British Comedies, Mysteries and Real British Life
By Faye
@FayeHazel (40243)
United States
October 26, 2016 12:26pm CST
My parents got me into liking British TV series. The first one was "Keeping Up Appearances" - which is a comedy about this rather uppity lady named Hyacinth, who tries to act far more grand than she really is. She believes she is impressing people, however what she really ends up doing more often than not is offending them. The other two that I'm familiar with are "Rosemary and Thyme" - a pair of ladies who have an interest in gardening also solve crimes, and "Hetty Wainthrop" - a senior woman finds a talent for solving crimes. Hetty features the same lead actress as "Keeping Up Appearances".
While I enjoy the stories for what they are -- (mysteries or comedies)-- even though at times the humor or language goes over my head. I find myself also really entertained by the depiction of British life. I know, you can't judge things by TV but I find myself wondering how accurate these shows are. I mean, is British life really like that?
The things I've noticed:
Towns are laid out so that walking, bicycle and public transport are much more efficient .
Buildings are old, and beautiful (Big stones motored together) - and people still live in them.
Not everyone has a car.
This mysterious tea time idea.
Castles which can be toured as museums, which have royals still living in them.
Maybe some of my British friends can help - are these things really so?
** Also I mean no offense. I know I would be offended if people thought American life were like on TV, but maybe that's because we aren't portrayed so well...
9 people like this
10 responses
@TheHorse (220068)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 Oct 16
You mean, Life With the Kardashians isn't an accurate portrayal of how poor people with money live? Heh. I'll be interested in the responses you get. I haven't yet visited Britain. But I was struck by the "oldness" of the buildings in France, Italy, Austria and Germany. It gives one more of a sense of time, and our place in time.
4 people like this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
27 Oct 16
Ha ha, oh that's funny, actually the Karadashians was exactly what I was thinking of when I typed that. I can't imagine how regal even the most humble of the older buildings must be, they have withstood the test of time. Oh wow, you saw Austria? I would love to see Frued's office and some real Gustav Klimt paintings.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
26 Oct 16
The shows you mention are just that - shows. Hyacinth is just a caricature, though no doubt if you look hard enough you would find someone similar.
I'm surprised that you think our towns are well laid out, as American towns seem to be laid out with geometric precision. Our streets meander as they developed over time.
Yes, people still live in old stone buildings, but most households have a car, though perhaps not each individual.
Tea time is mostly a thing of the past, except in the posh hotels.
Yes, some castles can be visited, even if they are occupied, not necessarily by royalty.
Ok?
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
27 Oct 16
@FayeHazel The stone buildings don't have a specific name, but they are usually built from stone from local quarries. Not nowadays though.
The people that own castles or 'stately homes' are usually members of the aristocracy (dukes etc), but 'nouveau riche' have been known to buy them.
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
27 Oct 16
Thanks! I was wondering. I love those stone buildings, is there a name for them? Ah, to me, American towns seem to sprawl, really hard to walk/bike around if one doesn't live near the downtown area. I am a little sad about "tea time" seemed like such a nice quaint thing to do. And wow, so you don't need to be royalty to live in a castle? Oh cool, what are the qualifications? lol. ;-) Oh! Think I know a couple people similar to Hyacinth -- over here.... lol
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
26 Oct 16
I am a big fan of "Keeping Up Appearances" with Hyacinth and her long-suffering husband. "As Time Goes By" is a big favorite too. I even bought that one a few years back. We watch quite a few of the Brit crime series as well, better than our own I think. "Prime Suspect" with Helen Mirren was a great series.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
27 Oct 16
So nice to meet another Hyacinth fan, oh and neighbors Emmit and Elizabeth . Hm, Helen Mirren is fantastic, might have to check out "Prime Suspect".
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
26 Oct 16
I have watched all those TV series. Those kind of shows are like American Hallmark shows in depicting lovely storybook towns which aren't reality. The Brits do produce very gritty shows showing the squalor and grimness of the UK.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
27 Oct 16
Oh good analogy -- ah yes, the Hallmark families etc...
1 person likes this
@5thHouse (1678)
• Sheffield, England
26 Oct 16
A lot of these shows present Britain in a quaint and highly romanticized way - stately homes, country cottages, village fetes, afternoon tea on the lawn, the notion that England is full of eccentric amateur detectives. My mum was always a fan of 'Keeping up Appearances'. My favourite classic English comedy has to be Fawlty Towers - English eccentricity at its best.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
27 Oct 16
Ah interesting, I was noticing that there do seem to be a lot of shows featuring amateur detectives. I will have to look in to Faulty Towers, does that feature some of the Monty Python's cast?
1 person likes this
@CelticSoulSister (1640)
• Southend-On-Sea, England
27 Oct 16
I like sitcoms which are largely character-driven, with my overall favourite probably being Fawlty Towers. There are two other sitcoms from the past (both were on BBC) which I feel are brilliant but have largely been forgotten, they being Just Good Friends (written by John Sullivan who also wrote Citizen Smith and Only Fools & Horses), starring Paul Nicholas as Vince and Jan Francis as Penelope, two people who by chance meet up again after Vince jilted Penelope at the altar five years previously. The other one which I feel has largely been forgotten yet is brilliant, is Ever Decreasing Circles starring Richard Briers as Martin, Penelope Wilton as his wife Anne, Peter Egan as Paul who is their suave new next door neighbour and their friends, Howard and Hilda, respectively played by Stanley Lebor and Geraldine Newman. EDC was written by John Esmonde & Bob Larbey who were also responsible for The Good Life, Brush Strokes, Please Sir, The Fen Street Gang and Get Some In. Both of those forgotten sitcoms have a distinct poignancy about them as well as being hilarious and all the actors play their roles extremely well. They are available as box sets to buy (on Amazon) but you can also watch them in full on YouTube.
I quite liked Keeping Up Appearances so long as it focused mostly on Hyacinth, her husband and their next door neighbours....I wasn't keen on the characters of her sisters and brother-in-law.
@Tampa_girl7 (50580)
• United States
26 Oct 16
I love the BBC shows. My parents got me into them too
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15830)
• Manchester, England
1 Nov 16
If you want good British comedy you should check out 'Fawlty Towers', 'Only Fools And Horses' and 'Red Dwarf' (which should appeal to the nerd in you).
There are still many castles and stately homes in the UK which are inhabited by members of the aristocracy such as Dukes and Lords etc. A lot of them allow tourists in to pay for the upkeep of the property as they are ridiculously expensive to maintain.
A lot of our towns and cities aren't particularly well laid out as, rather than being planned, they've evolved over hundreds of years from small settlements. There are some absolutely beautiful little villages all over the country with quaint stone cottages, old churches and village greens just like you see on some TV programmes. On the flip side there are also some architectural nightmares, usually concrete monstrosities from the 1960s and 1970s in the inner cities.
Most TV programmes tend to accentuate a particular feature of the UK. A gritty drama set in a Northern town will emphasise the grim, industrial aspects of a town while an off-beat comedy-drama such as Rosemary and Thyme will emphasise the quaint country feel of an area.
