5 Shows to Kickstart Your British Obsession

By Manasa Davuluri on May 3, 2013

Forget Doctor Who for the moment. I’m not here to argue against its merits, but there really is more to British TV than a bowtie-wearing time lord.  I’m here to profess my love for the comedy. British panel and chat shows often bring together such diverse celebrities and comedians that somehow work together in a perfect comedic blend, and the sitcoms and various TV shows know how to push the limits of humor.  Here are five shows that never fail to make me laugh.

  • The Graham Norton Show

Unlike some stodgy American interviewers (I’m looking at you, Letterman and Leno), Norton manages to extract humanity out of his celebrities and allows them to be more than just representatives of a film’s promotional campaign. On any given episode, he hosts not one, but three guests simultaneously on his couch, making for a relaxed party atmosphere rather than a stiff interview.

While the choice of guests may initially seem quite random,  you’ll have laughed away any doubts by the end of the show. He caps off each episode by allowing audience members a chance to entertain everyone with a story in the Red Chair while he holds the authority to pull a lever and send them reeling backwards if they suck.

If you’re still skeptical, check out the episode with Will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Miriam Margoyles (Professor Sprout from the Harry Potter films), and Greg Davies (British comedian).

  • Would I Lie to You?

Out of the various British panel shows, WILTY stands out to me as one of the most consistently hilarious. Each episode is hosted by comedian Rob Brydon and involves two teams headed by comedians David Mitchell and Lee Mack.

After Brydon calls out a person’s name, that contestant must read a never-before-seen statement off of a card and back their story up while the opposing team attempts to poke holes in their credibility with questions to ultimately decide whether the tale they’re spinning is a truth or lie.

Some of the best humor comes through the playful banter between the team captains; the nerdy Mitchell’s posh upbringing provides the working-class Mack with a lot of material to exercise his quick wit, and together they make an entertaining team. Trust me, it’s never boring.

  • Never Mind the Buzzcocks

This long-running panel show combines my two passions: music and comedy.  As of now, the show does not have a permanent presenter but involves two teams that compete in a variety of music-related challenges, including: “Intros,” in which one member guesses the song whose intro is being performed a cappella by their team; and “Identity Parade,” in which each team has to correctly pick out a has-been musician from a lineup.

With his unwavering sarcasm and good-natured tendency to pick on his guests, Simon Amstell breathed new life into the show as host a few years ago, and I’d recommend you start with his episodes first. As with The Graham Norton Show and Would I Lie to You?, all episodes can be found on YouTube.

  • Misfits

Here’s the premise: Five 20-something delinquents working at a community center get struck by a mass electrical storm and unwittingly gain superpowers as a result.

Seriously, this is one of the most brilliant shows you will ever see. The dialogue and plot are super sharp, and the cast is amazing, with the obnoxiously hilarious Nathan (played by the talented Robert Sheehan) leading the way for the first two seasons.

If you’re okay with some raunchy language and humor, this dark comedy is one that will surprise you over the course of each episode and is well worth the watch.

  • Inbetweeners

This is one of those shows that could never work with an American adaptation (see: the cancelled MTV series).  You’ve got four friends (Will, Simon, Neil, and Jay) and their misadventures as they attempt to navigate their way through their school hierarchy, survive their parent’s embarrassing faux pas, deal with their romantic failures in love, and of course, just get laid.  They make a ton of stupid mistakes along the way and use a lot of smutty humor and language, but what else would you expect from teenage boys?

The most important thing is that no matter how vulgar they appear, the characters never lose your affection and before long, you too will be adding “clunge” to your dictionary.  So, grab your “fwends,” and go check out this series.  With only 18 episodes total, it’s not too much to ask, and if you require an extra kick, look up “Neil Dancing Inbetweeners” on YouTube.  You won’t regret it.

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