Before the current super-craze for programs like “The Office” and “The Mighty Boosh”, BBC television drifted in and out of North American pop culture in much quieter waves. Sure, there were the blasts of cult hits like “Monty Python”, “The Young Ones”, “AbFab” and “Red Dwarf”. That said, our thirst for British television over the past twenty years can be better characterized with the more gentle swells created by BBC mysteries and quaint cooking shows. Unfortunately, this means that the average lazy consumer has missed out on some real gems that have been available on this side of the pond for years, yet somehow have dipped under the pop culture radar.
“Chef!” (1993-1996)
Lenny Henry – although not widely known North America – is one of Britain’s comedy elite. He’s been a wildly successful stand-up comedian, a co-writer for BBC productions, and he managed to snag one of our favourite British kooks, Dawn French, into blissful matrimony. All that aside, his true forum is the half-hour comedy series, “Chef!”, in which he plays the title role. Following the trials and tribulations of a chef as he runs the top restaurant in Britain, we get the full-on blast of Lenny Henry’s sharp wit. In the similar vein of the AbFab formula, the key to this show is the well-crafted verbal abuse being hurled at people in a constant stream of hilarity. My recommendation: be prepared to pause the show a lot, so that you can write down quotes that you can use later!
“Neverwhere” (1996)
Speaking of Lenny Henry, he also paired up with the legendary Neil Gaiman to create a mini-series adaptation of Gaiman’s book, “Neverwhere”. Obviously low-budget and truly homemade, this show manages to somehow capture Gaiman’s dark and delicious imagination as it sucks you into his fantasy world under the streets of London. If, like all of us who were angsty teenagers, you went through a passionate Sandman phase in your life, you owe it to yourself to get your hands on this gem and watch it with bated and shaking breath. It is definitely a collector’s item.
“Ultraviolet” (1998)
Before Hollywood got their hands on it and ruined it with their upcoming movie release, “Ultraviolet” was a quiet little cult hit amongst us vampire fans. By combining BBC’s well-proven talent for police drama with the battle cries of “Buffy”, this show becomes ridiculously addictive – even without fancy special effects (or even remotely convincing death scenes). Unlike the upcoming movie of the same name, this show’s premise revolves around a secret agency within the British police force, working hard to keep those wily vampires from destroying all of humanity. What it lacks in North American polish it makes up for with excellent plot twists, good acting, and superb lighting. My only regret is that it was never picked up for another season, leaving us with a painful cliff-hanger that, to this day, leaves me all antsy and eager for more.
“Prime Suspect” (1991 – 2003)
You can’t do BBC without doing mysteries, and the world famous series “Prime Suspect” definitely ranks up there as one of the best ever made. The springboard for Helen Mirren’s esteemed career, this police drama is truly flawless. Mirren, in all her gritty glory, plays a woman detective ruthlessly elbowing her way up the ranks against old-boy mentality – while at the same time, angrily tracking down serial killers and ripping open pedophile rings. Each “episode” is actually several hours long, so I recommend that you cuddle up and get lots of snacks for this marathon. You will not regret the investment made – the writing is amazing, Mirren is astonishing, and the dark and dirty side that we all love in our police dramas is pumped up to the max. Cap each episode off with a sweaty and intense interview in which Mirren manages to get the guilty to confess, and you have a winner. For the real heart-thumpers, I recommend “Prime Suspect 1″ and “Prime Suspect 3″, with a chaser of “Prime Suspect 4: Scent of Darkness” (a sort of sequel to number 1).
