I think...therefore, I&#39;m single...

That makes a lot of sense. Safer too.

Hee, yeah. Mock the Week adored making fun of it. Do you ever watch that or Spooks? What are your favorite BBC or ITV shows?

Me too. LJ has gotten quiet.

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Yep, I adore Mock The Week. Though truth be told I haven't enjoyed it quite as much since Frankie Boyle left. (And promptly went on to commit career suicide.)

Favourite BBC shows... Doctor Who is probably the one thing on UK tv that I watch most religiously. Never quite managed to get into Spooks. Though many of my friends adore it.

I like sci-fi and horror and fantasy type programmes, and there's not many of those made by UK tv. I'm quite enjoying The Fades though, which is on BBC3.

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Frankie was never my favorite, but I miss him too. How he would say things that shocked me and I felt guilty for laughing, but they were genuinely funny. Russel is my favorite and it has not been the same without him for me. I hope he comes back. I love Good News, but it's not the same.

Do you prefer Old Who or New Who or do you love them both? Did you grow up with the older stuff? Man I'm a nosy Nelly.

The Fades? Haven't heard of that one. I'll look it up.

I watch way more British TV than any sane American. I was mainlining Downton Abbey last night. The ironic thing is that the summer I was in London (2003), the only things I watched much were World Cup and Eastenders (and the latter was my flatmates' choice, not mine). Oh wait, and the BBC Pride and Prejudice. That's worthwhile.

PS: Erica, sorry for having this conversation on your journal; we can take it elsewhere if you like.

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There was always a fine line with Frankie Boyle, between funny and just shocking. Which I quite liked about him, because he illustrated that way that comedy is so totally subjective, and he always sort of made you question at what point something becomes funny, and how there really isn't anything that comedy can't explore.

And I've always liked that idea of personal responsibility. That if we, the individual, do not like something, or find it offensive, we can just switch off, and choose not to watch it.

And the trouble he got into for the joke about the Queen was just ridiculous.

Sadly his comedy show he went on to do after Mock, Dramadol nights, was just... too offensive I think. Viewers turned off in their droves, and that's probably the last we'll see of him on tv. I think he sort of needed the panel show format to have other people around him to keep him from going too far off base.

And no, I agree, Good News isn't the same.

As for Doctor Who, I grew up with the old stuff, and it was a very important part of my childhood. Doctor Who repeats, weekdays, 6pm BBC2, regular as clockwork.

Revisiting it years later after nu-who started, I didn't like it as much. I found a lot of the story-telling rather pedestrian, entire episodes where not much happened. So, yeah, it was one of those things I loved in childhood that I revisited as an adult, and kinda didn't enjoy too much. (Blakes 7 remains one of the bigger disappointments of adult life.)

So yeah, I much prefer the new Who.

What about you? Which do you prefer?

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I agree, Frankie walked the line and sometimes rather tripped over it.

Being across the pond, I don't know that much about the controversy, I just know they kept a tighter lid on him afterwards and that's why he ultimately left.

Never watched Tramadol Nights. Hubby watched the first one and said it was dreadful. It's a shame.

I do really like Good News, just not at the expense of him being on Mock. Although it was his Australia tour being extended that kept him off the latter part of this season as I understand it.

As for Dr. Who, I've watched very little Old Who. I like Sarah Jane and adore Curse Of Fatal Death (which I know doesn't actually count). I fell in love with nu-Who and Dr. 9. Not sure why except that you never forget your first doctor. I liked 10 very much and 11 is growing on me, but I loved 9 and Rose very much.

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Yeah, 9 and Rose were probably my favourite too. I liked 10 and Rose, but the vibe Billie Piper had with Eccleston was just awesome.

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I agree. I'm not sure why everyone else seems to prefer 10 over 9 so much. He was around longer, I suppose, and he's quite good looking. Oh well.

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See, I always thought Eccleston was more handsome than Tennant, he has a much more interesting face. But. Pretty tends to always be more popular.

They are both great actors, though I did think Eccleston was so much better at the darker scarier stuff. His tortured damaged Doctor was much more believable to me than when Tennant tried to do that.

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Eccels is more interesting looking, certainly. But as you say, Tennant is pretty. And some people thing Eccles's ears stick out too much to be attractive.

I agree that they're both very talented actors. And I also agree that Eccleston was better at the dark stuff. I liked it when he was happy, too, but that was a lot more rare. (Empty Child and Doctor Dances are my favorite episodes.)

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Yes, Empty Child and Doctor Dances were spectacular. I've watched so many episodes from that first season time and time again.

Dalek is another particular favourite.

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Everybody Lives! Makes me cry. Also, they introduced Captain Jack, who is just awesome. And the doctor dances with Rose. *loves* Plus, the Mummy/son story was awesome-sauce.

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I always liked Captain Jack a lot more in Who than in Torchwood. But then, I never really managed to get into Torchwood.

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I'm exactly the same way. Torchwood was always a little too out there for me with the pterodactyl and the m-preg and all. Felt a little like someone filmed fanfic.

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You know, it's weird. I always thought Doctor Who was stupid like Power Rangers and things when I was little. I didn't start liking it until Fox had that movie with Eight when I was thirteen.

Now, I love Eight-Eleven but I've started watching the old stuff and I like it a lot more than when I was little. Yes, I prefer 8-11 but it's almost like apples and oranges since the pacing and set-up is so different.

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Did classic who ever get aired much over there?

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It used to be on Public Television some.

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Oh yes, we had a local PBS station that showed them until the mid 90s...unfortunately, about the time I thought I might like it after all.

I heard some PBS stations still showed it until shortly before the NuWho came out. Now, they show NuWho and sometimes, complete with Confidential afterwards.

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The weird thing is they never repeat them here in the UK. The last time classic who was on uk tv must have been.... at least 20 years ago. Probably longer.

Even when new Who appeared and was super popular, I thought they might start repeating the classics, at least on BBC2, but nothing.

I guess maybe the DVD sales are too lucrative or something.

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That is really strange. It's probably the DVD sales thing. The only other answer I can think of is that they think they'd compare unfavorably with the modern ones. I think they'd get good ratings, though.

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Maybe they figure kids are much more demanding these days in terms of graphics and suchlike. LOrd knows the video game industry is driven almost entirely by the need to have bigger better faster shinier graphics, otherwise the kids just aren't interested.

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BBC does provide full episodes on Youtube, and sometimes iPlayer, for everyone who's not in the US.

http://www.youtube.com/show?p=Ps0e32nFzs0&s=1 (http://www.youtube.com/show?p=Ps0e32nFzs0&s=1)

I guess they figure the ratings wouldn't be high enough and/or the people interested would prefer watching online...

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It sucks that we're excluded, although our TV stations do the same to other countries with their shows.

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Yes, they should just give up and let everyone watch everything the way we want it.

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LOL, I Know, Right?

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Between Joe Dempsie and Tom Ellis, I definitely want to see The Fades at some point but I'm hoping it'll be picked up by someone over here...I hate having to buy or download everything. I also want to see Hidden.

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Fades had a pretty excellent ending too. Definitely worth catching.

What's Hidden?

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