SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

So I started this topic somewhere else, but i thought i'd try it here to. I've just finished watching misfits series 1 and loved it. I've also watched all of Doctor Who and Torchwood. I'm just looking for some other good British series that I might have missed.

Sapphire and Steel has great writing and acting though the production values are cut rate

Red Dwarf: The early seasons were hilarious. Haven't caught the later ones though.

Being Human: I've only watched the pilot, but it seems interesting. Though SyFy will be airing the American version starting Monday, so you could wait for that.

There's also the new Sherlock series which I hear is good.

Then of course, Law & Order: UK. :P

I've watched the first 2 eps of Sherlock. It's really good, i'm at the point now where i'll watch anything Stephen Moffat is involved in.

Are we limiting this to SF only?

A neat British comedy series is "The Vicar of Dilby".

Peep Show is probably the funniest comedy show i have seen. The Office is also pretty good.

For classic British SF check out Blake's 7. One of my all time favorite shows, and cited as a major influence for Firefly.

Ala, I love Red Dwarf, but it went rapidly downhill when Rob Grant (one of the original writing team) and Chris Barrie left, although it's tempting to also put some of the blame on Chloe Annett as Kochanski. Very easy on the eyes, but a truly godawful actress.

Loved the recent Sherlock! Hope the next series is more than three episodes! The Beeb also recently aired a pilot of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, which was pretty fab. Really hope that gets a full series.

Also, just started a series based on Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen mysteries with Rufus Sewell that I'm rather enjoying. In fact, that's on this evening!

An oldie now, but if you've never seen the sitcom Spaced (the thing that launched the careers of Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright) I cannot recommend it highly enough. From the days when Channel 4 made ALL the best comedy - Black Books and Father Ted are another two of my faves.

I would add

The Sarah Jane Adventures
Lexx (UK, Canada, Germany, US)
The Tripods
Space 1999
UFO
The Tomorrow People
Quatermass and The Pit and the other Quatermass serials
Jupiter Moon
She-Wolf of London
Dinotopia

As well as those mentioned.

My favorites were Space: 1999, UFO, Doctor Who, MI-5, Danger UXB, Cribb, Life on Mars, and Monty Python's Flying Circus.

In addition to Doctor Who, Torchwood, Sherlock, and some of the others mentioned above, Jekyll and Misfits are quite good.

I recommend (sf-only)
Blake's 7 - horrible fx, amazing story
Red Dwarf
Star Cops - short lived but very good
No Heroics

Non-sf

Spaced - Simon Pegg is great
Coupling
Father Ted
Black Books


I'll add more as I think of them. it's too early for my brain to work properly.

Most recently, and these aren't Sci Fi shows, but we've so totally enjoyed the Downten Abbey first season and we've started watching George Gently, excellent, Born and Bred (funny and excellent) and Garrow's Law, interesting.

I see nobody has mentioned Green Wing, one of my personal favorites, and in the realm of sketch shows, Smack the Pony.

Now that I'm awake, here are a few more suggestions.

SF

Hyperdrive
Moonbase 3
Quatermass
Primeval - Supposed to be good, but I have yet to watch it.

Non-sf

Believe Nothing
Mighty Boosh (can't believe I forgot this last post)
IT Crowd
My Hero
New Statesman
Thin Blue Line
Bottom (if you like crude humor)
Absolute Power

Life on Mars
Ashes to ashes
Thorne
Zen
Bedlam, like the look of the trailer.
Being human, so looking forward to series 3, Steve don't wait for the US version.
Lark rise to Candleford
Drop the dead donkey
Red dwarf but only up to series 6.
Blake 7, loved it as a kid.
Sherlock, also hope there are more episodes in series 2.
Spaced, great and when you've seen that parts of Sean of the dead are funnier.
Armstrong and Miller, sketch show love the spoof of Who do you think you are?
Murder rooms.
There's so many more.

looks like im off to youtube to check out some trailers, thanks for the suggestions

i've watched some trailers for the shows listed, i'm not really interested in stuff from the 70's or 80's. Just newer series or mini-series. Bedlam looks cool, and I might have to check out Being Human.

Steve
Try the trailer for Human Planet, still picking up my jaw. Saw the first one on the BBC about oceans, the guy who can hold his breath for 5 minutes was amazing.
There's also The blue planet and planet earth both awe inspiring series

Human Planet looks awesome, definitely gonna have to check that one out.
I noticed Life on Mars only ran for 2 seasons, was it canceled, does the story get a proper resolution?

Ashes to ashes follows on from life on mars and runs for 3 series. Mars had just the 2

I thought we were doing SFF only. For others:

Favorite Brticoms (≥7/10) available in region 1 (~in order):

Fawlty Towers
To the Manor Born
Coupling
You Rang, M'Lord?
Waiting for God
As Time Goes By - Complete Original Series
One Foot in the Grave
Black Adder
Yes, Prime Minister - The Complete Collection
Keeping Up Appearances
Are you Being Served Again (Grace & Favour)
Dad's Army
Good Neighbors (The Good Life)
Bless Me, Father
Doc Martin
Absolutely Fabulous - Absolutely Everything
Are You Being Served?


Miniseries:

I, Claudius
Brideshead Revisited
Upstairs, Downstairs
Porterhouse Blue
The Duchess of Duke Street - The Complete Collection
Cranford
The House of Eliott
A Dance to the Music of Time
The Mill on the Floss
Edward the Seventh
Queer as Folk

I have a number not yet watched.

Lark rise to Candleford, on fourth series.
QI though it makes you feel silly.

Steve
Rumour that Human Planet will air in the states in March, once it's finished in the UK.

Enjoyed watching a show called Goodnight Sweetheart. About a guy time traveling back to WWII Britain, eventually starting families in both the present and the past. Really funny and wild.

The Torchwood books are variable but the best ones are really quite good

Being Human is an excellent series - series 3 should be showing in the UK soon. I'd also recommend Misfits - a few parallels with Heroes, only without the glitz and glamour but with comedy and a lot of swearing! Season 2 finished here just before Christmas.

Deanne wrote: "Lark rise to Candleford, on fourth series.
QI though it makes you feel silly.

Steve
Rumour that Human Planet will air in the states in March, once it's finished in the UK."

The missus and I are watching Season 3 of Lark Rise online and enjoying so very much. I have a bit of a crush on Dorcas. :0)... You might also like Downten Abbey. It's currently being shown on PBS' Masterpiece.

Being Human series 3 starts at 9pm on sunday on BBC3, already set the sky box to record the whole 8 shows.
Just ordered the four series of Lark Rise.
Racking my brain to think of anythingelse I can come up with.
Didn't see Downton Abbey, but heard it was good.

Deanne wrote: "Being Human series 3 starts at 9pm on sunday on BBC3, already set the sky box to record the whole 8 shows.
Just ordered the four series of Lark Rise.
Racking my brain to think of anythingelse I c..."

Man o' man, I still haven't seen all of season 2 of Being Human.. Falling further and further behind!!

Here I thought I wouldn't have a single BBC series to recommend since folks likely would remark about them more quickly. Most were though!

Foyle's War - Great detective series set around WWII. There's something touching about how it doesn't dummy down to the audience. And the characters are so near and dear to my heart that it's sad to see what happens to some of them.

new Sherlock - Someone already mentioned this series and I will concur! The modern spin doesn't take away from Holmes at all. In fact, I think it enhances it for younger audience members who may have thought Sherlock Holmes to be too stuffy to read or watch. I suspect after the release of this series, many bought the books. Which then can open doors to certain sci-fi/fantasy spin-offs!

Luther - This is another detective series released around the same time as Sherlock. It's typical but the female antagonist has to be among the creepiest I've met. She draws me into the show with her twisted way of thinking. I can see WHY it's been renewed for another season. This is a cop who isn't your clean-cut rolemodel.

Whitechapel - The first series focuses on a Ripper copycat. If the Ripper doesn't make your skin crawl, this series will. The political dynamics in the police house kept me going to see if this "newbie" young leader was ever gonna get his guys together. The series has been renewed and the second will focus on the McKay brothers.

Miniseries
The Gaskell miniseries are grand if you're into time period shows. North & South and Wives & Daughters. Both have their social and political intrigue. North & South focuses on the growing industrial age and unions. Wives & Daughters leans more toward the Austen-nesque social calamaties.


That's off the top of my head. Sherlock is a MUST MUST MUST for all to watch. I'm anxious for fall 2011 to roll back around since that's when the second series starts. I've purposely held off on Episode 3 and will re-watch Episode 1 & 2 until closer to August.

Sherlock has been mentioned quite a few times now, but there is a reason for that. It really is something special and a Doctor Who fan will definitely love it.

I would also recommend Merlin. There have been 3 series of this show now, and it is really developing into something special.

Big Red Dwarf fan as well, so give that one a go. It is inconsistent though.

I second "Keeping Up Appearances" and "Good Neighbors" I'm excited to find this thread and look forward to finding more great British shows here.

Wow, excellent suggestions everyone! Many of the ones that I enjoy watchin are already listed.

Coupling (one of those already mentioned) is absolutely hilarious, though please note that is not suitable for younger audiences.

Little Britain is also a great comedy show. Highly recommend it for any Monty Python fans.

I've recently started watching Skins and am thus far enjoying it. It falls into the category of shows that are in the process or have already been remade for American audiences (Top Gear, Being Human, The Office, Coupling). Understandably so given the differences in censorship laws.

Coupling, Little Britain, and Skins are all available on Netflix to instantly watch.

Watched the first episode of Being Human series 3, Torchwood may have left Wales but Mitchell, George, Annie and Nina have moved to Barry island. The writing is still brilliant with touches of horror, sadness and humour and I hope it goes on for a few more years.

What about Wire in the blood, very good police procedurals based on the books by Val McDermid.

Deanne wrote: "Watched the first episode of Being Human series 3, Torchwood may have left Wales but Mitchell, George, Annie and Nina have moved to Barry island. The writing is still brilliant with touches of horr..."

Wire in the Blood is a great series..

So, just a basic general Brit TV question here...

Why are your 'seasons' so short?

Quality not quantity Ala!

Ultraviolet 1998 vampires and goverment conspiracy.
This life 1996 Andrew Lincoln when he was english and before the walking dead.
Outcasts, sci-fi due to show in the UK from the 7th of feb.
Mystery
Prime suspect, silent witness and waking the dead.

Bill,
What about absolutely fabulous for your crush on Dorcas, Julia Sawalha is fantastic as the long suffering Saffron.

Deanne wrote: "Ultraviolet 1998 vampires and goverment conspiracy.
This life 1996 Andrew Lincoln when he was english and before the walking dead.
Outcasts, sci-fi due to show in the UK from the 7th of feb.
Mys..."

I liked her in AbFab, Deanne, but now that she is a mature woman, much prefer her. She is my 'one weakness'.. ;0)
Btw, I also enjoy Prime Suspect and Silent Witness (well, not the ones with Amanda Burton, but the ones with Amelia Fox.

Spent the weekend catching up with Outcasts, have to admit I'm quite enjoying it, but it's headed by Hermione Norris so it's bound to be good.
Has anyone mentioned Cold Feet?.