Imported shows from other speak English nations

[dave73]

I remember when FX first started in 1994, they aired Home & Away for I believe 4 months, before they dropped it for something else. I did like that show. I forgot the name of the show that Jeff Probst was on that he read viewers feedback of various shows. That too didn't last long, but lasted longer than Home & Away did. I haven't watched FX since maybe 1998.

 

[NHRadio]

I remember that show! It ran in Boston, too.

Don't forget the greatest Australian TV show ever made "Prisoner" ("Prisoner: Cell Block H"). That was on in America, in Chicago from Sept of 1979 to July of 1982

If you get a chance to grab that show do it.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Someone mentioned "Corner Gas" (yay!), but no one has mentioned what I believe is the first Canadian sitcom to make it to the U.S. general market... "Check It Out!", a sitcom about a supermarket helmed by Don Adams. (Yes, "Agent 86" Don Adams.)

I believe it aired on cable's USA Network, LONG before it became an arm of NBC Universal. I believe the show was on in the mid-1980's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Check_it_Out!_(Canadian_TV_series)

 

[therealjm12]

I've said it before, but I think it would make sense to market Corner Gas to PBS stations and pair it with Red Green.

I agree. Wonder why someone at PBS hasn't thought of it. I miss Corner Gas. I did not see all the episodes and I guess they never showed the final season on WGN.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I agree. Wonder why someone at PBS hasn't thought of it. I miss Corner Gas. I did not see all the episodes and I guess they never showed the final season on WGN.

I like the idea, but it'll probably never happen.

And you're correct. WGN America did not show Season 6 at all. The show got lost in the shuffle, because management at WGN owner Tribune changed management right after the former Superstation WGN bought the Corner Gas rights.

Basically, it "wasn't their idea", and they started their first revamp of WGN's national service just a short time after "CG" started on the station.

 

[azumanga]

Back in the 80s MTV ran "The Young Ones" commercial free.

MTV also shown "Monty Python", uncut and commercial free as well, in tandem with "The Young Ones".

I recall MTV showing another British comedy series that followed Python on Sunday nights -- "The Comic Strip Presents...", which is generally a parody comedy series along the lines of Monty Python. As with the others, this, too, was seen unedited without commercials.

 

[anotherguyTN]

IFC is currently showing Monty Python, but that isn't in the current cable package I'm getting.

Something odd I've noticed is that BBC America has started showing Star Trek: The Next Generation. It's one of my favorite shows, but it doesn't make much sense to me why it's there. The only logical reason I can figure out is possibly because of Patrick Stewart being the main star. But then this is another channel that isn't in my current cable package.

 

[CrankyYankee]

Another show from Canada was 1971's "Police Surgeon", aka "Dr. Simon Locke." Also, from the U.K., "Danger Man/Secret agent", which devotees of "The Prisoner" feel is about one and the same character, portrayed by Patrick McGoohan. In the children's TV department, many PBS stations in the 50's & 60's aired the Canadian-made program "The (Big) Friendly Giant." Didn't Nick air "The Elephant Show", with Shari, Lois & Brahm? Their other show, "Skinnamarink TV" aired on the Learning Channel(before they went to being known as TLC). One more kid's program, "Rolie Polie Olie", from Canada, has aired on Playhouse Disney. BTW, I am a BIG fan of "Little Mosque on the Prairie."
Fox was supposed to be developing an American version of this show, but.....

 

[TexasTom]

Several prominent British imports somehow seem to have been missed in this thread: "Doctor Who", "Space: 1999", and "Benny Hill" all enjoyed syndication runs of varying lengths in the US.

 

[avtosalon]

A couple more British shows on PBS are 'BBC World News' and 'Thomas and Friends'.


Also I remember in the early 70's, ABC aired a Sunday morning kids show that was produced in Britain. The name of the show was 'Here Come the Double Deckers':


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ACaNwtY3UU&feature=related


I don't watch ion LIFE, but the network has airs several Canadian shows: Design U, She's Crafty, My Green House, Junk Raiders, and The Weekend Guy. 'ion TELEVISION' used to air a Canadian show called 'Durham County'.

MHz Worldview airs Australian rules football, and Gaelic football and hurling from Ireland.

 

[ajc_trw]

If you have Verizon FiOS you can watch BBC World News 24/7 on channel 107.

I remember KOCE PBS Orange County CA (soon to be THE PBS outlet for LA area) ran Red Dwarf. I remembered the series because Lister had a California license plate hung in his quarters.

I'm happy that BBC America redeemed itself (at least for me) by adding L&O UK. This was a huge 'get' as the show is from ITV, not the BBC (IIRC).

 

[philosofy]

I forgot the name of the show that Jeff Probst was on that he read viewers feedback of various shows. That too didn't last long, but lasted longer than Home & Away did.

"Backchat". Back when FX was the World's First Living Television Network. And they broadcast a lot of the early shows from the huge apartment in NYC.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

HGTV in the States runs content from its sister network in Canada.

 

[azumanga]

I'm happy that BBC America redeemed itself (at least for me) by adding L&O UK. This was a huge 'get' as the show is from ITV, not the BBC (IIRC).

BBC America also runs some shows that were seen back home on ITV and Channel 4 -- C4's "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares" is one of them.

However, I don't understand why American shows (such as Star Trek TNG) or movies (like Superman 2 or Silence of the Lambs) are part of the schedule.

 

[Robnoxious]

The US really needs to air Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe/Newswipe series. That guy is brilliant and we don't have a substitute to compare him too.

Here is every news story ever, condensed into 2 minutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHun58mz3vI

 

[FreddyE1977]

On their 101 premium channel, DirecTV was running the Australian miniseries "Underbelly: Tale of Two Cities"
recounting the true story of an organized crime drug operation. It had some very good cast members and
was nicely photographed. Similar to The Sopranos in a lot of ways. Was surprised to learn that it was
apparently made for regular broadcast TV in Australia. There was certainly no shortage of frontal nudity
in it! DirecTV would only run it after 10PM.

I also recall that years ago Paul Hogan's sketch comedy show from Australia got a brief run here.
I think it may have been on WOR but I'm not sure.

 

[gr8oldies]

We did get the British version of "Who's Line Is It Anyway?"

 

[HoustonListener]

in the late 1980s USA network ran the Canadian game show Jackpot. And now one mentioned Absolutely Fabulous. WE (I think) also ran the Australian show McLeod's Daughters a few years ago.

 

[azumanga]

in the late 1980s USA network ran the Canadian game show Jackpot.

That doesn't really count, as USA co-produced that version. They also co-produced their version of "Chain Reaction", as well an original game show, "Bumper Stumpers" -- all produced in Canada.

 

[mleach]

I also recall that years ago Paul Hogan's sketch comedy show from Australia got a brief run here.
I think it may have been on WOR but I'm not sure.

Oddly enough Hogan's show for a very brief time ( early 80's ? ) had aired on Norfolk's WTVZ channel 33.