smallfuzzy

It's August, and the world has run out of good TV, so this seems as good a time as any to shove series' you might not have heard of (at least, not if you're not British) under your nose and tell you to buy the DVDs. And then you can watch them, and I will have someone else to rave with about how good they are.

I'm skipping the ones that I think made it out of the country here -- the real classics like Father Ted, Fawlty Towers, Blackadder and Red Dwarf -- as I'm pretty sure those will have made it over the water (at least I hope not. If not, GO BUY THEM NOW.). These are the slightly less well-known-outside-my-country classics.

The Amazing Mrs Pritchard

That they never made a second season of this is something I'm still grieving. Roz Pritchard is a woman who got sick of all the political parties scrapping and arguing and lying, and started a political party because well, running the country isn't rocket science, is it?

It's wonderful. Especially if you like politics. Or if you're really sick of politics.

The Good Life

This seems surprisingly hard to get hold of on DVD for something that was once incredibly popular. Tom and Barbara decide they've had enough of the rat-race and try to set up as self-sufficient in the middle of surburbia (much to the horror of their neighbours).

Not at all harmed by the fact that both Tom and Barbara are rather good-looking. I'm just saying. I'm pretty sure an entire generation of British males grew up fantasizing about Felicity Kendal.

Lab Rats

Only just out on DVD -- actually, I might need to get myself a copy. I'm going to be really really sad if this doesn't get renewed. It's based in a lab, and includes giant bees, lab protests, a scheming Dutch boss, and really pretty hair.

Dad's Army

Who do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler, if you think we're on the run?

Based in the Second World War, on the guys who were too old to go off to fight and stayed home to be the Home Guard, guarding Britain from the stealthy forces of the Germans. Don't panic, Mr Mannering! They repeated this for years, and it was glorious. I wish they still did.

Black Books

Another that ended too soon. You've got a cranky book shop owner with messy hair who drinks too much and hates selling books because then he has to order more and that means phoning the ordering place and you've no idea how boring and complicated that is. Watch it. Watch it now.

****

Brits, add more on. Americans, got any rare and precious gems (not the big popular ones that get syndicated, everyone knows those) I totally need to watch?