Beautiful British Broadcasting

What do Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Doctor Who and The Office have in common? They were all originally brought to us by our friends across the pond.  Yes those Brits have been making good TV long before the Crawley family, Carson and the Dowager Countess were the Kardashian's of the 1920s.  And now thanks to online streaming you and I can enjoy their handiwork. Now let me be clear, if you are browsing around looking for quality TV for cold winter nights please look no further than Breaking Bad on Netflix.  If you've seen Walter White do his thing make sure you find a way to watch the 'Bad spin off Better Call Saul.  Once you're caught up on Albuquerque's finest, only then should you venture forth into the world of the British tube.  I won't preach to you about Downton (PBS) and Sherlock (Netflix) since you should already be on to those shows.  Instead, here is my best of the rest.

The Bletchley Circle

Have you recently seen the excellent movie The Imitation Game?  It's based on the story of  Alan Turing creating what amounted to be one of the first computers to break the German Enigma machine with which they secretly communicated during World War II.  If you have seen it and you're left wanting more then The Bletchley Circle is for you.  Set in post war England it stars four women who worked at the secret Bletchey Park during the war as code breakers. But now that the war is over and they are back being housewives and librarians, they are bored. So they turn to solving crime using the algorithms they used to figure out the Nazi code. The female dominated cast is a nice departure from your classic cop show. It's available on Netflix, unfortunately only two season were made.  On the bright side you can watch the whole show in one snowy weekend.

Happy Valley

Another show with a strong female lead (Sarah Lancashire) is Happy Valley.  Gritty is how I have seen it described, which is an apt description.  In the show a young woman's kidnapping for ransom is orchestrated by a guy with a lot to lose; but done with the help of the local thug life who have nothing to lose. At the same time the officer investigating the case is still struggling with the loss of her own daughter to suicide and its ripple effect on her life.  Much in the vein of The Wire then Brooklyn Nine Nine this show takes you on an emotional journey that may leave you wanting to kick some ass.  The first season of Happy Valley is available on Netflix with season two on the way.

Broadchurch

Broadchurch is another excellent police drama, albeit a slower, weirder, less grungy offering then Happy Valley.   It opens with the death of a young boy in a classic British coastal village, and spends the first season following two detectives in their quest to find a motive.  The show does a great job weaving in the baggage of small town life and cops personal issues with the main plot.  Don't plan on having a hero on white horse ride in to save the day in this one, but do plan on getting sucked into a good story. Season one can be found on Netflix and season two is currently being seen in the U.K, which means it will be here soon.

Note: There is an American version of this show that may try to sneak in front of your eye balls. Don't fall for it though; it's a disappointing knock off in the same vein as buying Oakleys at a flea market.

Moone Boy

For those of you who don't need any more drama in your life, I recommend Moone Boy. Written by and starring Chris O'Dowd as the imaginary friend of 12 year old Irish lad, Martin Moone (David Rawle), it is a fall on the floor laughing departure.  O'Dowd is really funny as both the angel and the devil on Martin's shoulder.  And as so many other English offerings this show has a great cast of quirky secondary characters that keep you laughing.  Two complete seasons of Moone Boy are available on Hulu, and I am sure will be a delight!

Grantchester

Currently available PBS.com Grantchester is a classic 1950s era feast in the vein of other British shows like Call the Midwife. Featuring a country vicar (priest) who likes the ladies, jazz, and has a propensity to solve crime this show is pretty soapy.  But since my man card is already in jeopardy over watching Downton Abbey I might as well plug this show.  Hey its fun, so enjoy it and don't judge.  Happy Watching!