BBC America: Remember When They Didn't Suck?
 

A dozen different Britcoms & sketch shows every week (six-in-a-row on Friday nights)? Remember the glory days of regular stateside doses of Hippies, The Fast Show, Big Train, I'm Alan Partridge, Men Behaving Badly, People Like Us, One Foot In The Grave and many more?

Sure, they're all out on DVD now (R2 only for some), but BBCA has almost totally abandoned comedy in favor of 24-hour Gordon Ramsey marathons, and it blows.

Dramedies, crime thrillers, one-off dramas? Shameless? Cracker? This Life? Jonathan Creek? No more....

Yeah, I was a big fan of Torchwood, but they've almost already managed to burn it out. The only recent bright spot on the schedule are the new MI-5 (Spooks) episodes, but they're five years old.

Nothing but wall-to-wall reality and lifestyle crap now, and it's hardly worth keeping BBC America in my favorites list.

Thank heaven for my multi-region DVD player and Amazon.co.uk.

Amen.

I just went back to satellite, so I have BBC America for the first time since last July.

It was already starting to suck back then, but now it's complete crap. I don't think I watch anything on BBC America anymore.

Almost makes you long for the days of Trailer Park Boys.

In general, I agree, but at least I am catching up on older episodes of "Top Gear."

Could not agree more!

This used to be my favorite channel- Not anymore- they almost totally ditched britcoms- There bringing back Python- but it's not enough- I get my britcom fix thanks to DVD's and PBS.

When I first went from basic to digital cable in 1999, it was almost solely for BBC America. I loved Friday nights--the Britcom night. I'd have friends over, we'd eat and drink and watch Harry Enfield, The Fast Show, Goodness Gracious Me, League of Gentlemen, Big Train--all kinds of shows.

And rerunning Dancing with the Stars? Come on.

Well, I don't agree that Torchwood is burned out, but I do agree that I'm very unhappy with the current programming on the channel. Where are the fresh britcoms and dramas? What's with all the reality shows? And, as much as I enjoy Coupling, can we please have something new on Fridays in primetime? Ashes to Ashes has been running in England, where is it on BBC America? Or do we have to wait another year like we did for the final season of Life on Mars?

Ah, well, at least they're showing Doctor Who series three widescreen instead of cropped like they did with season two. Though that still doesn't make up for their butchering of the Christmas specials to make them fit in a one-hour timeslot.

BBCA is one of main reasons I've been thinking of paying for TV again; but I agree that some of best stuff has been pulled for a lot of marathons of Ramsey and constant repeats of lame decorating shows. As a matter of fact, I was just looking at the BBCA site and checking out their daily schedule and it seems every single reason(show) I wanted BBCA has been taken off their listings. -ohbfrank-

I really miss "The Kumars at no 42" and "Goodness Gracious Me".

Yeah, I don't get why they don't run different shows. Every now and again they will play some really cool and interesting stuff like Green Wing, but by and large it feels like a missed opportunity. Then again maybe they run Cash in the Attic all day because it does better?

It's not bad.

They could do with some more.
Top Gear was a great addition.
That Mitchell and Webb look is great.

The mrs watches wire in the blood, they occasionally have some good mini-series on it

Yes, will be nice to see Robson Green (WITB) back on BBC America.

Mitchell and Webb have done MUCH better things than The Look -- BBCA owes us the new series of both The Smoking Room and Peep Show.

Speaking of Peep Show: Series 5 comes out on UK DVD in May. I'm looking forward to seeing the aftermath of Mark & Sophies' aborted wedding at the end of S4.

I remember the good ol' days when CABLE didn't suck. Most of the channels have gone down the tubes considerably in the last 5 years or so.

I just start watching Gavin and Stacey, the first season, its great...
And freezing was a show that was just on in the uk for 3 episodes, which was also quie funny, not sure why it was only 3 episodes though

Amen, brother.

I wish that they would bring back the inspector shows. Both BBCA and A&E have given up on Poirot, Morse, Frost, Creegan(Touching Evil), Maigret, etc. I miss those shows.:(

I miss <i>Later With Jools Holland</i> and even <i>Top Of the Pops</i>.

All this gardening and home decor shit has got to go.

FUSE channel has this on everyday.:)

I haven't watched BBC America since they dropped "Eastenders".

Aside from Top gear theres pretty much nothing on it worth watching anymore.

THIS, pretty much. Cable tv in general has turned into crap in recent years, what with format drift and all.

Might as well be watching the damn networks.

I realize this is veering off topic, but I echo what you said and wanted to add that once the digital receivers come down in price for regular TVs, I just might pick one up and get my local channels in digital and just dump cable all together. I really only keep them around because I have internet with them and I don't really want to go back to DSL.

In a bit of related news, Comcast called me the other day to give me a survey on their service. I pointed out the only reason I don't have digital cable with them is the pricing (AT&T charges $75.00 for internet, phone, and cable. Now I realize that's their slowest DSL, land line, and Dish TV, but I know people who pay over a hundred dollars with Comcast for just Internet and the expanded basic on cable, no digital expansion at all.)

does BBC have any influence with BBCA? I thought I read somewhere a few months ago about the lineup changes with the drop of Benny Hill. it seemed they were going to be mainstream and similar to HGTV or TLC. I know that they are running a BBC News Stateside version.

Hey now, Robin Hood S2 starts in just a couple of weeks! It's all good! :)

calhoun: I get expanded cable, all the HDTV channels, HBO and <s>Sk</s>cinemax for about $40. With Comcast. :shrug:

I also keep telling them if they raise my price I will drop cable altogether.

And that poll needs <i>The Mighty Boosh</i>.

Download Gavin and Stacey you fools!!

I just started watching BBCA so I guess i'm late to the party cause I like watching Ramsey shows and Top Gear. Didn't I read somewhere that Top Gear is the highest rated show in the world? someone confirm this.