Celebration of the Obscure, pt. 1

When you think about British television comedies -- and I know you do, too -- usually a handful of the better-known shows come to mind:  "Red Dwarf," "Monty Python's Flying Circus," "The Young Ones," "Black Adder," "Benny Hill," "Absolutely Fabulous," "Are you Being Served," "Fawlty Towers"... these are the ones everyone knows, even if you're not especially an Anglophile.

The next tier down in American public consciousness would include, perhaps, "My Hero," "Father Ted," " 'allo, 'allo," "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy," "As Time Goes By,"  "My Family,"and "Mr. Bean," among others.*

But how about some of the more obscure ones?

There were a lot of other great shows I watched while growing up, the titles of which probably mean nothing except to the hardest of hardcore Anglophile:  "Solo," "Agony," "Butterflies," "Chalk," "Joking Apart," "The Piglet Files," "Goodnight Sweetheart," "Spitting Image," "Up Pompei," "Dave Allen At Large," "Father's Day," "French and Saunders," "Never The Twain"**...



Most of the aforementioned shows I was lucky enough to see on my local PBS station.  Unfortunately,  they no longer share the same commitment to  British programming that they once did.  I think the 70s and 80s were a golden age for British television in America.

When BBCAmerica came along, I looked forward to enjoying a slew of new, unfamiliar shows.  And I did, for a while, with the likes of "The High Life" and "Coupling."

                             Yes, the name of the captain is  "Hilary Duff "


But after a couple of years, they became homogenized, and now air endless repeats of "Top Gear" and whatever professional temper-tantrum-thrower Gordon Ramsey is currently starring in.  They even (gasp!) air American shows like "Battlestar Galactica," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and "The X-Files."  Let me state this right now:

THOSE AMERICAN SHOWS HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING SHOWN ON  BBCAMERICA!!

"What do you mean we've run out of Americans to have on the show?"

Because of this -- dumbing-down, you might call it -- practically the only things I watch on BBCAmerica now are Dr. Who and, occasionally, The Graham Norton Show (and even that now seems to focus less on his British guests and more on Hollywood film and TV stars; in my opinion, it was funnier and less-formulaic back when it was called "So Graham Norton"). 

So, how are a new crop of Americans suppose to appreciate what the Brits have to offer when BBCAmerica airs such a narrow spectrum of programming?  When what they show is unsurprising, uninspiring... even un-British?  When PBS has cut back on imported comedies from England due to lack of funding?

Today's viewers don't have the same opportunity to be exposed to lot of different British comedies, as I was.

One of my early trips into the world of the Britcom was "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin."  It centered around Reginald Perrin (brilliantly played by Leonard Rossiter), a middle-aged executive at Sunshine Desserts who is unhappy with his life.  Despite being married, he's prone to daydreams about having it off with his secretary; whenever his wife mentions her mother, he pictures a hippopotamus; frequently, when he means to say one word, a different word came out of his mouth instead.

Reggie is further worn down by his pompous boss CJ (John Barron), who often begins sentences with "I didn't get where I am today by...", and his colleagues -- one who always comments (about whatever was going on) "Great!"  at which point the other colleague will chime in with "Super!"

Reggie eventually has a nervous breakdown and fakes his own death.  But he misses his wife and comes back to her in disquise, crashing his own memorial service...  And that was only the first series.  They certainly don't make shows like that any more!

*As well as "Good Neighbors," "To The Manor Born," "Jeeves and Wooster," "Yes, Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister," "The Vicar Of Dibley," and "Chef"

**"Sweet Sixteen," "Dinner Ladies," "Rising Damp," "Murder Most Horrid," "Britta's Empire," "A Man About The House," "Robin's Nest," "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em," "The Bounder," "A Bit Of Fry and Laurie," "Three Up, Two Down," "The Comic Strip Presents," "Hot Metal"...Yes, I watched a lot of British comedies.