Back from CON and exhausted, but before I crash I wanted to post the complete list of shows I compiled for the BBC Series You Should Watch panel, since I said that I would.
It's mostly just a big blob of a list at the moment, but I'll pop back in periodically and edit it to include some brief descriptions and links to where you can find it streaming if available in the US.
Drama/Action
Sherlock - Modern day Sherlock Holmes adaptation created by Stephen Moffat & Mark Gatiss.
Mad Dogs - Psychological, dark thriller staring John Simm and Philip Glenister.
Downton Abbey - Very popular late 1800's period drama following the lives of an aristocratic family and their household.
Upstairs, Downstairs - Short remake of a period piece exploring the class differences in one household in the early 1900's. Starring Keeley Hawes.
Merlin - Campy, fun retelling of Arthurian legend with a younger Merlin.
Luther - Character driven police drama focused on DCI John Luther who is excellent at what he does but prone to obsession and occasional violence.
Being Human - A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost share a flat.
Law and Order UK - British remake of Law and Order starring Freema Ageyman and Jamie Bamber.
Sherlock Holmes (Granada Series) - Series created in the 1980s and starring Jeremy Brett retelling classic Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes - Injured cops wake up and find themselves in an earlier decade. Are they in a dead, in a coma, or back in time? Starring John Simm, Keeley Hawes, and Philip Glenister.
Blackpool - It's a musical! Starring David Tennant and David Morrisset (from The Next Doctor fame). Do you need to know more than that?
Fingersmith - Short period drama set in the 1860s based on a Sarah Waters book. Lesbian romance story with a bit of a dark twist.
Tipping the Velvet - Another short period drama based on a Sarah Waters book, this time set in the 1890s. Follows the lives of male impersonators in theater. Another lesbian romance story. Starring Keeley Hawes.
Jekyll - Modern day remake of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story by Stephen Moffat.
The Devil's Whore - A short 1600's period drama following the life of a fictional character (Angelica Fanshawe) who interacts with famous people from the history of the English Civil War. Starring John Simm as Edward Sexby.
The Fixer - The story of a man who is recruited to become an assassin by British special forces following his release from prison.
The Invisibles - The story of what happens to con men when they try to retire. Starring Anthony Stewart Head and Warren Clare.
Wire in the Blood - Series based on novels by Val McDermid that follow the quirky Dr. Tony Hill through his correspondence with the Bradfield police department as a profiler assisting with the apprehension of serial killers. Graphic and dark, yet highly character driven and full of mysteries to solve. Starring Robson Green.
Secret Diary of a Call Girl - Based on the autobiography of a London call girl and her trials and trevails. A less serious look at the trade. Also starring Billie Piper. Stick around until later in the series for a guest starring role from Matt Smith before he became the Doctor as well!
Skins - Gritty drama following the lives of teenagers and the things they deal with on a daily basis.
Misfits - A group of people in a community service program gain superpowers during an electrical storm.
Primeval - Portals in time begin mysteriously opening around Britain leading to all kinds of prehistoric and future creatures being loosed in the modern day.
Spooks - Long-running espionage drama following MI-5 officers. Has starred virtually every actor in Britain by this point.
Midsomer Murders - A series of mystery films following DCI Tom Barnaby and later John Barnaby, based on crime novels by Caroline Graham.
The Last Enemy - Set in the future, everyone's information and identity is entirely controlled by the government. The story follows a math genious who is attempting to uncover a conspiracy. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Comedy
Garth Marenghi's Darkplace/Man to Man With Dean Learner - 80's horror parody and its spinoff.
Spaced - Geeks and their everyday lives. Starring Simon Pegg.
The IT Crowd - Geeks and their office lives.
No Heroics - Superheros and their everyday lives.
Black Books - Bitter owner of a book shop drinks, smokes, and shouts abuse. It's a comedy!
Posh Nosh - Spoof of cooking shows.
Look Around You - Spoof of 60's/70's educational films.
Hyperdrive - Protecting British interests IN SPAAAAAAAAACE. Starring Nick Frost.
Coupling - Slice of life comedy following some severely disfunctional people. Also: The Spiderman Dance. Created by Stephen Moffat.
Variety/Talk/Contest Shows
Nevermind the Buzzcocks - A popular music-based quiz and comedy show with numerous guest stars weekly.
The Graham Norton Show - Humorous talk show hosted by TV personality Graham Norton.
Top Gear - Ostensibly a show about offering reviews of cars. An excuse for hilarious shenanigans and near death experiences around the globe in actuality.
Horrible Histories - Comedic summaries of history.
James May's Toy Stories - Short series hosted by James May (of Top Gear fame) about the history of popular toys. Perhaps most famously known for its full-sized Lego house.
An Idiot Abroad - Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant devise a plan to send their somewhat backwards and culturally ignorant friend on trips to see the Seven Wonders of the World.
Long Way Down/Long Way Round - Ewan McGregor and his buddy Charley Boorman drive their motorbikes around the world and from the tip of Scotland to the southmost point of Africa.
A History of Horror with Mark Gatiss - Mark Gatiss gives a history of films in the Horror genre.
The Catherine Tate Show - Sketch comedy show starring Catherine Tate.
Maestro - A competition show where celebrities compete to conduct an orchestra at the BBC Proms.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria - A competition show created by Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber to cast the starring role of Maria in his London production of The Sound of Music. Features John Barrowman as a judge.
Any Dream Will Do - Another Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber show to cast the lead role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Also featuring John Barrowman as a judge.
The Making of Me - A short series of specials hosted by a different celebrity each week exploring how they got to be the way they are. Most notably, the first episode stars John Barrowman discussing why he is gay.
If you're here potentially looking for the handout/recs from the Shiny New Anime panel, you'll be able to find that soon over at
belindabird's site,
s1e1.com. ETA:
Now available! Lastly, hello new friends! I'm so happy to have met you this past weekend. FYI, I always crosspost, but my primary journal is over on
Dreamwidth. :)
This entry was originally posted at
http://revolutionaryjo.dreamwidth.org/555953.html.