# Forum Other Languages Germanic languages English  Good British serial/sitcoms/movies

## translationsnmru

For some reason, I understand spoken American English much better than spoken British English. While I have next to no problems watching  American movies or serials (well, except when someone speaks with a broad South Carolina accent  ::  ), I find watching British movies rather stressful: it is harder for me to understand what is being said. So I decided to obtain some British serials or movies and watch them for practice. I would be happy to get some suggestions.  
My requirements are rather simple: it must be entertaining in some way, either funny or intriguing or full of suspense (like a crime story). Sci-fi is fine, too. As long as it is not dull, it is ok. Among the things that I do NOT like are chick-flicks and most soaps. A.L.F. is an example of an US sitcom that I rather enjoyed, especially the first season. 
Oh, and, of course, the cast must be mostly British. A British production about adventures of an American in Germany would be no good for my purpose  ::  
So, guys and girls, what can you suggest?

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## kt_81

Never seen it in English (though my German DVDs have the original soundtrack), but I enjoyed the series very very much.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/coupling/ 
OK, I can only judge from the first 3 seasons out of 4. I haven't seen the last  season because the actor playing my favourite character - Jeff - left the series  between the 3rd and the 4th, so they cut the character completely. I just can't imagine the show still being that funny without him. 
P.S.: It may seem that "Coupling" would have something in common with "Sex and the City" - trust me, it does NOT. (Thank God, I can't stand the last one). It's sometimes compared to "Friends" (also not on my favourites list  ::  ), but I wouldn't sign this either. 
P.P.S.: That's funny, but I can't remember seeing a single British series on TV during my brief time in Wales. I remember zapping into "The weakest link"  ::  , some programmes in Welsh and many many US made series. And, of course, a daily programme about people finding useless (for me, at least) crap in their houses, selling it at auctions (not eBay, real auctions) for insane prices, other people buying that crap and being very happy about it.   ::

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## kt_81

Oh, now I see that you ask about movies, too. 
My favourite British movie with regard to various facettes of the English language is "Snatch" (and I don't mean the excessive use of the four letter words). If you don't know the movie it's quite impossible to follow it without subtitles, though.   ::   
The "dags" <-> "dogs" bit (1:44 - 1:52) is one of my favourite scenes: http://youtube.com/watch?v=H9XQvJX6OiA&feature=related

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## translationsnmru

Thanks for your suggestions, I'll look into them  ::

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## fortheether

I like Monty Python's Flying Circus and it is sometimes hard for me to understand what they are saying but I speak Americanese.  
Scott

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## kalinka_vinnie

The best British comedy ever is: Blackadder! 
I would recommend watching the series it in reverse order:
Blackadder IV 
Blackadder III
Blackadder II
Blackadder I  
You'll be hooked!

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## translationsnmru

> The best British comedy ever is: Blackadder! 
> I would recommend watching the series it in reverse order:
> Blackadder IV 
> Blackadder III
> Blackadder II
> Blackadder I  
> You'll be hooked!

 Thanks, I'll try to find it.

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## kalinka_vinnie

It shouldn't be hard! Let me know what you think of it  ::

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## gRomoZeka

Why the reverse order?   ::

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## TATY

"Coupling" is a good suggestion, and it's only a few years old, so more modern than Monty Python's Flying Circus or Blackadder.  
"Father Ted" is also really funny, but it's set in Ireland, so with Irish accents. It's made by the British though.

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## Matroskin Kot

Everybody is making good suggestions, but I could just add a couple of popular shows that have somehow not made the list: *Red Dwarf* and *Absolutely Fabulous*. 
My guess is that you would like 'Red Dwarf'. 
Monty Python is hilarious, but I'm not sure it would be ideal for your purposes. The only reason I say that is because much of the time they are doing false accents, or are playing women with screechy voices. It's funny, yes, but not natural. The humor might keep you watching, though, so there is that.... 
"Life on Mars" is a really interesting series. If you like 'Lost', you would probably like it, I think.

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## translationsnmru

Thanks for suggestions, everyone! 
Kot, you are right about MP being not right for my purposes  :: . It *is* a bit too exaggerated. At least the serial, I haven't seen the much-hyped "Holy Grail", although I have been planning to for many years     ::  . 
OK, I am bit busy right now, but when I get some time I'll try and find everything you guys have suggested  ::

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## Mandy

Try "Shameless".  I found a clip by finding bbc.co.uk and putting *shameless* into the search box. 
It is a hysterical tongue-in-cheek mick-take of working class Britain......  don't think this is how we really live! 
Also try "The Royle Family", another mick-take about family life. 
I don't know if this is the type of comedy you like but it's quite popular here.  Full of irony.

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## kt_81

> "Coupling" is a good suggestion, *and it's only a few years old, so more modern* than Monty Python's Flying Circus or Blackadder.

 I must confess that I haven't seen any MP material in English. Did the language change that much?

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## capecoddah

"The Full Monty", about some laid-off guys looking to make money   ::

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## Designation: One

I don't believe this ! A thread about British sitcoms and nobody has mentioned Fawlty Towers ?   :: 
Granted, it's quite old, but it has aged well. (i.e. it's still very funny) 
Of course, as kalinka_vinnie pointed out, BlackAdder is the best British comedy. (I recommend watching them in order though). And obviously Red Dwarf is not to be missed !  
My top 3. 
1. BlackAdder (season 2 & 3 are the best)
2. Red Dwarf (season 3,4,5 and 6 are the best) 
3. Fawlty Towers (If you can only watch one episode, make sure it's 'The Germans') 
One

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## capecoddah

Check the BBC site, you might find some short clips.  BBC America has a few good shows.
Absolutely Fabulous (Ab-Fab) was a good show
Young Ones was demented.

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## kalinka_vinnie

So, *translations.nm.ru*, which of our suggestions were hit, and which were miss?

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## Designation: One

Another reason to watch BlackAdder is that you'll pick up some great insults along the way  ::   
e.g. "Your head is as empty as a eunuch's underpants"  
One 
P.S. @kalinka_vinnie. Why did you recommend watching the BA series in reverse order ?

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## kalinka_vinnie

> Another reason to watch BlackAdder is that you'll pick up some great insults along the way   
> e.g. "Your head is as empty as a eunuch's underpants"  
> One 
> P.S. @kalinka_vinnie. Why did you recommend watching the BA series in reverse order ?

 I think BA 1 is only for the hardcore fans, because it isn't as funny as the later ones. So it is easier to get put off watching BA 1, missing all the glorious insults of the later BAs!  
"I want my mother." 
"Ah, yes Baldrick. A maternally crazed gorilla would come in handy at this very moment."

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## strawberryfynch

a great one is Foyle's War, another(it's only in disc format) is Danger UXB...

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## Жэнтос

Mad Men is a smart and cinematic drama about the professional lives, social mores and sexual exploits of advertising executives on Madison Avenue circa 1960, when the industry was at its height of glamour, power, and prestige. The setting is the Sterling Cooper agency, which sells everything from cigarettes to political candidates. The protagonist, Don Draper, is a fast-rising creative director whose smooth exterior conceals any number of secrets.  http://www.surfthechannel.com/show/tele ... d_Men.html

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## translationsnmru

> Mad Men is a smart and cinematic drama about the professional lives, social mores and sexual exploits of advertising executives on _Madison Avenue_ circa 1960

 And what's British about Madison Avenue? Are you just trying to post as much  irrelevant stuff as possible for the sake of post count? 
Anyway, thanks to everyone else for suggestions. KV, I tried Black Adder, but it is just not my thing. I must confess that I started with the first season... maybe I shoud have started with the last one, as you suggested. And I just didn't find it funny. At all.  
Then I had a period of several months where I was either busy or just had other things on my minds. Then I stumbled on "Only Fools and Horses". I found the link on some web site and decided to check it out. From the first minute, I was hooked. I haven't completed the first epsode yet (I am strugging through it, those damned Cockneys just can't speak proper English!  ::  ), but so far, I am fascinated. That accent, oh my god!   ::   :P

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## E-learner

"Jonathan Creek"
"Keeping Up Appearances"
"Yes Minister"
"Black Books"
"Are you being served?"   

> The best British comedy ever is: Blackadder! 
> I would recommend watching the series it in reverse order:
> Blackadder IV 
> Blackadder III
> Blackadder II
> Blackadder I  
> You'll be hooked!

 kalinka_vinnie, you didn't miss
Blackadder: Back & Forth (Millennium Special, 1999)
did you?
It happend so that that was the first episode I saw and that's how I got hooked.

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## Hanna

Just to clarify, since there are no accents in Russia.... In British English, class background and geographical location make HUGE difference in the way people speak! You could say that Geography is the X-axis and Class in the Y-axis. Because of this, two people who are both brought up in London can speak in very different ways and even struggle to understand each other. Likewise, two people from an upper class background can speak identically, even though they come from completely different parts of the country. Being able to decipher accents is important in the UK and all native born Brits do it automatically. Regional and 'class' accents are slowly reducing and lines are being blurred. But this is still very much part of life in the UK - for the most part quite a negative part (in my opinion).  Working class and regional accent: 
Only Fools and Horses 
Shameless 
Porridge
Big Brother UK 
EastEnders (soap - London)
Coronation Street (soap - Manchester)
Emmerdale (soap - Yorkshire)
Trenchwood (Welsh)
Father Ted (Irish)   Upper class accent *Yes Minister
House of Cards
To the Manor Born*
Inspector Morse
Love in a Cold Climate
Brideshead Revisited
The Way We Live Now   In-between
The Vicar of Dibley
Dr Who
Midsomer Murders
The Bill
Keeping up Appearances
Fawlty Towers  _Australian and New Zealand English are variations of British/Irish English, which have developed away a bit on their own._   Classic Oz and Kiwi soaps that are popular in the UK:  *Prisoner Cell Block H (Cult!)* 
Neighbours
Home and Away
Outrageous Fortune (New Zealand)
The Tribe (cult teen series from New Zealand)   _These are mostly "classics" - I haven't been watching a lot of TV lately!_

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## toska

I haven't read all of the comments but you mentioned you love suspense and sci-fi and to see a wonderful sci-fi and a great variation of British English dialects I suggest Doctor Who! Also Sherlock, Merlin are great English series too. If you're into teen drama Skins UK is one of the best. I personally haven't watched but there's the Office UK and Shameless UK as far as I know. Call the Midwife is half drama half comedy.

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