Can anyone recommend me more shows and films?

[-]

wolfie66666@reddit

Bear in mind that many shows, including The Crown, change history to suit the story line. Don’t believe it all.

[-]

mralistair@reddit

Green wing

Casualty

Eastenders

inbetweeners

peep show

learing about royalty will not prepare you

[-]

If you want medical, then try This Is Going To Hurt.
And for documentaries - Ambulance, 24 Hours in A&E, Hospital, Surgeons: At The Edge Of Life and 999: Critical Condition. But they might make you change your mind about coming here!

[-]

Mother_Composer_6069@reddit

Also, One Born Every Minute.

[-]

Ok-Hovercraft9348@reddit

Amandaland and Motherland

[-]

Wilberbedford@reddit

Legends on nettflix. Really good

[-]

Jazzlike-Basil1355@reddit

Blackadder for absurd historical perspective. Brace yourself for the end of series four., though.

[-]

AssistantStrong9651@reddit

Peep show

[-]

Opposite_Funny9958@reddit

Old episodes of Casualty, Holly city and -at a push, The Bill.

[-]

Cautious-Ad-419@reddit

Watch peep show 6/7 times

[-]

ResidentTerrible@reddit

Mr. Bates vs the Post Office,

[-]

Waftycrank69@reddit

Casualty, Holby City, Shameless (UK version), This is Going to Hurt.

[-]

JCDU@reddit

Blackadder is pretty damn good although series 1 is not brilliant, it builds up to Goes Forth which ends in a true masterpiece.

The Green Wing is absolutely brilliant if you want shenanigans in a hospital.

War movies wise, stuff like The Great Escape, The Imitation Game, The Longest Day, The Dambusters, Dunkirk, Triple Cross, Bridge Over The River Kwai, First Of The Few, Operation Mincemeat, and Lawrence of Arabia are part of the story.

Yes Minister, Yes Prime Minister and 30+ years later The Thick Of It / In The Loop are all classics of British political satire - and Have I Got News For You is fairly statutory viewing. Spitting Image from the 80's into the 90's was the thing to be watching on a Friday night for political satire, back when we thought Reagan was the dumbest president ever and will get you up to speed on 20 years or so of British politics and culture.

(almost) Anything directed by Edgar Wright or Guy Ritchie is a good shout just in terms of culture rather than history.

Anything Aardman have done is about as British as you can get.

The Italian Job (1969) is something of a national treasure.

[-]

Famous-Author-5211@reddit

Detectorists is one of the best shows of recent decades. Ghosts is pretty lovely, too.

Also if you're going to be in healthcare, I can't not mention Green Wing.

[-]

dontuwantme2join@reddit

A more serious medical drama would be Casualty. It is very up-to-date with current affairs.

[-]

JCDU@reddit

Yes but Green Wing is good.

[-]

rcdchu74@reddit

Detectorists absolutely, also Small Prophets by the same guy.

[-]

TheeHappyDude@reddit

Detectorists is a great shout. Very gentle. I'm a townie myself but I imagine country village life is probably a lot like this

[-]

thirty1twenty1@reddit

I think Detectorists is a bit too twee but Green Wing is amazing

[-]

parkchanwookiee@reddit

This is England, movie and a TV series

[-]

Super_Plastic5069@reddit

This Country is excellent as well

[-]

parkchanwookiee@reddit

I think it's gone down the pan, personally

[-]

Super_Plastic5069@reddit

I see what you did there hahaha

[-]

NoMortgage3467@reddit

What about The Young Ones very true to British life 😁😁😁

[-]

parkchanwookiee@reddit

Sure, 50 years ago

[-]

Stefgrep66@reddit

Dude he just watched the Kings Speech!!

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

Oh thank you for reminding me about Spaced. Caught a couple of episodes randomly many years ago, laughed my arse off, then completely forgot about it. Shame on me.

I’m also almost done with the Office. Just one more episode to go! I really wish I’d been around when the whole Dawn and Tim storyline played out. I imagine there must have been some excited people after that episode.

[-]

TequilaMockingbirds8@reddit

Friday night dinner is brilliant and just encapsulates the humor in an English family

[-]

tzartzam@reddit

Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead too!

[-]

throaway_247@reddit

For film fan Spaced lovers I highly recommend 'My Life in Film (2004)’ only 6 eps but perfect.

[-]

yourefunny@reddit

Having visited Australia many times and having a good few mates from there I think I can help. Your humour is very similar but slightly different to ours. So I would certainly suggest looking at Alan Partridge as others have said, but it really isn't for me.

The Office and Peep Show as well, again, not for me but should be watched.

Taskmaster is one of my favourites and really shows the deprecating humour of Brits. Several NZ and Aus comedians have been on it as well. They have syndicated the shows down under as well.

I am a big fan of Hamish and Andy and a good few other Australian shows. Your fantastic show, the castle has several UK shows that would be a good watch if you liked that. This is England, The Royle Family (nothing to do with actual Royals), Shameless, This Country, Only Fools and Horses.

I grew up middle class so lots of those are not how I experienced growing up though.

Yes Minister is fantastic. As someone in the medical world, I would read This Is Going to Hurt, or watch the series. very funny.

[-]

Atlantree19@reddit

Series Not Going Out. (Anything with Lee Mack is good.

And any Simon Pegg and Nick Frost films...you'll be laughing your arse off at those films. 😂

[-]

WildAd5260@reddit

Gavin and Stacey is amazing

[-]

Inevitable_Thing_270@reddit

There’s a show called 24hrs in A&E.

“Fly on the wall type” documentary that follows patients who have been admitted and their stories. It’s interesting and will give you a better idea of real life that fictional shows/films

[-]

Ta_mere6969@reddit

It's a dumb soap, but Eastenders tries to keep its fingers on the pulse of working Britain.

Don't take the show too seriously, but do understand that there are more people in the UK who can relate to the characters in Eastenders than there are who can relate to The Crown.

[-]

thefooleryoftom@reddit

Peep show

[-]

Missbhavin67@reddit

Brassic

Afterlife

Shameless

[-]

Ok_Cranberry_9851@reddit

Withnail and I. I won't explain here, but it is an absolute must.

[-]

Ok_Cranberry_9851@reddit

Oh, and Ripping Yarns.

[-]

Radio-Birdperson@reddit

Ripping Yarns seems to be a gem that doesn’t get talked about so much these days. Fantastic telly!

[-]

anabsentfriend@reddit

Are you the farmer?

[-]

zappamorey@reddit

Oh my goodness yes ! A classic !!

[-]

Ovenbird36@reddit

Call the Midwife is the obvious answer.

[-]

Big_Log_9117@reddit

“Ali g in da house” thanks me later

[-]

Maurice_Foot@reddit

Young; the US is less than 1000 years.

Still in the stupid ages that so many nations do not survive.

[-]

EnglishRose71@reddit

Don't forget, it's very, very, very loosely based on fact and extremely highly based in fiction. Don't treat it as though it's historical.

[-]

TW1STED_M1ND@reddit

Green Wing

[-]

chi-93@reddit

Trainspotting.

[-]

throaway_247@reddit

Billy Elliot (film): A heartwarming companion to Pride, set during the same miners' strike but focusing on a working-class family in Northern England.

Yes, Prime Minister: The ultimate satirical guide to how British bureaucracy and the Civil Service actually function.

The Thick of It: A frantic, modern look at the dark arts of political spin and media relations in Westminster.

The Iron Lady (film): A biopic offering critical context on Margaret Thatcher, the defining political figure of the Pride era.

Derry Girls: A funny yet educational sitcom about teenage life during The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Wolf Hall: A masterclass in Tudor political intrigue, perfect if you enjoyed the historical tension of The King’s Speech.

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

Ooh Derry Girls sounds interesting. It’s popped up on a few Reddit threads with people saying it was consistently good all the way through.

I am quite interested in learning more about the history of Northern Ireland. I watched the first season of Blue Lights recently and thought it was fantastic. Would love to learn what came before.

[-]

Ilovescarlatti@reddit

Derry Girls is one of my favourite shows ever. It maintained its impetus right to the end.

[-]

KirasStar@reddit

Derry Girls is amazing!

[-]

ZorbanDandelion@reddit

True Detective season 1.

[-]

Interesting_Fish309@reddit

Watch our country on BBC. With Kerry and kurtain

[-]

wasdice@reddit

This Country?

[-]

Agitated_Custard7395@reddit

The Inbetweeners is a pretty accurate depiction of what school was like

[-]

Few-Review3796@reddit

Simon Sharma's History of Britain is a good introduction to British history.

A History of Scotland presented by Neil Oliver (before he became a GB News regular)

Jeremy Clarkson's documentaries on WW2 are very good and different to his other output.

Climbing Great Buildings - covers some of Britain's most iconic buildings

Also worth watching are The Prisoner, The Avengers, The Professionals, Minder which are classic UK TV programmes.

[-]

Hollyhop_Drive@reddit

TV: Red Dwarf, Blackadder, Father Ted, Green Wing, Black Books, the IT Crowd

Films: Hot Fuzz (pretty much accurate for where I grew up - sans the murdering death cult anyway.: Four Lions

[-]

exit_to_the_left@reddit

The Thick of It

[-]

ageofkling@reddit

Restless Natives

[-]

Useful_Anteater2619@reddit

Corrie & Eastenders

[-]

MyRowdyDog@reddit

Bait or any other film by Mark Jenkin. Proper job.

[-]

Educational-Angle717@reddit

Just in this vein there was The Queen - which was Helen Mirren playing her and was pretty good. I think it forms a trilogy of Michal Sheen playing Tony Blair and all of them are good, the first is The Deal about Blair and Brown and the last is about our relationship with the US.

Also just to jump on Michael Sheen again - if you like sport the Damned United is great.

[-]

TypePsychological771@reddit

King Gary. Comedy but so British. In fact any British comedy would give you a taste of British wit and humour along with a taste of Britain itself. Enjoy

[-]

Kind-Elder1938@reddit

Please remember that films are entertainment not history. Producers will alter anything if they think it is better for the story - and they do, all the time. You could be seriously misled historically. .
Try to get to see anything you can presented by Lucy Worsley, Mary Beard, Bettany Hughes or Suzannah Lipscomb. They work mostly on Television, they are all well qualified and their history will be accurate and very interesting and they will take you to interesting places where they explain why they are interesting

[-]

Ichifanni250@reddit

Casualty, the box set.

[-]

jlangue@reddit

Withnail and I.

[-]

Khidorahian@reddit

Gorgo!

[-]

ash894@reddit

Life on Mars is fantastic. Not overly historically accurate but hands down one of our best shows.

[-]

anabsentfriend@reddit

It's a Sin is on Channel4.

The 5-episode miniseries, which chronicles the lives of friends in London during the 1980s AIDS crisis,

[-]

longloook@reddit

Although it’s actually made in Australia, try Mr Inbetween.

[-]

cocoreichardt@reddit

The Royle Family. Scarily accurate portrayal of working class family life and very funny.

[-]

abibofsweat@reddit

Sherlock! Also Teachers is an oldie but goodie.

[-]

surfinbear1990@reddit

Trainspotting, Sweet 16 and Dead Man's shoes

[-]

GreenSpaniel@reddit

Monty Python - basically covers most of pur history

[-]

Fun-Brush5136@reddit

Withnail and i

[-]

Impressive-Pie-5464@reddit

Might be good to check out the www.youtube.com/@filmdirt channel, hes a british reviewer so you get an idea of what british people are watching and rating. Also he's accessable in comments if you want to engage on a topic.

[-]

janeygigi@reddit

Damned and Getting on by Jo Brand.

[-]

tidderphil@reddit

The Thick Of It. Pretty relevant right now.

Shaun Of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Worlds End. All fantastic British movies, learn to quote them and you'll fit in a lot of places.

[-]

chihuahuajoe@reddit

Love, honour, obey, British classic

[-]

iamthefirebird@reddit

People have suggested Billy Elliot the film. I shall add Billy Elliot the musical (the anniversary proshot) to that. It is the most moving thing I have ever seen. It's not a particularly musical musical, if they aren't typically your thing.

Wallace and Gromit. The films are pretty much universally beloved, and are a good insight into our culture and humour.

[-]

Hefty_Tip7383@reddit

Phoenix nights

[-]

lostandfawnd@reddit

Only fools and horses.

[-]

Hefty_Tip7383@reddit

Our friends in the north

[-]

Entire-Sentence-9379@reddit

Fleabag!

[-]

Falselights1511@reddit

Old BBC show called Casualty was fairly good if you want hospital based drama.

[-]

TooMuchBrightness@reddit

Men (2022) dir. Alex Garland. Makes the Cotswolds look so beautiful. 👀🫣

[-]

VegetableWeekend6886@reddit

I really enjoy cozy dramedys like Catastrophe (although tbf the two leads are Irish and American respectively) and Trying. They're like if Love Actually and Bridget Jones were series

[-]

Financial_Excuse_429@reddit

Only fools & horses series.

[-]

TheShakyHandsMan@reddit

Sharpe

The Napoleonic Wars was definitely a significant part of our history.

Also Vikings and Last Kingdom to learn about the formation of England

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

I always meant to watch Vikings but never got around to it. Had no idea it covered the formation of England so thank you for that recommendation.

[-]

TheShakyHandsMan@reddit

The last kingdom has more detail about the country coming together. Both shows cover roughly the same time period of late 700s onwards

There’s a Vikings spinoff called Valhalla which continues the story up until the Norman conquest. I’ve not managed to finish that yet.

[-]

thirty1twenty1@reddit

Chelmsford 123 is a really good sitcom you might like. It's about a Roman governor who gets banished to England and hates the weather.

[-]

zappamorey@reddit

Maybe checkout a few soap operas. They're very big in the UK! Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Eastenders. You can't watch them all as they're long running seriel dramas, but checkout a few episodes. There's a lot of cultural references in all of these soaps and they're supposed to be set in different parts of the UK.

Gavin & Stacey, Miranda, Desmonds and Only fools and Horses may also be good shouts for cultural references

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

Haha I just looked up the number of episodes aired for Coronation Street and burst out laughing. I don’t think I can cover anywhere near the 11,853 episodes available but I’ll have a look on YouTube and see what pops up! Thanks!

[-]

zappamorey@reddit

To be fair, if you did watch it in one sitting, you'd probably be in line for some sort of Guiness world record 😅😂!!

[-]

KirasStar@reddit

To learn about our culture and humour, I’d recommend the shows The Inbetweeners and Friday Night Dinner. They are very accurate to the kind of banter in friends and families. Gavin and Stacy is actually pretty good for this too.

[-]

TequilaMockingbirds8@reddit

I mentioned Friday night dinner further up thread, such a good example of a normal English family

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

I’ve seen a couple of seasons of The Inbetweeners and found it absolutely hilarious if not a bit uncomfortable at times given how accurate the teenage boy banter is. I swear there was a Jay in almost every friendship group at my old school.

[-]

imtheorangeycenter@reddit

I think that's the genius, the characters exist in every clique. I *was* Will, turning up on day one with a briefcase (more like a doctors bag tbh) and a fountain pen, which was quickly stolen and used as a dart.

[-]

Happy-Mastodon-7314@reddit

I've been catching up on Downton Abbey recently. It's better than I was expecting. My mum loves it!

[-]

Tall-Photo-7481@reddit

Poldark and outlander will give you a nice bit of historical perspective. Shows like that really bring those dusty old national trust days out to life. the tudors was good as well, you can really see how society worked in days gone by, showing the conflicting powers and limitations of kings, nobles and churches.

Detectorists is a really nice slice of British life. Quiet, understated, gently funny, but deeply rooted in our history and culture.

[-]

Witty_Ad_2098@reddit

For an insight in to the NHS, Casualty and Holby City as well as real life documentaries like GPs behind closed doors and Surgeons on the edge of life and death.

[-]

Xenozip3371Alpha@reddit

Porridge

Open All Hours

[-]

Noeggs70@reddit

This is going to Hurt is amazing although it is a bit dark at times

[-]

Sea_Appointment8408@reddit

Came here to say the same, dark humour set in an NHS hospital. Based on a book. Deffo watch OP

[-]

tzartzam@reddit

One Born Every Minute for hospital culture!

[-]

Marceline66@reddit

Brassic

[-]

Darrowby_385@reddit

I'd suggest things that are a bit more contemporary eg The Cage, The Responder, This City is Ours, Mr Bates and The Post Office, Dirty Business (the scandal of the privatised water companies), Sherwood. They paint a more realistic picture of a badly run and often unhappy country where ordinary people face a lot of struggles. These might sound a bit grim but are more instructive than things like The King's Speech.

On a lighter note, Detectorists, Small Prophets, Our Country, shine a light on our gentler, more idiosyncratic side.

[-]

misskittygirl13@reddit

The Young Ones and Red Dwarf

[-]

ttoettoe@reddit

Mum (BBC sitcom)

Shaun of the Dead

Four Lions

Chewing Gum (BBC comedy)

24hrs in A&E (fly on the wall reality for NHS realness)

[-]

PetersMapProject@reddit

Pride is a fantastic film, one of my favourites. They're going a musical, I saw the preview and if it's still running when you arrive, definitely get tickets. Billy Elliott is another classic film about the strikes.

I'd recommend watching The Inbetweeners if you want to see a typical British school experience. It's from the late 00s, but hugely relatable.

David Olusoga does fantastic documentaries about black British history, which is often overlooked.

WW2 was hugely important; if you hear anyone refer to "during the war", it's WW2 they're talking about. Goodnight Mister Tom is an intermittently cosy and dark film about the child evacuees.

If you like The Crown you'll probably enjoy Downton Abbey, though it's not something that is going to teach you much about life in modern Britain.

I'll also recommend reading Watching The English by Kate Fox. It's a pop social anthropology book, but it covers the stuff TV never does.

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

A musical?? I might sneak a trip in exclusively to catch that. I love musicals! Thanks for putting that on my radar. I had no idea!

[-]

PetersMapProject@reddit

It was shown originally in Cardiff but it's moving to the National Theatre in the summer.

It completely sold out in Cardiff so I'd buy theatre tickets before plane tickets.

[-]

whitefire9999@reddit

Slow Horses, and anything Monty Python for Brit humour 😂

[-]

just-visiting-3955@reddit

Depends where you are heading. A drama series like foyle’s war is top tier about the English experience in 30s onwards. Bliue Lights is set in modern NI.

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

At the moment I’m hoping for Bath but really anywhere that’s a fair bit quieter and greener than where I live now (Tokyo).

[-]

just-visiting-3955@reddit

The only thing I can think of set in modern bath is McDonald and Dodds which is an extremely, extremely cosy “cozy murder” series. Jane Austen’s heroines in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey visited Bath of course but that might not help locate the shops.

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

No that’s great! I’d love to check out McDonald and Dodds. I really enjoyed Broadchurch but found it a bit heavy so this sounds perfect.

[-]

Eyupmeduck1989@reddit

If you’re joining the NHS, I can’t recommend Green Wing or Getting On enough.

Also Peep Show, The Detectorists and Gone Fishing just because

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

Yes! NHS stuff - thank you!!

[-]

X2seraphim@reddit

Human traffic it’ll explain some people are the way they are 😂

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

Now that’s a blast from the past! I watched this one at my local cinema as a teenager and I remember having a great time. It was so different to anything I’d seen before.

[-]

flora_poste_@reddit

Do you enjoy plays? Try The Hollow Crown! The first part consists of Richard II, Henry IV (Part 1), Henry IV (Part 2), and Henry V. The second part consists of Henry VI (Part 1), Henry VI (Part 2), Henry VI (Part 3), and Richard III. The casts are stellar, and you'll pick up a lot of general information about those periods of history.

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play beyond the ones my school would occasionally perform.

I’m dying to learn more about the Monarchy but can’t get what I learn to slot neatly into my memory. Pre-King George V, it all gets jumbled up and I can never remember who was who and which events relate to various monarchs.

Still, I’ll check this out and see if it finally sticks. Thanks!

[-]

Beautiful_Hour_4744@reddit

Holby City is a long running drama set in a hospital

[-]

takeawaycheesypeas@reddit

Human traffic, for clubbing in the 90s, still game for Glasgow in the 2000 s , last of the summer wine for Yorkshire in the 70s , kes, this is England both the film and TV series (be warned it's uncomfortable watching at times) Jeeves and Wooster for the 1920s, the business/football factory/benidorm to see the English abroad. Dad's army to see what it was like during the war . Steptoe and son, rising damp, George and Mildred are all hilarious

[-]

Kann0n2@reddit

Peep show.

[-]

New-Garlic-9414@reddit

Came here to say this. It's all you'll ever need.

[-]

DDAAVVEE123@reddit

Is always the answer.

[-]

EldritchSanta@reddit

In no particular order:

Wallace and Gromit, The Thick of It, Yes Minister (followed by Yes Prime Minister), Monty Python, Whisky Galore! (1949), Brief Encounter, A Matter of Life and Death, Four Lions.

[-]

cavehare@reddit

Plus the original "House of Cards" with Ian Richardson, and all 4 series of Blackadder.

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

Blackadder Season 4 is one of my all-time favourite Rowan Atkinson projects. Hugh Laurie also never failed to make me laugh in season 3. I don’t think I’ve ever seen season 1 or 2 though strangely. Something I’ll have to rectify

[-]

cavehare@reddit

Season 1 is different to all the others. HUGE budget, very Shakespeare-centric. Blackadder is an very different character to the subsequent ones.
Season 2 is probably my favourite of the 4. Quite silly, but also very witty.

[-]

thirty1twenty1@reddit

The Thick of It since you're interested an politics

[-]

anonymouse_loner@reddit

Great choice

[-]

anonymouse_loner@reddit

Open All Hours
Only Fools and Horses
Porridge

These are the most British programmes you can find to watch. They are all hilarious and brilliant and they are stamped forever in British history.

[-]

MJLDat@reddit

This is England.

Somers Town.

A bit more realistic than what you have seen so far.

Adolescence is quite realistic.

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

Just curious what you mean by realistic in this context. I’m finding The Crown feels quite realistic but I guess there were a lot of liberties taken with regards to historical accuracy/how some people are portrayed?

[-]

Willerby01@reddit

The Crown is entertaining, but it would fail a GCSE. History paper, it did, like a lot of shows, play very fast and loose with historical facts

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

Ah I see. Thanks for that info.

[-]

Frequent-Activity328@reddit

Dead man's shoes.

[-]

Shot-Disk5958@reddit

Good starting point with The Crown and Pride, you’ve basically hit two very different but very “British” vibes already.

For more historical/political stuff, Line of Duty is great for modern institutions and corruption themes, and This England gives you a pretty direct look at recent political history. If you want something a bit more grounded in everyday UK life, The Office (UK) is iconic for British workplace humour.

For films, Brassed Off and Billy Elliot both capture working-class life really well, just in different eras and tones.

[-]

KimchiVegemite@reddit (OP)

I just watched Brassed Off and really enjoyed it. I expect I’ll quite enjoy Billy Elliot as well. Thanks for the great recommendations.

[-]

imma2lils@reddit

Still Game - Scottish The Royle Family Shameless

Educating Yorkshire

[-]

LolaWithTheGreenEyes@reddit

To get a handle on our humour I really suggest watching Allo Allo. Its full of stereotypes and probably things that wouldn't be allowed now, but its a very good representation of our dry and dark humour.

[-]

Sandy_Bananas@reddit

Skum. A clockwork Orange. Nil by mouth.

Brass eye. The thick of it. Playschool.

[-]