 4400, Once and Again) and experts, field pieces and weekly awards.

In the lead up to the championship, Embassy Row will create digital content including videos and podcasts to be distributed online and at BBCAmerica.com.  The slate features recurring comedic and factual series such as Rugby 101 and a light-hearted comparison of American football versus rugby.  BBC AMERICA is also launching an aggressive outreach program to the rugby community including youth leagues, women’s leagues and BBC AMERICA-sponsored watch parties with hardcore fans at pubs across the country.

Perry Simon commented: “As part of BBC AMERICA’s new commitment to original programming and in recognition of rugby’s devoted and growing following in the U.S., we are pleased to take our broadcast and digital coverage of 6 Nations Rugby to the next level, and Embassy Row is the perfect partner for this initiative.  Beyond their major successes across multiple programming genres and platforms, Embassy Row has specifically delivered compelling and innovative content around sports including the 2010 FIFA World Cup.”

Michael Davies, president of Embassy Row, added: “I have been a lifelong fan of rugby and grew up watching the BBC’s coverage of these matches. In fact, I watched every match broadcast by BBC AMERICA last year. I am passionate about bringing this compelling sport to an even larger U.S. audience in addition to ex-pats like myself. I am inspired by BBC AMERICA’s recent commitment to original programming and am delighted to be a part of their plan.”

Embassy Row has previously worked with ESPN, ABC, Fox Sports and Versus creating content for television and the Internet. Michael Davies, president of Embassy Row, was instrumental in bringing the Emmy® Award-winning series Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? to U.S. television and recent credits include Watch What Happens Live, The Newlywed Game, Wife Swap and content for ESPN’s 2010 FIFA World Cup coverage.

As BBC AMERICA prepares its second year of broadcasting the 6 Nations Rugby Championship, the channel is looking to expand how it engages with rugby-loving audiences. Along with the Embassy Row partnership, stay tuned for an announcement next week regarding an exciting new partnership with location-based mobile platform Foursquare as well as a marketing campaign with Bottle Rocket Marketing Group.

SCHEDULE

2010 Champion France vs. Scotland (in Paris)

Saturday, February 5, 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT - Pre-show 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT 

Scotland vs. Wales (in Edinburgh)

Saturday, February 12, 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT - Pre-show 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT 

England vs. 2010 Champion France (in London)

Saturday, February 26, 12:00 p.m. ET / 9:00 a.m. PT - Pre-show 11:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. PT 

Calcutta Cup - England versus Scotland (in London)

Sunday, March 13, 11:00 a.m. ET / 8:00 a.m. PT - Pre-show 10:30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. PT 

Millennium Trophy - Ireland versus England (in Dublin)

Saturday, March 19, 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT - Pre-show 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT 

BBC AMERICA delivers U.S. audiences high-quality, innovative and intelligent programming. Established in 1998, it has been the launch pad for talent embraced by American mainstream pop culture, including Ricky Gervais, Gordon Ramsey, Graham Norton, and successful programming formats including ground-breaking non-scripted television like Top Gear and top-rated science-fiction like Doctor Who. Owned by BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC AMERICA has attracted both critical acclaim and major awards including an Emmy, four Golden Globes and ten Peabody Awards. The channel attracts one of cable’s most affluent and educated audiences and is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 68 million homes.  It broadcasts in both standard and high-definition, with content available On Demand across all major digital platforms. Online, www.bbcamerica.com is the place to go to dig deeper into pop culture with a British twist.

Embassy Row, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company, is a New York City-based global format and digital production studio dedicated to developing cutting-edge original concepts and the most creative international formats for television networks, online and wireless distribution in the U.S. and around the world.

Michael Scott vs David Brent

I'm probably in the minority but I'm a Brit who thinks the US version of The Office is far superior to the UK original.

I have nothing against the UK version, it was very good, but the whole Dunder Mifflin ensemble cast are just superb and make the show essential viewing for me. Steve Carell's Michael Scott character is so much more likeable than Ricky Gervais' David Brent, yes he's insane and should never be in charge of people but there's something quite endearing about him.

Tonight's episode is going to be a strange one. Ricky Gervais will guest star as David Brent! I wasn't sure this was a good idea and I don't know how they will write him in but if anyone can pull it off I'm sure they can.

I think Ricky Gervais went on to do better things, including the brilliant BBC/HBO series Extras and of course last weeks Golden Globes...

British TV Podcast Show 69 - Spooks (aka MI:5)

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 69 has a feature on the popular BBC spy series "Spooks" (or "MI:5" as it's known in America). The 8th season has just been released on DVD in the USA. We also look at last week's TV highlights including "Hattie," "Baker Boys," "Land Girls," the British Comedy Awards, "Being Human," "10 O'Clock Live" and more. Plus the news, what's running this week in the UK & USA, and DVD releases.

Listen to Show 69

Being Human

The 3rd season of Being Human kicks off tonight on BBC3 in the UK (coming to BBC America in the Spring). Here's the trailer...

The new US version is on SYFY, episode 2 is on Monday night...

Fringe Fridays

One of my favourite shows is back tonight.

Can it survive the Friday night death slot???

Fringe - Fox - Fridays

British TV Podcast Show #68

The British TV Podcast with Chrissy & Ryan Show 68 has a feature on comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams of Little Britain. We're excited about the upcoming week of UK shows including two new series with Charlie Brooker ("10 O'Clock Live" and "How TV Ruined Your Life") and the return of "Being Human" (the original, of course). In news, SyFy is looking to remake yet another series ("Randall and Hopkirk Deceased") although at least they've hired good writers this time, and to the surprise of nobody "Miranda" has been commissioned for a third season.

Listen to Show 68

Pilot Episode

Growing up in 1970s Britain wasn't a barrel of laughs. Everything about the country was depressing, 3 day work weeks, strikes, violence, crime and the guy who lived opposite with a green mohican who scared the life out of 7 year old me. The one escape I had was television, I loved the Cartoons like Hong Kong Phooey and The Flintstones, I just wasn't aware that they were imported. Unfortunately they were only on once a week and the rest of the time I was stuck with these rubbish English shows like Camberwick Green, Rainbow and Bagpuss, they were just too 'safe' and never interested me.

The shows my parents were watching looked like they were made in our shed. Take the Onedin Line, a big favorite of my Dad's, a show about boats that seemed to always take place in an office! Z Cars is another I remember enduring, I'm pretty sure no-one had told the producers that color broadcasting was now available, but then one night something fantastic happened.

It became the treat of the week. I was allowed to stay up on a Saturday night, sure I had to sit through Saturday Special first but then I could watch the amazing Starsky and Hutch. A show that our PYE 17" Television seemed unable to contain, it burst out into the living room in glorious color and was just BIG! It was like watching a movie at the cinema, a new movie every week, with people in it who didn't look like Physics Teachers. Amazingly at this time I never realized that this wasn't made by the BBC, the accents and location should have been a giveaway, or the fact that there was a Black guy in it who wasn't Lenny Henry, but I was young and nobody thought to mention it to me.

It was shortly after first finding Starsky and Hutch that a show appeared on kids TV called Big John, Little John and this was the one that truly started my life long love of American TV. Just what on earth were the BBC thinking by scheduling something like this between Play School and Newsround? Chloe Ashcroft and John Craven just could not compete with the 25 minutes of madness on offer here. If you don't know the show (which is quite likely as they only made about a dozen episodes) it's about a 40 year old man who keeps turning into a 12 year old kid without warning. It also started my love of Florida, as Big John had drunk some of the magic water whilst there, causing his temporary changes. Wow, if Florida could do that it must be the place for me, but that's another story.

More American shows appeared on kids TV and I was hooked. The BBC continued to spend their time making films to scare the life out of me, showing how I'd lose my arm in a Combine Harvester or how best I should cross the road, whereas the kids in America depicted in the Red Hand Gang could wander the City and solve crimes. I wasn't allowed to go to the corner shop by myself, how come kids in the USA get this kind of freedom? How come they don't have to fear lurking farm machinery???


Then came Dallas and that was the final nail in the cuddly old UK TV coffin for me.

I know over the years the production values of British television programs have risen but with the sizes of the two countries there is no way they can ever compete with America. I'm not saying I've never enjoyed any British TV it's just that I love US TV, they understand it's about escapism, it doesn't have to be all depressing real life Eastenders style, it's about relaxing at the end of the day and enjoying yourself. Television is America's gift to the world, even if they didn't invent it!

In the words of the character Kenneth Parcell from 30 Rock...

"More then jazz, or musical theater, or morbid obesity, television is the true American artform."

And he's right!

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Posted by Richard Charman

If you'd like to be a guest Blogger and share your love of a particular British or American TV Show or Genre then please contact us at blogs@britsinamerica.us