BritBox Veterans--What Should I Watch?

I've watched some of BritBox.

Vera: Saw S01E01. Somewhat cranky know-it-all hard-drinking 60-something woman doggedly pursues solving murders. Well produced show that is somewhat slow to develop. At 88 minutes long it could have been made in about 70 minutes with some tightening of edits. Murder mystery in this episode wasn't too hard to figure out. The director had an annoying habit of having Vera interrogating people while walking. Walking down halls, walking on the beach, walking down the street, etc. Too much walking! Will watch some more but not right away.

Death in Paradise: Have seen S01E01 and E02. Staid British detective is sent to a tropical paradise to solve the murder of another British detective. Main character can't stand sunshine, the beach, and the laid back lifestyle on the island. I found the character to be interesting. The murder mysteries were difficult to solve. I like the conclusion of the episodes where the detective brings all the players into the same room and announces the murderer and how he solved the mystery. Will watch more.

Only Fools and Horses. I had seen some of Season 1. This time around I started with Season 2 and it is quite a lot better. Three generations of hustlers--Grandad, Dad, and son live in a rundown flat in London. Their money-making schemes are outlandish. The dialogue is sharp and witty. Will watch more.

Next up: Shetland and The Jury.
 
Qs Laptop said:
I've watched some of BritBox.

Vera: Saw S01E01. Somewhat cranky know-it-all hard-drinking 60-something woman doggedly pursues solving murders. Well produced show that is somewhat slow to develop. At 88 minutes long it could have been made in about 70 minutes with some tightening of edits. Murder mystery in this episode wasn't too hard to figure out. The director had an annoying habit of having Vera interrogating people while walking. Walking down halls, walking on the beach, walking down the street, etc. Too much walking! Will watch some more but not right away.

Death in Paradise: Have seen S01E01 and E02. Staid British detective is sent to a tropical paradise to solve the murder of another British detective. Main character can't stand sunshine, the beach, and the laid back lifestyle on the island. I found the character to be interesting. The murder mysteries were difficult to solve. I like the conclusion of the episodes where the detective brings all the players into the same room and announces the murderer and how he solved the mystery. Will watch more.

Only Fools and Horses. I had seen some of Season 1. This time around I started with Season 2 and it is quite a lot better. Three generations of hustlers--Grandad, Dad, and son live in a rundown flat in London. Their money-making schemes are outlandish. The dialogue is sharp and witty. Will watch more.

Next up: Shetland and The Jury.
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I think Vera will grow on you, it's now on Season 12 I believe.
 
I was very disappointed in Murder in Provence. There is nothing remotely French about it. Not even the local ambience. Might as well have been set in England.

I am rewatching some old faves like Shetland which has way more seasons now.

I’ll check out Vera.
 
Qs Laptop said:
I've watched some of BritBox.

Vera: Saw S01E01. Somewhat cranky know-it-all hard-drinking 60-something woman doggedly pursues solving murders. Well produced show that is somewhat slow to develop. At 88 minutes long it could have been made in about 70 minutes with some tightening of edits. Murder mystery in this episode wasn't too hard to figure out. The director had an annoying habit of having Vera interrogating people while walking. Walking down halls, walking on the beach, walking down the street, etc. Too much walking! Will watch some more but not right away.

Death in Paradise: Have seen S01E01 and E02. Staid British detective is sent to a tropical paradise to solve the murder of another British detective. Main character can't stand sunshine, the beach, and the laid back lifestyle on the island. I found the character to be interesting. The murder mysteries were difficult to solve. I like the conclusion of the episodes where the detective brings all the players into the same room and announces the murderer and how he solved the mystery. Will watch more.

Only Fools and Horses. I had seen some of Season 1. This time around I started with Season 2 and it is quite a lot better. Three generations of hustlers--Grandad, Dad, and son live in a rundown flat in London. Their money-making schemes are outlandish. The dialogue is sharp and witty. Will watch more.

Next up: Shetland and The Jury.
Click to expand...
I think I remember you watched Season 1 of Traces last year, Season 2 is now available.
VERY STRONG Scottish accents. A girl returns to her hometown where her mother was murdered when she was a child

Comedy-Keeping Up Appearances This from 1990 but i always enjoyed this show
Hyancinth Bucket has turned being a snob into an art form, her surname is pronounced 'Bouquet' don't you know and her family don't help. But Hyacinth's a determined lady, with one mission in life - to impress.

Same actress also in HETTY WAINTHROPP INVESTIGATES -The adventures of a housewife-turned-investigator. On her 60th birthday, Hetty Wainthropp decides it is time to do something with her life and she finds her niche accidentally as an unlikely detective.

SILENT WITNESS 25 Seasons if you're in for the long haul. Really good though

Every body tells a story. Forensic pathologist Sam Ryan and her crack team of forensic pathologists reveal the truth behind murders and accidental deaths.
 
I’m loving this thread, thanks OP for posting! I now have some ideas for shows to watch on BritBox. I have my BritBox subscription through Amazon Prime so I don’t know if the shows I’m about to mention are on Prime or BritBox, but I just finished a comedy called Miranda which I enjoyed. Some laugh out loud moments. And of course I love AbFab, Vicar of Dibley, As Time Goes By, Keeping Up Appearances and Are You Being Served (corny but fun, even though maybe it hasn’t aged all that well).

I do like Father Brown, but I’m glad I’ve been reading these posts that say Vera gets off to a slow start. I didn’t care for the first episode, couldn’t follow it well with the accents and the script. But now I think I’ll have to give it a second shot. Same with Only Fools and Horses…didn’t see what the fuss was about with the first episode so I didn’t bother watching a second episode.

I think Midsomer Murders is on Prime and Acorn, not BritBox. If I’m wrong, then I like that one. Finally, if Waking the Dead, Prime Suspect, Wire in the Blood or Broadchurch are on BritBox, they were enjoyable, as were the Joan Hickson Miss Marple episodes (again, that may be Prime, not BritBox). I’ll have to look at BritBox and see if any other titles I enjoyed are on BritBox now.
 
Also if anyone missed the Britbox deal and wants to check out the service they're on channel 660 on Pluto TV which is totally free. It's available as live streaming and some shows are also on demand. You get earlier episodes to tease you into subscribing to watch them all.
Midsommer Murders are on channel 655
British Comedy on 1255 currently streaming the IT Crowd right now which is also really good
 
RetiredAndLovingIt said:
I think I remember you watched Season 1 of Traces last year, Season 2 is now available.
VERY STRONG Scottish accents. A girl returns to her hometown where her mother was murdered when she was a child
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Nope, wasn't me, I've never seen Traces.

Comedy-Keeping Up Appearances This from 1990 but i always enjoyed this show
Hyancinth Bucket has turned being a snob into an art form, her surname is pronounced 'Bouquet' don't you know and her family don't help. But Hyacinth's a determined lady, with one mission in life - to impress.
Click to expand...

I am familiar with this show from watching a bit on PBS in the 90's. However, I can't remember any specific episode. I watched S01 E01 tonight and it was entertaining although I don't see how the writers can make the one gag--middle class nobody thinks she's high society--last for several seasons.
 
Poopycat said:
I’m glad I’ve been reading these posts that say Vera gets off to a slow start. I didn’t care for the first episode, couldn’t follow it well with the accents and the script. But now I think I’ll have to give it a second shot.
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I can see Vera has potential, but the first episode was not a winner.

Same with Only Fools and Horses…didn’t see what the fuss was about with the first episode so I didn’t bother watching a second episode.
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As I said above, skip the first season entirely and dive into the Season 2. I watched episode 2 and it was pretty good, and while the subject matter was probably fresh in 1982, it's been done to death since then.

I think Midsomer Murders is on Prime and Acorn, not BritBox. If I’m wrong, then I like that one. Finally, if Waking the Dead, Prime Suspect, Wire in the Blood or Broadchurch are on BritBox, they were enjoyable, as were the Joan Hickson Miss Marple episodes (again, that may be Prime, not BritBox). I’ll have to look at BritBox and see if any other titles I enjoyed are on BritBox now.
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Ah yes, Broadchurch. I like David Tennant. But I don't think the show is on BritBox. I might have to find that somewhere else.
 
Also BB fans. We resorted to subtitles when watching. Some of the regional accents and slang require a computer handy to look up some of the terms. ;-)
Real New Tricks fan and also now watching Death in Paradise, MacDonald and Dodd as well as Shakespear and Hathaway. While only a couple season we enjoyed the dynamics between the two main characters in The Mallorca Files--Women detective from UK gets sent Malorca to assist locals in solving crime. Her opposing character is a buff dude from Germanu.
 
nwsteve said:
Also BB fans. We resorted to subtitles when watching. Some of the regional accents and slang require a computer handy to look up some of the terms. ;-)
Real New Tricks fan and also now watching Death in Paradise, MacDonald and Dodd as well as Shakespear and Hathaway. While only a couple season we enjoyed the dynamics between the two main characters in The Mallorca Files--Women detective from UK gets sent Malorca to assist locals in solving crime. Her opposing character is a buff dude from Germanu.
Click to expand...

Yes, we have to us closed captioning on virtually every show. I know they're speaking English but the accents are strong!
 
My favorites are the shows by Agatha Christie. Poirot and Miss Maple are the best. And Britbox has quite a few of her others. Worth a look if you have the time after you have watched the other suggestions.
 
+1 for Shetland and Silent Witness. I liked MI5 quite a bit too.
 
Also BB fans. We resorted to subtitles when watching. Some of the regional accents and slang require a computer handy to look up some of the terms.
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Buckeye said:
Yes, we have to us closed captioning on virtually every show. I know they're speaking English but the accents are strong!
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A great feature of Roku is the closed captioning setting under Accessibility. Instead of using "Closed Captioning--On Always", I select "Closed Captioning--On Replay". Then if I come across some dialogue I can't quite decipher I press the Replay button on the Roku remote. This rewinds the show about 15 seconds and closed captioning comes on during that replayed portion and then disappears. Using this technique I don't need to have closed captioning on all the time. Quite handy, though on some shows if I find myself using the Replay button too much I just give in and put it on Closed Captioning--On Always.

Also quite handy is having my phone nearby and when I run across a British term I don't understand I simply say, "Hey Google, what's a plonker in British slang?" Answer is immediate. For example, I was watching "Only Fools and Horses" the other night and one of the characters said, "You're making me out to be a Bertie Smalls, and I'm not." My response--"Hey Google, who was Bertie Smalls, British slang?"
 
captain3d said:
Such a gem
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I'm not sure anyone would watch it if we described it to them, especially the quirky characters, but it truly is a gem. I'm going to miss the characters when the series is over. "Are you a metal detector?" "No, I'm a detectorist."
 
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Vera and Shetland. Both based on books by Ann Cleeves. I can't recall where we watched Line of Duty, but that's very good (Season 5 was especially terrific).
Recent seasons of Vera haven't been as good as the early ones, but we are big fans of Brenda Blethyn, so we'll keep watching them as long as they keep making them.
 
Started Shetland. Watched episode 1 of series 1 and sorry to say it was glacially slow. Found out it was a 2-parter at the end of the episode, which left a sour taste in my mouth.

Beautifully shot with fantastic scenery. I like the main character, there is something compelling about him. Somehow he dominates the screen. But, man, pick up the pace of the plot!

Does everybody drink at all hours of the day in this show?
 
British TV

We are big fans of Britbox and Acorn. We have seen so many good shows and we enjoy it so much more than American TV. Most of our shows are thrillers and crime. Here is list of shows we have seen on both of these networks.

By the way we do not mess around. We love English TV:

Broadchurch
The Accident
The Indian Doctor*
Top Of The Lake
The Capture
The Sister
Happy Valley
Appletree Yard
The Fall
The Killing
Marcella
Bodyguard
Luther
Line of Fire
Unforgotten
DCI Banks
The Tower
From Darkness
Last Tango in Halifax
Redemption
The Good Karma Hospital
In The Dark
Blood*
Whitstable Pearl*
The Chelsea Detective
The Sounds
Hidden Assets
Mayday
The Beast Must Die
Finding Alice*
The Secret
Taken Down
Amnesia
The Gulf*
No Offence
Acceptable Risk
Save Me
The Bay
Harrow
One of us/Retribution
Catastrophe
Deadwater Fell*
Hard Sun
Collateral
Grace - Season 1 & 2
Prey
Trauma
The Long Call
What to do when someone dies
The Cry
*Bloodlines
Keeping Faith
Hidden*
Afterlife
Place of Execution
Run
Striking Out
The Victim
Vigil
Okay
Smother
The Bear
The Secrets We Keep
The Deuce
Crime
Dark Heart
Manhunt*
The Pembrokeshire Murders
The Moorside
A Confession
The Sister
In Plain Sight
The Barking Murders
Loch Ness*
A Model Daughter
Code of A Killer*
Traces
Wire In The Blood
Suspect
Karen Pirie
Life of Crime
Taken Down
Bloodline. 2017. USA
Crossfire
Aftertaste. Season 1
Whistable pearl Season 2
 
Musica40 said:
If you pay a year in advance, you save money.
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Thank you for that list!
What does the asterisk mean?

I love britbox and acorn also. I need to check into a yearly subscription because I’m not giving them up.
Thrillers, crime, mystery, and some sci fi.
 
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