Doctor Who, which dominated the Internet with its 50th Anniversary at the end of 2013, is undeniably Britain’s biggest TV export, especially as the show is currently seeing its biggest popularity ever outside the U.K. It’s hardly the country’s only televisual success, however — there’s also Downton Abbey , Sherlock and Top Gear. If you’re looking fore the best way to get to grips with the U.K.’s best output, you couldn’t do much better than by starting with some of the great blogs devoted to British airwaves.
With the Doctor Who anniversary last year, it didn’t seem proper to start with anything other than a blog devoted to Doctor Who itself. There are plenty of those around, but Blogtor Who is a great bet for keeping up with the latest trailers, news, and rumors for the show. Whether you know your Silurians from your Slitheen or not, Blogtor Who will help you keep up to date with the exploits of everyone’s favorite Time Lord.
Describing itself as “A UK view on the best and worst TV from around the world,” The Medium is not Enough gives a British perspective on all things TV. Coverage is focused on, but not limited to, British TV, and includes daily news roundups, reviews, features and more. Great if you not only want to hear about the latest in British TV, but also want to know what the Brits think of America’s output.
For better or worse, some of the biggest British successes of recent years have been reality TV shows, and it’s been turned into a bit of an art form. From talent competitions like X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing to terrifying insights into modern British subcultures from The Only Way Is Essex and Made In Chelsea, British reality TV has never been bigger, more entertaining, or more ubiquitous, and UnrealityTV is all you need to stay up to date.
Run by Bill Young, an American TV programmer with a soft spot for British TV, tellyspotting offers an at times bizarre look into the world of British TV. It’s a great source of news and rumors, but perhaps the best part is the slightly-off use of British idioms to add color to the writing. You can’t fault the author’s enthusiasm, but you definitely can worry about his grasp of British slang.
Another blog by an American (honestly, do us Brits write any of our own TV blogs?), but this time without the infectious, and adorable, enthusiasm. Instead, Across the Pond offers a variety of insights into the bits of British TV that most Americans won’t have heard of, with a bit of a focus on comedy. If you want your British TV knowledge to go further than Doctor Who and Downton Abbey, then Across the Pond is for you, with great write ups of comedians’ and actors’ careers, illustrations of panel comedy shows, and the odd reviews and features.
Find British TV in America by checking availability of local PBS affiliaates via FIlmOn in your area.
Watch streaming comedy on Popcorn TV on FilmOn:
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